The USWNT one-cap club: Stories of those who got one chance

The cross from Aly Wagner got here in and the ball bounced as soon as, twice and, simply earlier than it took a 3rd hop, Caroline Putz tucked it into the close to put up. The aim was her first for the U.S. ladies’s nationwide staff, scored simply minutes into her worldwide debut in a 4-1 win over Italy.

After that aim, nothing. No second aim. No further minutes. Not even one other call-up. Her profession with the USWNT was over earlier than she knew it.

Of the hundreds of thousands of soccer gamers all over the world, few ever characterize their nation, and even fewer rating. Putz, whose final identify is now Leith, did each within the span of 4 minutes. With her one and solely cap, she can also be half of a fair smaller group of soccer gamers: the one-cap membership.

As of three weeks earlier than the 2023 Women’s World Cup begins, 251 ladies have suited up for the U.S. ladies’s nationwide staff, and 32 of them did it precisely as soon as. Ahead of the World Cup, ESPN chatted with a number of members of the one-cap membership — the gamers whose worldwide careers began and ended on the identical day.

Caroline Leith, ahead: July 7, 2000, vs. Italy

The Utah native and highschool All-American by no means performed for the U.S. once more after netting her aim towards Italy. She not often performed high-level soccer once more.

“At the time, I didn’t realize what an exciting moment it was in my life,” she stated. “I had worked so hard to get to that point, so even just the opportunity to get on the field was something I’d worked a long time for and I was just humbled by the experience.”

While there have been no extra nationwide staff appearances after, there had been a number of earlier than at youth ranges. Leith was a standout in highschool and went on to play collegiately at Washington.

Players like Wagner, who arrange the aim, and Michelle French, who hugged her in celebration after, went on to turn out to be acquainted faces across the U.S. program. But there was little confusion on Leith’s half about why there weren’t extra call-ups.

“Just to say it how it is, I don’t know if I was good enough to compete at that level,” Leith stated.

She now works within the aerospace trade.

Merritt Mathias, defender: June 12, 2018, vs. China

Angel City FC defender Merritt Mathias got her USWNT alternative in 2018, enjoying 13 minutes of a pleasant towards China. She was on the bench throughout 2018’s Tournament of Nations the next month however by no means got the nod from coach Jill Ellis to go in.

While Mathias is an NWSL veteran and is working to get again on the sphere this season after struggling an harm, the 32-year-old tells ESPN that she is aware of the window for a nationwide staff return probably is closed.

“I grew up with the national team being the only path to success,” Mathias stated. “To have that moment when it all comes together, you’re like ‘Oh my gosh, this is such a special, nerve-racking moment,’ and it’s also so still and calm. For me, it was unbelievably powerful and also one of those things that you want more of them, you want it to go perfectly. It’s one of those moments I’ll never forget, but it left a taste in my mouth that I wanted more.”

Now that Mathias has been a gradual common in a league the place she’s in a position to practice day by day — and be noticed by managers — she has struggled to shake the sensation that she ought to’ve earned further call-ups.

“It took me going to therapy, it took me kind of having to sit with a lot of things in my life to really appreciate the success that I’ve had and the player that I am and redefine what success meant for me,” she stated. “Part of that is having a cap for the national team.

“Would I like to have had extra and had extra experiences with the total staff? Absolutely. That is true. But it is also true I’m a profitable participant and have had an impactful profession within the NWSL. I’m one of the unique gamers to ever play on this league, and my identify could have a historical past tied to it.”

Beth Keller, midfielder: Feb. 24, 1999, vs. Finland

Keller is the only player capped in 1999 who didn’t earn at least one more cap, but she still got to be involved with the run-up to the USWNT’s second World Cup title.

Keller scored in a February 1999 friendly match against Finland in which manager Tony DiCicco used a largely young squad. Three days later, players like Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Julie Foudy started against the same opponents, mainstays of the team who would enter the American consciousness during the pivotal 1999 Women’s World Cup and become champions.

Instead of getting ready for the World Cup, which was held within the United States, Keller and a U-21 staff that included future senior staff regulars like Heather Mitts and Danielle Slaton have been flown from Iceland after the match to Southern California. There, they painted their faces, dressed up and even made an acrostic poster in hopes of getting on ABC. (“I think it was America Beats China,” Keller recalled.)

At the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Keller and her U-21 teammates watched up shut because the gamers they have been coaching with simply months prior to now battled China within the World Cup ultimate. When Brandi Chastain scored the well-known game-winning penalty within the shootout to win the 1999 Women’s World Cup, Keller was watching from the stands.

“Afterwards, they invited us down to the locker room to celebrate,” Keller stated. “To be a part of it all was so special, to be that close to it and go, ‘Wow, we can do this!’ It was pretty cool.”

With that a lot star energy on the supervisor’s disposal throughout that point, Keller stated she understands why she was by no means requested to placed on the Stars and Stripes once more.

“I think the reason [there wasn’t a second call-up] is because they were freaking All-Stars! Don’t mess with the best, right?” Keller stated, laughing.

She now works at a suppose tank in Washington, D.C.

Jackie Billet, midfielder: Aug. 16, 1992, vs. Norway

It was in 1992 when she was simply starting her faculty journey with Wisconsin that Billet got here on as an alternative to a 4-2 loss towards then-powerhouse Norway.

“The team was amazing at the time. I was kind of starstruck, playing with Mia Hamm. I’d never really been in a training environment like that, to be in that environment, and see Anson [Dorrance] coaching,” she stated. “The senior national team was everything. Other than the reason that you just love to play the game, that was the be-all, end-all goal.”

Billet stated she would’ve appreciated extra suggestions about how she might have improved to earn one other call-up. Like the opposite one-cap gamers, although, she says it is a reminiscence she appears to be like again on fondly and she or he has no regrets about how issues turned out.

“I remember having them take an old-school camera picture and hoping they’d process,” she stated. “We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so being able to see my dad in the stands while I was representing the United States was amazing.”

Billet is now a gross sales rep in Missouri.