Picture: ‘Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team – Netflix
The 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup took place in Australia and New Zealand this past Summer, and Netflix has chronicled the short-lived journey of the US Women’s Soccer Team and their attempt to win a 5th World Cup with a brand new docuseries that arrives in December 2023.
The women’s game has come a long way since the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in China 1991. The women’s game goes from strength to strength each year, with more footballers earning professional contracts, sponsorship deals, live coverage, punditry, and more. Arguably, the nation with some of the biggest influence on women’s soccer has been the United States, which explains their incredible four World Cup wins from eight attempts.
Picture: Megan Rapinoe of the US Women’s Soccer Team – Netflix
The upcoming unnamed sports docuseries is a co-production with TIME Studios, Words + Pictures, and Together.
Netflix has released a synopsis for the docuseries;
“The all-access sports series will allow audiences to intimately follow the US Women’s National Team’s players and coaches and reveal an inside look at the most decorated team in soccer history. Viewers will get a first-hand look at the pressure, the euphoria, the joy, and the hardships that these world-class athletes experience as they strive to capture their third World Cup title in a row. Issues ranging from racial diversity, LGBTQ+ rights, equal pay, family, and motherhood are all brought to light as the narrative unfolds.”
When the documentary was first announced, there would have been much excitement in chronicling the U.S. Women’s National Team winning a fifth World Cup. However, Soccer can be a cruel sport, and the U.S. team learned that the hard way.
In total, the USWNT only took part in four games, failing to win in three out of the four, which resulted in their defeat at the hands of Sweden in a penalty shootout in Round 16. The team received heavy criticism from sports pundits at home and abroad due to their poor performances.
Picture: Sweden beat the U.S. in a penalty shootout in the Round of 16.
When will the documentary be on Netflix?
Netflix has confirmed that Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team is coming to Netflix on December 12th, 2023
Picture: Alyssa Thompson of the US Women’s Soccer Team – Netflix
Who are the players of the US Women’s Team?
Below is the full squad of the US Women’s Soccer team that will compete in the 2023 World Cup;
Goalkeepers
| Player | Club | Caps | Age | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alyssa Naeher | Chicago Red Stars (USA) | 90 | 35 | GK |
| Casey Murphy | North Carolina Courage (USA) | 14 | 27 | GK |
| Aubrey Kingsbury | Washington Spirit | 1 | 31 | GK |
Defenders
| Player | Club | Caps | Age | Position | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alana Cook | OL Reign (USA) | 24 | 25 | DEF | CB |
| Crystal Dunn | Portland Thorns (USA) | 130 | 30 | DEF | LB/DM |
| Emily Fox | North Carolina Courage (USA) | 28 | 24 | DEF | LB/RB/CB |
| Naomi Girma | San Diego Wave (USA) | 15 | 22 | DEF | CB |
| Sofia Huerta | OL Reign (USA) | 29 | 30 | DEF | RB/LB |
| Kelley O’Hara | Gotham FC (USA) | 157 | 34 | DEF | RB |
| Emily Sonnett | OL Reign (USA) | 74 | 29 | DEF | DM |
Midfielders
| Player | Club | Caps | Age | Position | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah DeMelo | Chicago Red Stars (USA) | 0 | 25 | MID | CM/CAM/RW |
| Julie Ertz | Angel City FC (USA) | 118 | 31 | MID | DM/CM |
| Lindsey Horan | Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) | 128 | 28 | MID | CM |
| Rose Lavelle | OL Reign (USA) | 88 | 27 | MID | CM/CAM/RW |
| Kristie Mewis | Gotham FC (USA) | 51 | 32 | MID | CM/DM/CAM |
| Andi Sullivan | Washington Spirit (USA) | 44 | 27 | MID | CM/DM |
| Ashley Sanchez | Washington Spirit (USA) | 24 | 23 | MID | CAM/CM/CF |
Forward
| Player | Club | Caps | Age | Position | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Morgan | San Diego Wave (USA) | 206 | 33 | FOR | CF/LW/ST |
| Megan Rapinoe | OL Reign (USA) | 199 | 37 | FOR | LW |
| Trinity Rodman | Washington Spirit (USA) | 17 | 20 | FOR | RW/LW/CF/ST |
| Sophia Smith | Portland Thorns (USA) | 29 | 22 | FOR | ST/RW/CF |
| Alyssa Thompson | Angel City FC (USA) | 3 | 18 | FOR | RW/LW |
| Lynn Williams | Gotham FC (USA) | 52 | 30 | FOR | CF/RW/ST |
Are you excited to watch the documentary about the US Women’s Soccer team in December? Let us know in the comments below!
