Megan Rapinoe is experiencing her final Women's World Cup berth from an unfamiliar position: the bench.
The U.S. soccer star — who announced her impending retirement ahead of the 2023 World Cup — has not started either of the USWNT'S first two tournament matches. Nor did she come off the bench in Team USA's 1-1 draw vs. the Netherlands, where manager Vlatko Andonovski made only one substitution all game.
Rapinoe told reporters ahead of the team's Group E finale vs. Portugal she "could've helped" the U.S. avoid the draw, had manager Andonovski subbed her in.
"All of us on the bench," Rapinoe said (via Fox Sports). "We think we should be on the field as much as players on the field think that they should be on the field. Every player on the field that starts the game thinks that they should play 90 minutes, and every player who doesn't, who's a sub, thinks that they should be on at some point.
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Andonovski defended his decision to make only one substitution vs. the Dutch, saying he didn't want to disrupt the flow and cohesion of the USWNT members on the field.
His lone sub did help make the ultimate difference in the game, as well: Andonovski replaced Savannah DeMelo with Rose Lavelle at halftime and, 17 minutes in, the latter provided the assist to captain Lindsey Horan on the equalizer.
Rapinoe said she respected her manager's decision, adding she thinks the bench will play a larger role as the tournament progresses.
"We know at some point during this tournament, obviously, the bench will be huge," Rapinoe told reporters. "That's a huge asset of ours, a huge reason why we've been so successful with this group (and) obviously historically, winning championships in our past."
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Still, some USWNT fans were left wondering why Rapinoe stayed on the bench late in the second half, especially as the team had numerous opportunities for a go-ahead goal. She is third on the team with 200 career international caps, trailing only Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbraun. She has accumulated 63 goals and 73 assists.
If the USWNT bench is to have a chance at becoming a difference-maker, the team first must win its final group stage match vs. Portugal. A loss to the World Cup-debuting team would mark the worst World Cup run in history by the USWNT, which has never finished worse than third.
Should the USWNT beat Portugal, there is also the matter of where the team will rank in Group E. Team USA still leads the second-place Netherlands in Group E on the strength of a 3-1 goal advantage. The Dutch will likely try to pour on the goals against a Vietnam team that Team USA beat 3-0 to start the tournament.
Likewise, the USWNT might need to score some insurance goals vs. the Portuguese — something, perhaps, Rapinoe can contribute to as a substitute.
