Rose Lavelle - The Joker
SOCCER - MIDFIELDER - USWNT - MANCHESTER CITY - NWSL - OL REIGN
ARCHETYPE: THE JOKER
Day 121/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Rose Lavelle is a midfielder for the OL Reign and the U.S. Women’s National Team. This summer, Lavelle and the USWNT are competing for gold—after failing to advance past the quarter finals in 2016. Here’s why Lavelle is crucial in that effort.
Lavelle started seriously training as a soccer player at age 8. She wa sa four-year starter on her high school’s varsity team, and named Cincinnati's Player of the Year by The Cincinnati Enquirer her senior year. She was also NSCAA All-Region as a junior and senior, and received first-team all-state honors. In 2013, Lavelle won the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Sports Women of the Year award.
Lavelle attended the University of Wisconsin, where once again she was a four-year starter. She won Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year and helped her team win the Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament in 2014. In 2015 and 2016, she was named Big Ten midfielder of the year and First-Team All-American in 2015.
In 2017, Lavelle was selected No. 1 overall by the Boston Breakers at the NWSL College Draft. In this same year, she also got pulled up to the senior national team. In 2018, Lavelle went to the Washington Spirit, where she continued to improve and rise in the player rankings. In 2019, she was named to the NWSL Best XI and had solidified her position on the USWNT heading into the World Cup.
Despite some concern about a lingering hamstring injury, Lavelle started in six games in the 2019 World Cup, scoring three goals, including one in the 69th minute of the final, to put the USWNT up 2-0 and secure their win over the Netherlands and the fourth World Cup title for the United States. Lavelle was awarded the Bronze Ball, as the third best player of the tournament.
Since the World Cup, Lavelle has done a short bid with Manchester City, playing in the FA Women’s Super League. But this year, she has returned to the NWSL, playing for the OL Reign.
Character Archetype: The Joker
Rose Lavelle has only been on the U.S. Women's National Team since 2017, and she's already the lavelle of the ball.
She’s known for her creativity and poise with the ball. For her ability to open up the field as a center mid. She’s a sneaky, unsuspecting playmaker. If her performance in the 2019 World Cup is any indication, Rose Lavelle is already one of the best midfielders in the world..
She not only scored in the World Cup final, but also won the Bronze Ball for the tournament and was named to FIFA’s World XI in 2019.
Bandwagoners, hop on now! You are witnessing the rise of Rose!
The great news for budding Lavelle fans is that your new favorite player isn’t just dazzling with the ball at her feet. She’s also funny, charismatic, irreverent. I’m not blushing, YOU’RE blushing.
Look, I’m just waiting for America to fall in love with Rose Lavelle, who is effortlessly charming and clever, self-aware and confident, and full of that DNGAF spirit we've seen in such ballers as Megan Rapinoe. It doesn’t hurt that she’s an absolute killer on the pitch, either.
Come get your roses, America!