Rodman returns to training with Spirit: Ready for the USWNT?

Trinity Rodman Returns to Training with the Washington Spirit

American forward Trinity Rodman has returned to training with the Washington Spirit this Saturday, marking her return after a three-month absence. Rodman, notable for her three goals in last year’s Olympics that contributed to the USWNT’s gold medal, hadn’t participated in a competitive match since April 12 with the Spirit. Back injuries have been a recurring obstacle since the Olympics, limiting her participation to a single match with the USWNT in the last 11 months. His indefinite absence began in mid-April, and for months he had not participated in the team’s activities. However, in recent weeks he has been training individually.

“It’s fantastic to have Trinity back with our team. The health and well-being of the players are always our priorities, and Trinity has worked very hard to get back to training. She is an important part of our team, and we all look forward to our first match in front of our fans on August 3rd.”

Spirit Spokesperson

According to reports, Rodman participated in approximately half of Saturday’s training session, retiring to do individual work when the Spirit moved to an 11-on-11 game. The training session was open to the public. USWNT coach Emma Hayes had announced in early June that Rodman would return to training with the Spirit in July. “She’s in very good spirits, and I know we are moving in the right direction with Trin. Both the club and the country have worked hard to get her to this stage.” Currently, the NWSL is in a one-month break due to international competitions. The Spirit has friendly matches scheduled for the end of this month before resuming the regular season on August 3rd. Rodman suffered a back injury in a game in Kansas City last September, which forced her to leave the field in a wheelchair. Despite the injury, she managed to play until the end of the NWSL season, helping the Spirit finish second in the regular season and runner-up in the NWSL Championship. This year, the injury continued to be a problem, which led to Rodman not being called up for most of the USWNT matches to allow her to rest. She was called up for two matches against Brazil in early April, scoring a goal 10 minutes into her return to the USWNT. This was her only international appearance since the Olympics to date. A week later, she left the Spirit’s NWSL match at halftime. Subsequently, she traveled to London to be evaluated by doctors. Rodman has expressed that he doesn’t believe his back will be 100% again.

“It’s a problem that isn’t due to one specific thing, but rather the structure of my back. It’s more about management than a curable solution. I don’t think my back will ever be like it was in my freshman year, which is unfortunate.”

Trinity Rodman

Rodman, 23, is one of the most important figures in the NWSL and the USWNT. She is a free agent and since July 1st can negotiate with other teams. Previously, she stated that playing in Europe is “just a matter of time”. The owner of the Spirit, Michele Kang, has stated on several occasions that the team “will do everything possible” to re-sign Rodman.