Sam Coffey is an honorary Philadelphian as the USWNT finally takes the stage in town again

For all the good humor around treating Sam Coffey as an unofficial Philadelphian, it does bear reminding sometimes that the unofficial part does matter.

As she stepped up to the cameras before the U.S. women’s soccer team’s practice Wednesday at Subaru Park, she was given a welcome as if she was at home — and had to politely remind that she wasn’t.

In fact, she is from New York’s Hudson Valley, and her club home is on the other side of the country in Portland, Ore.

But the crowd at Subaru Park for Thursday’s game against Portugal (7 p.m., TNT, Peacock) might still treat Coffey as one of their own, and not just because of her sister’s place in town.

The 26-year-old Penn State product is now one of the U.S. team’s certifiable stars: an Olympic gold medalist, defensive midfield stalwart, and even a captain for a few recent games. But she admitted she still hasn’t quite gotten used to filling those big shoes.

“There’s no arrival point, and it’s still kind of new for me to consider myself a veteran,” Coffey said. “I think it’s still an adjustment of getting there and feeling that way at times. But I know I absolutely can, hopefully, help have influence in that, and just continue to show up in a way that is rooted in a lot of gratitude.”

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For as much humility as she has, she also has plenty of the steel required to play her position — and continue the U.S. team’s tradition of an unequaled drive to win.

That was on display even during an early portion of Tuesday’s practice, where the U.S. squad did a Simon Says-style reaction drill. When the coach overseeing it gave the call to dive for a cone on the grass, down they all went at once, with winners and losers alike shouting as they came back up.

“Every time you’re here it’s a privilege, and it’s something you have to earn every single day, and it’s never going to be given to you,” Coffey said. “So you have to show up and do the job that is asked of you. None of us are given anything here, ever. And I think us as some of the vets on this team really can help drive that standard and hopefully bring the young players along in that.”

Coffey is one of a few players who will have many family and friends at the game. Others include veteran defender Emily Fox and young midfielder Lily Yohannes, both from D.C.’s northern Virginia suburbs.

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They weren’t part of the squad that played in Washington in July, having been allowed to rest after their club seasons in Europe ended. Fox hasn’t played in her hometown since before last year’s Olympics, and all eight of Yohannes’ U.S. games have been farther afield.

“I know how much it means, and the opportunity, and that you’re only here for a certain amount of time and nothing’s guaranteed,” said Fox, who will have her mother and some friends who live in the Philly area in the stands. “So I kind of always think of that. I’m just very grateful for it. And yeah, I think when your parents wear your jerseys and you get to see them after the game, it’s very wholesome.”

Yohannes’ parents and siblings have lived in Europe for a few years, which is why she began her soccer path with famed Dutch club Ajax. So they get to see her play often. But her extended family doesn’t, and some of them will be in attendance this time.

“To have this other side of my family being able to have the opportunity to watch me, I think it’s superspecial,” she said.

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As so many people around women’s soccer have done this week, U.S. manager Emma Hayes paid tribute to Alex Morgan’s retirement ceremony in her pregame news conference.

“She was a player that epitomized everything this program is about,” Hayes said. “She’s an unbelievable credit to her family because her drive, her desire, her determination to prove herself at the highest level was second to none. You can’t go anywhere in this country without them talking about Alex Morgan and I think the sport should show a lot of gratitude to that.”

That will certainly happen Thursday night, when many of Morgan’s former teammates will join a crowd that’s nearing a sellout. Around 17,000 tickets had been sold as of the start of the week, with the rest on sale through U.S. Soccer and the Union.

“It’s important for our players to be recognizable, and she is without question recent times one of the most recognizable faces in our sport,” Hayes said. “I love this tradition when we honor our players in retirement, and I know the fans will all be coming not just to support us, but absolutely to acknowledge what a wonderful career she had.”

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