The international window: Lavelle shines in USWNT return

Also, sisters Chandler and Olivia McDaniel help the Philippines qualify for the AFC Women's Asian Cup and Tenzin Rampa coaches Tibet at the CONIFA Asia Cup.

The first five months of 2025 were tough for Rose Lavelle (UW).

The Gotham FC attacker missed most of the first half of the National Women’s Soccer League season after having offseason ankle surgery, making her 2025 debut in early June. Despite her limited minutes of match action, U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes recalled Lavelle for the team’s recent camp and friendlies.

Back with the USWNT for the first time in seven months, the 30-year-old might have been the team’s best player over the three-game window. Lavelle was involved in two goals in each of her starts, a 4-0 win over Ireland and a 3-0 victory over Canada.

“She’s unique,” Hayes said. “In the world game, there’s not many players like Rose Lavelle, and I genuinely think there is another level for her to go with our team.”

She set up defender Avery Patterson’s opener in the 18th minute of the June 26 match against Ireland in Commerce City, Colo., then capped a nice sequence by scoring her 25th international goal in the 53rd to make it 3-0.

The goal made Lavelle the 19th player in USWNT history with at least 25 goals and 25 assists in their career, and she was named the Woman of the Match for her performance.

Three days later, Lavelle was on the bench as the U.S. faced Ireland again in her hometown of Cincinnati. Hayes said there was an agreement with Gotham FC to restrict her minutes as she works back into full form after the ankle surgery.

But with a crowd of 24,016 chanting, “We want Rose!” Hayes subbed Lavelle on in the 87th minute for a late cameo in another 4-0 victory that was the 600th win in U.S. women’s national team history.

Lavelle was back in the starting XI for Wednesday’s match against Canada in Washington, D.C., and her left foot led to the first two goals for the U.S. — even if she wasn’t officially credited with an assist on one of them.

The Americans went ahead in the 17th minute when Lavelle served in a free kick from about 30 yards into the box. It bounced off a Canadian defender, then off Patterson before Sam Coffey finished for the opening goal. Less than 20 minutes later, Lavelle played in a corner kick that 19-year-old Claire Hutton headed in to make it 2-0.

McDaniel sisters, Philippines qualify for Asian Cup

Sisters Chandler and Olivia McDaniel (UW-Milwaukee) played key roles as the Philippines qualified for their second straight AFC Women's Asian Cup.

The Filipinas dominated Group G of qualifying, beating Saudi Arabia 3-0, host Cambodia 6-0 and Hong Kong 1-0 in matches played this week in Phnom Penh.

Chandler McDaniel had two goals and an assist over the three games, including her 11th international goal in the 4th minute of today’s win over Hong Kong that clinched the Philippines’ spot in next March’s tournament in Australia.

She also had an assist in Sunday’s victory over the Saudis and scored in Wednesday’s rout of Cambodia. Olivia McDaniel, meanwhile, posted three clean sheets and celebrated her 50th cap Wednesday.

The eight group winners from this round join China, South Korea, Japan and host Australia at the Women’s Asian Cup. These qualifiers also were the first stage of Asian qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic tournament.

History: Wisconsin’s women’s national team players

Rampa leads Tibet at CONIFA Asia Cup in England

Tenzin Rampa (Madison West/UW-Milwaukee) was in Walton-on-Thames, England, near London, this week coaching Team Tibet in the CONIFA Asia Cup.

CONIFA (Confederation of Independent Football Associations) is the international governing body for teams that are not recognized by FIFA. Tibet lost to Tamil Eelam 4-0 on Tuesday and fell to East Turkistan 6-4 Thursday in the Asia Cup, which is a qualifier for the CONIFA World Football Cup.

Rampa, 39, is an assistant coach with Milwaukee Wave of the Major Arena Soccer League and a longtime youth soccer coach at Elmbrook United. He played for Tibet in 2006 and had a 13-year career with the Wave before joining their coaching staff.

• Did you know? Rampa and his father, Tenzin Trinley, were in the 1997 movie Kundun, a film directed by Martin Scorsese that told the story of the 14th Dalai Lama. Trinley was a translator for the Dalai Lama in the 1960s and ’70s. Learn more in this XI Questions feature from back in 2006