There’s a saying in soccer that a team is only as good as its best player. A prime example would be Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who occasionally struggled without the Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. And in the NWSL, the Washington Spirit fans grew nervous when their Ballon d’Or nominee, Trinity Rodman left the field in a wheelchair. To provide context, Rodman suffered an intense back spasm during Washington Spirit’s match against Kansas City on September 20th. Without their star on the field, the Spirits lost 3-0. In the following games, the entire squad pushed through, especially teammate Hal Hershfelt as they moved past this setback. 

Speaking to Alicia Jay on the “We Need To Talk” podcast, Hershfelt emphasizes how the injured players would give anything to be out there, so she felt a responsibility to not let their teammates down. Considering that Andi Sullivan, Croix Bethune, and Ouleymata Sarr were among others injured, the squad had to give everything in their absence. 

It is indeed unsettling to see one of your best players being wheeled off in a wheelchair. What makes it worse is having to play the rest of the match, not knowing how severe the injury is and if they were to return. “Ya, I think honestly, like, those were huge losses to our team, like Andy, Croix, Ouley, and even when Trin was out for a couple of months with a back (injury), I mean, that was scary,” said Hershfel. 

Despite the blow, the 23-year-old mentioned that it served as a motivating factor for the whole team, as they were determined to not let their teammates down. “You want to show them like hey, you got us here, we’re going to take it all the way”, and that they have done, indeed. Trinity and her teammates will be aiming for another NWSL title, having last won it in 2021. 

Meanwhile, it looks like Triple Espresso won’t be brewing for USWNT’s upcoming clash with England!

Rodman and others left out amid injury woes

However, there remains uncertainty about Rodman’s condition as she has been dropped from Emma Hayes’ squad for the upcoming friendly against England. Not just Rodman, but the famous ‘Triple Espresso’ of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson are absent from the USWNT roster. As per the US Soccer Federation, they are just minor injuries stemming from the long seasons the players have had. We expect the likes of Lynn Williams, Yazmeen Ryan, and Jaedyn Shaw, among others to contribute to the attack at Wembley. Hopefully, we can expect a sip of Triple Espresso in the friendly against the Dutch. 

Speaking of Espressos, Trinity Rodman is among the favorites to win NWSL MVP of the year. Her 8 goals and 6 assists spearheaded Washington Spirits to another final, where they will face Orlando Pride at CPKC Stadium. Yes, the very same stadium where Rodman was injured. This time she has the chance to walk away with tears of joy, replacing the tears of pain she once shed.

So will it be the first NWSL title for Orlando Pride in their short eight-year history or will it be Rodman’s second, which unarguably will win her the NWSL MVP of the year? Only time will tell if the underdogs or the betting favorites bring it home.