US Soccer star Rose Lavelle discussed her World Cup championship and what it means to be a role model for soccer players during a visit to U of L.
Alton Strupp, Louisville Courier Journal
Rose Lavelle, one of the breakout stars during this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, said she was “this close” to attending and playing soccer at the University of Louisville.
But unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Cincinnati native was looking to get a bit farther away from home and “really loved” the University of Wisconsin’s campus.
Though she went to become a three-time All-American for the Badgers, Lavelle had nothing but good things to say Friday about Louisville and the Cardinals soccer team during an appearance at Lynn Stadium, where the Louisville women took on Duke before the men battled Boston College in a doubleheader evening of soccer.
Speaking to media before the women’s match started, the U.S. women’s national team member said she still has a great relationship with Karen Ferguson-Dayes, the head coach of the Louisville women’s team who invited Lavelle to the match to speak with her team.
“I love Karen. I think she’s a great coach and a great person,” Lavelle said. “I was happy to come up here and do this.”
The 24-year-old midfielder for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League also participated in a Q & A with fans during halftime of the women’s soccer match, signed autographs and posed for a handful of photos with supporters young and old who were eager to see a World Cup winner up close.
When asked what she tells younger players still in college and high school, Lavelle said “just have fun.”
“I think that’s why I’m still where I am right now. … Whether it’s soccer or something else, always just find the joy in it,” Lavelle said. “If soccer is your thing, don’t doubt for a second that you could be in our shoes someday, because I think that’s where it started for me when I was little. I watched the 1999 (U.S. World Cup-winning) team play and became obsessed with them.”
Lavelle was already having a decent soccer career before this summer’s World Cup in France.
But by the end her first World Cup, Lavelle cemented her status as one of the world’s most exciting and dangerous players, capping her tournament with a goal in the final to seal the U.S. national team’s 2-0 win over the Netherlands.
Relive the glory: Rapinoe, Lavelle lead U.S. women to 2019 World Cup championship
After graduating from Wisconsin, Lavelle was drafted first overall by the Boston Breakers in the 2017 NWSL College Draft.
She made her senior international debut for the U.S. women’s national team in 2017 and joined the Washington Spirit of the NWSL after the Breakers folded ahead of the 2018 NWSL season.
While some soccer fans may not have recognized Lavelle’s name before this summer’s World Cup, her performance in France was impossible to ignore.
Lavelle started six games and scored three goals for the U.S., helping the American women defend their 2015 title and win their fourth World Cup.
The ball often seemed to be tethered to Lavelle’s feet as she patrolled the midfield during matches and delivered perfect passes that broke down defenses.
The biggest goal of her career in the World Cup final was no less impressive, as she gathered the ball near midfield in the the 69th minute and surged forward before cutting to her left and drilling a low shot past the Dutch goalkeeper, Sari van Veenendaal.
Lavelle was awarded the tournament’s Bronze Ball as its third best player and chosen as one of the world’s top three midfielders by her professional peers.
“It’s been awesome to see how many people are getting behind us, and they’re still getting behind us,” Lavelle said of the national team, which recently completed a “Victory Tour” of friendly matches. “(The World Cup) was really, really stressful but also very, very rewarding.”
At the club level, Lavelle called the NWSL “the best league in the world, top to bottom” and said it has “been huge for my development.”
The NWSL is reportedly considering Louisville as an expansion city, with Louisville City FC of the United Soccer League as the financial backer.
Related: How would Louisville City FC coexist with an NWSL team?
If a NWSL team indeed comes to Louisville, the Derby City would be one of nine cities with both men’s and women’s soccer teams. Four of those cities have USL clubs — Cary, North Carolina; Orlando, Salt Lake City and Tacoma, Washington.
“I would love a team here. I’m all for Midwest teams,” Lavelle said. “… I think it’s great if we can get more teams in the league and more owners who can buy in. I’m all for it.”
Here’s a little bit of what else Lavelle talked about Friday while in Louisville.
On her favorite moment from the World Cup:
“I think the France game was something else.” (The U.S. knocked out the French hosts 2-1 in the quarterfinal.) “Besides winning, when we ran out to warm up there were USA chants, and it was like, ‘Wow…we’re playing the host country and we still have this support here.’ But winning (the World Cup) kind of takes the cake, and all the celebrations that came with it were really fun.”
On being told growing up that she was too small or would never reach the level she has made it to:
“Yeah, I think a lot of people thought that I was too small. There will always be people who think I’m too small. I think with the confidence I had in myself was huge…I always envisioned myself being on the national team so much so that I didn’t let what anyone thought of me … deter what I wanted my path to be. I think the confidence you have in yourself is the most important.”
On her beloved English bulldog, a 7-year-old named Wilma Jean Wrinkles:
Lavelle said she would recommend a bulldog to anyone.
“They’re very low maintenance physically but high maintenance mentally because they’re really stubborn and need attention. But who doesn’t like to give dogs attention?”
On what her goals are for herself moving forward after a memorable year:
“I think my main goal for next season is to be as physically fit and healthy as I can possibly be so I can be available to play however many minutes are needed of me with the national team and in the NWSL. Even this year, I had little knocks here and there that didn’t allow me to play consistently this year.”
Reach Billy Kobin at [email protected] or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.
