The first U.S. women’s national team roster of the Emma Hayes era is an intriguing mix of veterans and newcomers, and most of that latter group will be coming in from one NWSL club.
Hayes named a 26-player squad on Tuesday, with 23 eligible to play in upcoming friendlies against South Korea. Of that group, four will be experiencing the USWNT environment for the first time: Chicago Red Stars center back Sam Staab, and Washington Spirit rookies Croix Bethune, Hal Hershfelt, and Kate Wiesner.
Speaking to Pro Soccer Wire, Bethune and Hershfelt were both still marveling at the speed at which they’ve gone from being amateurs with university courseloads to professionals preparing for a USWNT camp.
“I mean, it’s insane,” said Hershfelt, who as one of the six midfielders in Hayes’ squad may well be in line for a first cap. “I feel like if there was a time to expect it, I would have not expected it now… I was in college a couple of months ago.”
Bethune, who trails only USWNT star and perennial NWSL MVP contender Sophia Smith in total goals and assists on the season, said she was “grateful and blessed” to get the call-up.
However, showing the combination of confidence and focus that seems to be a job requirement for a national team playmaker, she noted that this moment was something she has had in mind for some time.
“I write out my goals,” explained the 23-year-old. “Believe it or not, I wrote this goal out last year while I was still [playing collegiately at] Georgia. So, six months later, and here we are.”
The speed of the call-ups may be a surprise, but then again, it’s hard to argue with results. Bethune made the NWSL Team of the Month for April/May, and (after a stat change on Tuesday) is now on seven assists, already the NWSL record for a rookie.
Hershfelt, meanwhile, has played 847 of a possible 900 minutes for Washington, helping the Spirit stay in the thick of the NWSL Shield race. The fifth overall pick has tacked on two goals while adding press resistance and physicality to the Washington midfield alongside Andi Sullivan.
Still, Bethune didn’t quite expect a U.S. Soccer email to arrive for this particular camp, admitting with a chuckle that she had made plans for this international window that will have to be put on hold.
Hayes included Bethune on her roster as a training player rather than being eligible for a first cap. The Georgia native wasn’t deterred by that distinction, underlining the fact that getting into a USWNT training session is still a major opening to prove herself.
“Honestly, this is still an opportunity,” said the midfielder. “So, I’m gonna take what I’m given and just do the best that I can with what I have.”
Hershfelt, who was never once called in for a youth national team camp, admitted the call-up was “unexpected.”
“I’m not gonna lie, I cried a little bit,” laughed the 21-year-old. “I mean, you come in as a rookie, I’m like, ‘I’m gonna put my head down, I’m gonna work my butt off. See what happens.’ And I mean this is like, the best possible scenario.”
Both players said that at this point, most of what they know boils down to the basics of simply getting to camp: what flight to be on, when to be there, and so on. However, with Spirit teammates Aubrey Kingsbury, Casey Krueger, and Trinity Rodman going into the same camp, the group got together on Tuesday for a meeting that both Bethune and Hershfelt felt was very beneficial.
“I feel welcomed,” said Bethune. “As the new player, you kind of think the best thing to do is just keep to yourself, but I have people that I’m with every day that can allow me to get out of my shell… a big group is a lot better than just going in solo.”
Hershfelt credited Kingsbury for reminding the rookies that they don’t need to change themselves to thrive in the notoriously demanding USWNT environment.
“It sounds so simple and like, kind of corny, but just, be you,” is how Hershfelt characterized the advice. “You’re in, you got thrown in there for a reason. So don’t try to be something you’re not. You have strengths as a player, use them.”
Whether it’s the training sessions with the Spirit involving so many players with caps for the USWNT, Canada, and France, or games against teams stocked with what Bethune called “the best soccer players in the world,” both pointed out that they’ve had the chance to weigh their own prospects against USWNT regulars.
Bethune said her approach to that idea is “just correlating to who I’m playing in club [games] that have also been into camps,” and doing whatever she can to exceed that standard.
“It’s like, ‘Do I have the chance?'” explained Hershfelt. “From a personal standpoint, just being around those types of players…lifts us up as rookies.
“We were around college teams, that’s completely different than what we’re around now. And I honestly think it just kind of pushes you to kind of like set those standards for yourself every single training.”
For both Spirit youngsters, the pleasant surprise has sparked a lot of gratitude, but also hunger to keep proving themselves at higher levels.
“Just grateful and blessed that I have this opportunity. I’ve been working toward this since I was younger,” said Bethune. “I’m just glad to go in and show them what I can do.”
“This is insane. I’m just so thankful,” added Hershfelt. “I’m trying to look at it as only the beginning. I don’t want to be going in there being like, ‘Oh, I made it,’ because I feel like that’s how you get complacent. So, I’m kind of turning it around and being like, ‘yes, I can be happy in this moment. I’m so grateful to be given this opportunity,’ but [also] I want to put my head down and work.”
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