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Meet Rose Lavelle, the UW-Madison grad playing for the US Women's National Team in the FIFA World Cup

Lavelle graduated from UW-Madison, where she played college soccer, in 2016.

Terrance Williams/AP

OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle in action during the first half of an NWSL soccer match against the Washington Spirit, Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

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MILWAUKEE — The United States Women's National Team has Wisconsin connections.

Rose Lavelle is playing for the team as they head to the FIFA World Cup on Friday. It starts off with a game against Vietnam at 8 p.m. central time. The US then plays the Netherlands at 8 p.m. on July 26 and then Portugal at 2 a.m. on Aug. 1.

Lavelle graduated from UW-Madison, where she played college soccer, in 2016. The 28-year-old midfielder started her career with the Boston Breakers and then Washington Spirit. During the 2019 World Cup, she started six games and scored three goals. The same year she was named 6th best player in the world. During the 2020 Olympics, she scored one goal for the US. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She currently plays for the OL Reign in Seattle, Washington.

During an interview with NBC Sports, Lavelle said:

“I’d like to think I’ve grown tremendously on and off the field since 2019,” Lavelle said. “Just becoming more of an experienced player and being a good role model for the younger players, like the girls did with me in 2019. I’ve also tried to emphasize my recovery and pre/post-training routines to assure I’m at my best when I step on the pitch. Within the game itself, my style hasn’t changed drastically, but I’ve definitely picked up more knowledge of what to do in certain situations and how to better impact the team.”

“I’ve been doing a lot of things – like stretching, massages, etc. – to help with my recovery process,” Lavelle said regarding her knee injury. “Icy Hot PRO has also been essential to my recovery process as it helps me relieve my muscles and joints after a game or training session. You can tell it’s been made for muscles and joints that’ve been pushed to their limits – it’s a next-level pain reliever.”

“I’d say our biggest strength is our depth and versatility,” Lavelle told NBC Sports. “We have a whole roster of talented players who are capable and ready to step up should their name be called … We go into every match and tournament with the objective of winning, so this one isn’t any different. We have a great group of girls on and off the pitch who have the same goal for our trip. This World Cup will be tougher than any, considering the investment other countries are starting to put into the women’s game.”

The USWNT roster by position with club affiliation:

Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (Gotham), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign).

Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Angel City), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Rose Lavelle, (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (Gotham), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit).

Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC).

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

When: July 20 to August 20
Group stage kick-off times: 12:30am, 1am, 1:30am, 3am, 3:30am, 4am, 6am, 7am, 8am, 8:30am, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm (all ET)
Location: Australia and New Zealand
TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Check out Lavelle's stats on the US National Team's website:

FIRST CAP: March 4, 2017, vs. England (Harrison, N.J.)FIRST GOAL: April 9, 2017, vs. Russia (Houston, Texas)

NATIONAL TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
Lavelle continues to be one of the USA’s top performers and most exciting players in recent history.
She set then personal highs in a calendar year in 2021 for USWNT games played (22), minutes (1,411), goals (5) and assists (5) and had an equally as productive year in 2022 with 1,107 minutes 16 games played while scoring four goals and tallying a career-high six assists.
She was part of the U.S. team that won the 2022 Concacaf W Championship to earn berths to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics, recording a goal and an assist and playing in all five matches.
PREVIOUS WORLD CUP EXPERIENCE
Had a breakout summer at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, winning the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in the tournament and being named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI, establishing herself as one of the USA’s most popular and entertaining players.
Emerged as one of the world’s top young stars at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and scored what will go down as one of the most memorable and dramatic goals in U.S. history to clinch the USA’s 2-0 victory against the Netherlands in the World Cup Final, becoming one of eight Americans to have scored in a World Cup Final at the senior level.
One of the USA’s best players at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada, she played every minute of all four matches and scored a critical goal against China PR in the final group game to push the USA through to the quarterfinal round, where it lost in penalty kicks to North Korea.
CLUB HIGHLIGHTS
Drafted by the Boston Breakers No. 1 overall in the 2017 NWSL Draft. After the Breakers ceased operations, she was taken as the first pick in the Dispersal Draft on Jan. 30, 2018 by the Washington Spirit.
Spent three seasons with the Spirit before her rights were traded to OL Reign.
Spent time in England playing for Manchester City, helping the club win the 2019-20 FA Cup.
Was a major part of the OL Reign squad that won the 2022 NWSL Shield, starting all 17 matches in which she played, tallying 1,481 minutes, five goals and one assist.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Marty and Janet Lavelle, she has two sisters, Nora and Mary, and one brother, John.
Is an avid reader and is also widely known for her obsession with her English Bulldog, Wilma.
Majored in Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she was an All-American selection.
Has a USL team mascot named after her as in January of 2021, Forward Madison FC -- the USL League One professional soccer franchise based in Madison, Wisconsin -- acquired a calf when its original team cow, Lionela Bessi, gave birth. The club held a fan contest to find the perfect name for its new baby and the winner was Rose Cowbelle, an honor she later described as one of the greatest of her life.