Becky Sauerbrunn is the latest USWNT star out of the World Cup

U.S. women’s soccer team stalwart centerback Becky Sauerbrunn will miss the World Cup because of a foot injury suffered in April, she confirmed Friday, dealing the two-time reigning champions another big blow.

“Heartbroken isn’t even the half of it. But that’s sports for you and that’s life, really,” Sauerbrunn said in a statement on social media. “I had hoped and worked and hoped some more to make it back in time to help lead the team at this World Cup, but after lots of discussion, unfortunately, there’s just too much variability in my return to play timeline. So, l’ll be home, working as hard I can to get back on the field as quickly as can.”

Sauerbrunn is the fourth key player to be ruled out of the upcoming tournament for an injury, following Mallory Swanson (torn patellar tendon), Catarina Macario (rehab from a torn ACL), and Sam Mewis (a long-term knee issue). This time, the impact will be felt as much psychologically as tactically. The 38-year-old centerback wears the Americans’ captain’s armband and is a leader of the team’s social conscience.

That said, whether Sauerbrunn was going to play every minute of the World Cup was up in the air, given her age, recovery status, and the potential for Tierna Davidson to line up next to Naomi Girma.

Davidson, 24, was a backup on the 2019 World Cup team. Girma, 23 and a former teammate of Davidson’s at Stanford, has rocketed to prominence and seemed set to start in New Zealand almost no matter what. Now she is a lock, as long as she can stay healthy through her last pretournament NWSL game on June 24.

» READ MORE: USWNT star Mallory Swanson's torn patella tendon put her out of the World Cup

Pennington School alumna Alana Cook, another former Cardinal, is projected to be the third centerback on U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski’s roster, and was always projected to be on the plane. But who comes in as a fourth centerback, assuming Andonovski takes one (which he likely will), is a big question.

The leading candidate is Emily Sonnett, 29, who played at the last World Cup and the 2021 Olympics. She also plays right back, and was in a deep competition for one of this World Cup squad’s outside back spots.

Moving Sonnett up the ranks alters the outside back depth chart too. Left back Crystal Dunn and right back Emily Fox (who also can play on the left) are locks. The remaining competitors are veteran right backs Kelley O’Hara and Sofia Huerta and left back Casey Krueger.

O’Hara, 38, has been on every World Cup and Olympic team since 2011. The Athletic, which was first to report the Sauerbrunn news, said O’Hara has been told she has made this squad — even though she missed nearly a month of action with Gotham FC because of an ankle injury. She returned this past Sunday as a late substitute.

Krueger has played 39 times for the U.S., including on the 2021 Olympic team. Huerta has 29 caps, and has yet to play at a major tournament. Her biggest stage so far is last year’s Concacaf women’s championship, which served as qualifying for this year’s World Cup and next year’s Olympics.

» READ MORE: USWNT star Catarina Macario is out of the World Cup

The Athletic reported that two other notable players have been told they’re in: goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury and midfielder Savannah DeMelo.

Kingsbury, 31, has been in great form for the Washington Spirit, but has just one cap and hasn’t been on a U.S. roster since last October. She’s likely to be the No. 3 netminder at the World Cup behind Alyssa Naeher and Casey Murphy.

DeMelo, 25, is a U.S. youth team veteran who earned her first senior callups last fall. She has yet to play for the top squad, but has excelled with Racing Louisville in a central midfield role. This year, she has seven goals and three assists in 13 games.

If DeMelo is in, that either means someone big is out or Andonovski is taking an extra midfielder. Gotham’s Kristie Mewis and Washington’s Ashley Sanchez also are competing for that part of the roster, while star playmaker Rose Lavelle hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury in April.

Lavelle’s club manager, OL Reign’s Laura Harvey, had indicated that she’s been kept out as a precautionary measure. But now the clock is really ticking. The Washington Post reported Friday that the World Cup squad is set to be announced Wednesday, and it’s already known that the tournament squad will gather in Los Angeles on June 26 to kick off training camp.

» READ MORE: Even with injuries to stars, the USWNT's depth is its biggest asset

Whoever ends up making it, Sauerbrunn said she’ll be cheering them on from home.

“It’s been an honor to work and play alongside this incredible group of athletes,” she said. “They have my unwavering support. And, more importantly, they have my unyielding belief. This program has always been about the collective and I have no doubt that the twenty-three players on the final roster have everything they need-in their feet, their heads and their hearts — to bring our fifth trophy home.”

And she ended with a trademark flourish.

“To my teammates, I love you,” Sauerbrunn said. “Please, take a minute to enjoy the moment, to appreciate everything that brought you here — every second of hard work and every bit of good luck — and then get back to work and go win the whole [expletive] thing!”