24 years old, lavender roses declared herself to the world with a stunning goal in the 2019 Women’s World Cup final to help beat the Netherlands and win another trophy for United States women’s national team. She lifted the Bronze Ball later that day, a nod to her stellar performances throughout the tournament and, in many ways, a stardom.
The groundbreaking major leagues present a player’s journey as linear paths made of single moments, when they are truly one step in an arduous journey that requires great timing. great. Lavelle was brilliant in that final – no surprise to those who have watched her go up – but she is also still a young player struggling to achieve more consistency.
Now, with next year’s World Cup, and preceded by this summer’s qualifying tournament, the CONCACAF W Championship, Lavelle is truly at his peak and playing better than ever. Much of that has to do with going back National Women’s Soccer Leaguewhere she is the focus as number 10 for CV Reign.
“Rose is clearly a super dynamic player, so we wanted to give her the freedom to do that,” CV Reign and teammates in the US Megan Rapinoe speak. “She has to be an excellent type of player.”
Away from the limelight in France in 2019, Lavelle played just six games for her then club, Washington Spirit, because of a combination of injury and readiness problems as the NWSL played through. most World Cups. City of Manchester Fast forward to playing for the US stardom after her abrupt summer, but Lavelle’s time in England has been largely marked by injuries and head coach Gareth Taylor’s curious tendency to want to. she plays at her best, in dedicated wide areas, while she’s healthy.
Lavelle left England after one season to return to the NWSL and join Reign, who traded draft options in the first round and $200,000 for her NWSL rights in anticipation of her eventual return to the league. . Her mid-summer arrival coincides with Laura Harvey’s return as Reign’s head coach, along with loan spells to Lyon’s stars Dzsenifer Marozsan and Eugenie Le Sommer – but Reign was disappointed by the eventual champion, Washington Spirit, in the semifinals.
Reign is again among the favorites this season, Lavelle’s first season with the club. Since her arrival, she is playing the most confident and consistent version of lavender roses so far, for both club and country.
“Freedom” is the effective word to unlock the best of Lavelle. At her best, she is an outstanding human reel, a player who prides herself on creativity and a vision of the ball that is historically rare among American players. That special quality has been evident since her high-profile international debut in 2017 on a cold March day in New Jersey, when she was selected as player of the match against England. . Lavelle sets herself apart from her USWNT peers at best, and to reach her potential, she needs an artistic license that allows her to try out unique ideas.
Harvey’s plan so far into the 2022 season allows Lavelle to break out of the traditional central areas of the No.10 role and find the game, including drifting into wider, taller positions. . While roaming in the final third, Lavelle was then able to better combine with Reign’s front line thanks to overlapping support from the full-back Sofia Huerta. As a result, Lavelle not only created opportunities in the higher areas, but also ended them.
She increasingly does this for the US national team, where head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s system encourages Lavelle to swap places for the No. Catherine Macario forged a seamless partnership in those roles earlier this year, but Macario tore her ACL last week and will be available in the near future.)
Lavelle ranks in the top 10 for this year’s NWSL (regular season and Challenge Cup combined) in terms of chances created, while her pass percentage in offensive third is third in the league among the top ten. players with three or more goals, according to ESPN Stats & Information. All of that is to be expected from a world-class 10, that is Lavelle, and much of it was on display under the blazing heat of summer in France three years ago.
Now, at 27, Lavelle is a more complete player in more obvious and discreet ways. Take her target on May 29th against San Diego Wave FC as a prominent example. With Huerta standing on a free kick near the corner, Lavelle made a cross, ran towards the near post after losing her mark and headed diving to score the only goal of the game.
“I don’t think I’ll ever score another goal like that again,” Lavelle said through her signature smile. Of course, she was modest: After all, she nearly scored with a superb 10-second header in the previous game, vs. Current Kansas City.
With all the attention given to her offensive abilities, the most overlooked thing about Lavelle is her defense. Of the players who scored at least 3 goals, she had the most recoveries (94) while her 42 tackles were surpassed by just 2 players in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
She does all this defensive work in high areas, quickly turning them into opportunities for her team. Even as a No 10 with a primary role of creating chances and breaking defence, Lavelle still carries a significant defensive burden on both Reign and the USWNT in their three-man midfield formation.
“Rose Lavelle was the best defensively in the transition period,” Andonovski said in September. “There is no player who converts as well as she does.”
It is a compelling statement from the American coach given the number of great two-way midfielders in the world, from pillars such as captaining France. Amandine Henry for US teammates Samantha Mewis. It’s also an acknowledgment of Lavelle’s progress in the time since the world first noticed her.
With this form, she’s seen as a bigger driver for the United States at next summer’s World Cup and a focal point in the Americans’ quest for the three-man peat as champions. She could also be the piece Reign needs to finally win the elusive NWSL championship.
