AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- United States girls's nationwide workforce midfielder Kristie Mewis and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher have mentioned they're glad to see the Girls's World Cup be extra aggressive than it has ever been as they as they put together to defend the trophy having received it in 2019 and 2015.
The USWNT have received 4 World Cups, greater than every other workforce, however typical knowledge -- together with from USWNT gamers -- is that there are extra viable contenders on this 2023 event than earlier editions of the Girls's World Cup.
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"It's incredible. I think it's such a good thing. This is what we want, we want all women's teams to get better and better, and we want to get better and better," Mewis mentioned. "It's such a [good] time to be in women's sports and to be following women's sports.
"We encourage it however clearly we nonetheless wish to be one of the best so we will preserve pushing the restrict and all people else can attempt to observe us."
The U.S. are the favourites to win the event which begins on Thursday and carry what could be the nation's third consecutive World Cup.
"It is all the time robust being on the prime as a result of everybody's chasing you and providing you with their greatest sport, however there is not any place you'd quite be," Mewis said.
"You wish to be on the prime, you wish to be one of the best workforce. It is positively laborious at occasions however this workforce traditionally has dealt with it so nicely and been per it."
Naeher echoed a motto the team has used for years -- "strain is a privilege" -- and said the USWNT have gone into every World Cup with the mindset of winning it ever since the inaugural tournament in 1991.
"This workforce, beginning 1985 [the year the USWNT started to play international fixtures] they set the usual means again then, and every World Cup we have had the chance to construct within the groundwork that has been set for us," Naeher said.
"Earlier generations of gamers have began that and it is now our accountability to proceed that mindset of the U.S. girls's nationwide workforce."
The USWNT arrived at their base camp in Auckland, New Zealand last week for training ahead of their World Cup opener, which will be played on July 21 against Vietnam in Auckland.
Monday was the first time USWNT players have taken questions from reporters since they arrived, which Naeher said "makes it extra actual" that the tournament is about to begin.
"That is unimaginable to take a seat in a room like this with so many reporters and cameras. It is not normally my favourite factor to do, however I can admit the expansion we have gotten to is nice for us and it is good for the sport," Naeher mentioned.
USWNT winger Megan Rapinoe introduced her intention to retire later this year after the World Cup and Naeher said the players will not only miss Rapinoe on the pitch but also in the locker room.
"She's keen to do the additional," Naeher said. "She'll do much more of the interviews, much more of the media, she'll tackle the laborious questions -- the tough factor that then permits different folks to not have that as a tense issue, she lets them be them."
"She's attacked all the pieces as unapologetically herself and permits different folks to do the identical and individuals who they're as nicely."
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