July 10, (THEWILL) – Trinity Rodman, the 21-year-old forward and daughter of former NBA star, Dennis Rodman, was in inspired form in a pre-World Cup friendly as the United States defeated Wales 2-0 in San Jose.
Although the US women’s national team struggled to break down the resilient Welsh defence, Rodman’s entry as a substitute in the second half proved to be a game-changer. She provided a much-needed spark to the American attack and scored both goals, making a compelling case for a starting position when the USWNT commence their Group E campaign against Vietnam on July 22 in Auckland.
With Wales ranked 30th in the world and having never qualified for a major tournament, their solid defensive efforts were eventually overcome by Rodman’s impact. Her first goal came in the 76th minute when she took advantage of a well-placed pass from Sophia Smith, who had breached the Welsh defence from the left flank. Rodman calmly slotted the ball home, breaking the deadlock.
The young forward then sealed the victory with a remarkable goal, where she displayed her physicality by winning the ball on the edge of the box. Despite a challenge that went unnoticed by the referee, Rodman curled an exquisite shot into the top corner. US coach Vlatko Andonovski praised Rodman for raising the tempo of the game and described her second goal as “world-class.” He also highlighted the versatility of Rodman and Smith, and their ability to interchange positions and bring unpredictability to the American attack.
As the US women’s team continues their pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup triumph in Australia and New Zealand, they will face Portugal and 2019 runners-up, the Netherlands, in addition to Vietnam in Group E. Rodman’s impressive performance against Wales has undoubtedly boosted her chances of securing a starting role in the upcoming matches, providing Coach Andonovski with exciting options in the attacking lineup.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
