Amid Growing Injury Concerns, USWNT’s Lynn Williams Voices Concern Over Tight Schedule Following CONCACAF W Champions Cup Groups Announcement

The inaugural edition of the CONCACAF  W Gold Cup was a massive hit with the USWNT emerging victorious. As such, it was expected that a women’s edition of the Champions Cup would also follow. In March 2024, we got official word that the W Champions Cup would kick off in August 2024. While many are buzzing at the prospect of more matches, Gotham FC player Lynn Williams has her reservations regarding the ‘exciting‘ idea.

On the Women’s Game podcast, Lynn Williams voiced her thoughts on the upcoming tournament. She said, “I think that having a club World Cup is exciting, and being able to play different teams outside of this league is also very exciting.” As per the NWSL star, the problem is having to play more games and the brutal schedule. She explained, “We play in the US and then we have a midweek game and we go to Mexico and then on Sunday we have to fly back from Mexico to play at Gotham again. It’s like so much travel.”

According to the USWNT star, the big question is whether there is the right infrastructure for such a tournament. She added, ” The match calendar globally is just really really heavy on the players.” As per Lynn Williams, announcing such a tournament on short notice is a ‘worrisome‘ idea. Especially, considering that players are left with little recovery period amid the increasing injuries.

The Champions Cup features clubs from the CONCACAF region. After the group stage, the knockout matches are scheduled for May 2025. While Lynn Williams is rightly concerned regarding the increasingly tight schedule, she might be considerably less busy than her USWNT teammates in the coming month.

Lynn Williams might not be a part of the USWNT’s Olympic plans

It was recently that Lynn Williams made headlines after becoming the NWSL’s leading goalscorer. Yet, she does not seem to be a part of coach Emma Hayes’ plans for Paris 2024. In May, the new USWNT coach released her first roster and William did not future. Having scored 18 games in 63 games for the National side, Williams would have brought the perfect blend of experience and quality. Perhaps, being at the age of 31, Hayes might be on the lookout for younger alternatives.

Another big name that could be set out to miss on the callup is Alex Morgan. Morgan has had injury troubles this season and is yet to score a single goal in the NWSL! Also, like Lynn Williams, she does not have age on her side. During the W Gold Cup, Morgan got into the side after a teammate was ruled out due to injury. This time, her chances of featuring for the National team look much harder.