If anyone asks Rose Lavelle of her dream vacation, she simply answers, “Cincinnati, Ohio.”
The love Lavelle has for her hometown makes her homecoming all the sweeter. Lavelle and the USWNT face the Republic of Ireland at TQL Stadium on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, and the midfielder relishes the opportunity to return and play in front of a hometown crowd.
“I love being home as much as possible,” Lavelle said. “I'm really excited to show everybody else what a great place it is, what a great atmosphere the stadium is.”
The city shaped Lavelle into the person and player she’s become. Lavelle recalls the U.S. Women’s National Team visiting Cincinnati when she was a child in October 2004. The U.S. beat New Zealand 6-0 in an international friendly in front of more than 18,000 fans, and a young Lavelle was forever changed.
“I already was obsessed with them, but I think being able to see Mia Hamm, Julie [Foudy], Kristine Lilly, all of them in person just made me really, really want to be in their shoes one day,” Lavelle said. “I kind of credit that moment to helping inspire me to get here.”
Hamm and Lilly scored in the shutout victory as the USWNT was just months removed from winning its second Olympic gold medal. Now, Lavelle is in their shoes, almost a year after helping the U.S. earn its fifth gold medal. It was the midfielder’s first significant tournament win since the 2019 World Cup.
