Rose Lavelle

Rosemary Kathleen Lavelle (born May 14, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and for the United States national team.

Lavelle represented the United States at multiple youth levels before making her senior international debut in 2017. After finishing her collegiate career with the Wisconsin Badgers in 2016, Lavelle began her professional career with Boston Breakers before moving to Washington Spirit a year later. She started six games for the United States at the 2019 World Cup, scoring three goals, and was awarded the Bronze Ball. The same year, she was named the sixth best player in the world at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 and was named to the 2019 FIFA FIFPro World XI. In the 2020 Olympics, she scored one goal for the United States on the way to a bronze medal.

Early life

Lavelle was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to parents Marty and Janet, and was raised with three siblings, John, Nora and Mary. She played competitive soccer initially with GSSA Sycamore United Club before moving to Lakota United Soccer Club and later with Cincinnati United Premier Soccer Club. She credits her love of soccer to long-time Cincinnati Soccer Trainer Neil Bradford, who began as her trainer at age 8 and predicted her rise to the Women's Soccer National Team as a youth. As part of a third-grade book report, Lavelle chose to write about professional soccer star Mia Hamm.

A four-year varsity girl's soccer player at Mount Notre Dame High School, Lavelle was named Cincinnati's Player of the Year by The Cincinnati Enquirer her senior year. The same year, she scored 15 goals (38 points) for her team. Lavelle finished her high school career as the team's leading scorer with 57 goals. She was twice-named NSCAA All-Region, as a junior and senior, and received first-team all-state honors. She was awarded the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Sports Women of the Year award in 2013.

Wisconsin Badgers, 2013–2016

Lavelle was accepted to play college soccer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2013. A four-year starter, Lavelle made 19 appearances as a freshman, scoring 6 goals and registering 7 assists on the way to being named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year. Wisconsin won the Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament in 2014. Lavelle was named Big Ten midfielder of the year consecutively in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, she was also named first-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the first Wisconsin Badger to do so since 1991.

Summer Leagues, 2014–2016

Lavelle played with the Dayton Dutch Lions in the USL W-League during the 2014 season. During her college break in the summer of 2015, Lavelle played for the Seattle Sounders Women of the W-League, where she was named all-league. After the W-League folded she returned to the Lions for the 2016 Women's Premier Soccer League season.

Professional career

Boston Breakers, 2017

On January 12, 2017, Lavelle was selected number one overall at the 2017 NWSL College Draft by the Boston Breakers. Lavelle started her professional career by scoring two goals in eight games and was named Player of the Month for April. However, after suffering a hamstring injury in June while on international duty, Lavelle missed over two months and finished the season with only ten appearances as a rookie. The Breakers folded before the start of the 2018 season.

Washington Spirit, 2018–2020

A dispersal draft was held by the NWSL to distribute Breakers players across the league. Lavelle was selected first overall by Washington Spirit, who acquired the first pick through a trade with Sky Blue FC. Due to injury and international duty Lavelle appeared in only eleven games for the Spirit in 2018. Despite making only six appearances the following year due to international duty, scoring one goal and recording one assist, Lavelle was named to the 2019 NWSL Best XI in the end of the season awards. With the 2020 season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lavelle took part in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, making four appearances and scoring one goal as Washington finished second in the preliminary group but were eliminated in the first knockout round by Sky Blue FC on penalties.

On August 16, 2020, Lavelle was traded to OL Reign in exchange for OL Reign's natural first-round pick in the 2022 NWSL College Draft, $100,000 in allocation money, and further performance-based allocation money with the acknowledgement that she would be signing outside the league.

Manchester City, 2020–2021

On August 18, 2020, Lavelle signed with Manchester City of the English FA WSL ahead of the 2020–21 season. She scored her first goal on October 7, 2020 in a 3–1 win over Everton in the 2020–21 FA Women's League Cup, scoring her second goal against Liverpool a month later in the same competition. On January 31, 2021, Lavelle scored her first WSL goal as a substitute during City's 4–0 win over West Ham United.

OL Reign, 2021–present

On May 17, 2021, OL Reign announced the return of Lavelle to the NWSL as an allocated player having acquired her playing rights prior to her move to England in August 2020.

International career

Lavelle represented the United States at multiple youth levels. On November 24, 2015, Lavelle was called up to train with the senior United States women's national soccer team. One of eight players who joined the team's Victory Tour following the 2015 Women's World Cup, she earned her first senior international cap on March 4, 2017, during a match against England at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. She was named Player of the Match following the team's 1–0 loss.

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

In September 2018, Lavelle was named to the national team roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She appeared in all five games for the U.S. and scored three goals. Her final goal of the tournament was scored in the second minute of the championship game against Canada, helping the U.S to a 2–0 victory, and their second straight CONCACAF Championship.

Lavelle started six games for the U.S. at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, scored three goals, and was awarded the Bronze Ball at the FIFA Women's World Cup awards as the third best player in the tournament. During the team's first group stage match against Thailand, Lavelle scored a brace helping the U.S. win 13–0. During the U.S. knockout round match against Spain, she drew a penalty kick that was converted by Megan Rapinoe to seal the team's 2–1 win and advance to the quarterfinals. Lavelle scored the U.S.' second goal in the final against the Netherlands helping the team win 2–0.

Lavelle was named one of the world's top 11 players by The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 (finishing sixth), and was chosen as one of the world's top three midfielders by her professional peers in the 2019 FIFA FIFPro World XI.

2020 Summer Olympics

In July 2021, she was named to the roster for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Lavelle appeared in all six games as the team won the bronze medal, losing to Canada 1–0 in the semi-final before beating Australia 4–3 in the third-place playoff. She scored one goal at the tournament, during a 6–1 group stage win over New Zealand.

Career statistics

Club

As of November 14, 2021

International

As of match played October 26, 2021

International goals

As of match played October 26, 2021. United States score listed first, score column indicates score after each Lavelle goal.

No.	Cap	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	4	April 9, 2017	BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States	Russia	2–0	5–1	Friendly
2	5	June 8, 2017	Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden	Sweden	1–0	1–0
3	11	August 2, 2018	Toyota Park, Chicago, United States	Brazil	1–1	4–1	2018 Tournament of Nations
4	16	October 10, 2018	Sahlen's Stadium, Cary, United States	Trinidad and Tobago	2–0	7–0	2018 CONCACAF Championship
5					3–0
6	18	October 17, 2018	Toyota Stadium, Frisco, United States	Canada	1–0	2–0
7	26	May 16, 2019	Busch Stadium, St. Louis, United States	New Zealand	2–0	5–0	Friendly
8	27	June 11, 2019	Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims, France	Thailand	2–0	13–0	2019 FIFA World Cup
9					7–0
10	33	July 7, 2019	Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu, France	Netherlands	2–0	2–0
11	40	January 31, 2020	BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States	Panama	4–0	8–0	2020 Olympic Qualifying
12	41	February 7, 2020	Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, United States	Mexico	2–0	4–0
13	46	November 27, 2020	Rat Verlegh Stadion, Breda, Netherlands	Netherlands	1–0	2–0	Friendly
14	49	February 18, 2021	Exploria Stadium, Orlando, United States	Canada	1–0	1–0	2021 SheBelieves Cup
15	58	July 24, 2021	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	New Zealand	1–0	6–1	2020 Summer Olympics
16	64	September 21, 2021	TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, United States	Paraguay	1–0	8–0	Friendly
17	66	October 26, 2021	Allianz Field, St. Paul, United States	South Korea	5–0	6–0	Friendly

World Cup appearances

Match	Date	Location	Opponent	Lineup	Result	Competition
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
1	2019-06-11	Reims, France	Thailand	{{{4}}}. off 57' (on Lloyd)	13–0 W	Group stage
2	2019-06-20	Le Havre, France	Sweden	{{{4}}}. off 63' (on Press)	2–0 W	Group stage
3	2019-06-24	Reims, France	Spain	{{{4}}}. off 89' (on Horan)	2–1 W	Round of 16
4	2019-06-28	Paris, France	France	{{{4}}}. off 63' (on Horan)	2–1 W	Quarter-final
5	2019-07-02	Décines-Charpieu, France	England	{{{4}}}. off 65' (on Mewis)	2–1 W	Semi-final
6	2019-07-07		Netherlands	Start	2–0 W	Final

Olympic appearances

Match	Date	Location	Opponent	Lineup	Result	Competition
2020 Women's Olympic Football Tournament
1	2021-07-21	Tokyo, Japan	Sweden	{{{4}}}. off 80' (on Mewis)	0–3 L	Group stage
2	2021-07-24	Saitama, Japan	New Zealand	{{{4}}}. off 67' (on Mewis)	6–1 W	Group stage
3	2021-07-27	Kashima, Japan	Australia	{{{4}}}. off 87' (on Mewis)	0–0 D	Group stage
4	2021-07-30	Yokohama, Japan	Netherlands	{{{4}}}. on 57' (off Mewis)	2–2 (4–2 p) (W)	Quarter-final
5	2021-08-02	Kashima, Japan	Canada	Start	0–1 L	Semi-final
6	2021-08-05		Australia	{{{4}}}. on 61' (off Mewis)	4–3 W	Bronze medal match

Honors

College

• Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament: 2014

Club

Manchester City

• Women's FA Cup: 2019–20

International

• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2019
• Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2018
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2020
• Tournament of Nations: 2018
• SheBelieves Cup: 2020, 2021

Individual

• Big Ten Freshman of the Year: 2013
• All-Big Ten Freshman Team: 2013
• First Team All-Big Ten: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Big Ten Midfielder of the Year: 2015, 2016
• NSCAA First Team All-American: 2015
• NSCAA Second Team All-American: 2014, 2016
• 2014 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship Golden Ball
• FIFA Women's World Cup Bronze Ball: 2019
• IFFHS Women's World Team: 2019
• National Women's Soccer League Best XI: 2019
• Best Player SheBelieves Cup: 2021

Personal life and endorsements

In 2020, Lavelle was named a brand ambassador for FLIGHT by Yuengling, a premium light beer.