Star Becky Sauerbrunn Talks Women’s World Cup 2019

Like many around the world, Becky Sauerbrunn closely followed the action in this year’s FIFA Men’s World Cup, which concluded Sunday in Russia with France being awarded the trophy in a booming thunderstorm after a 4-2 victory over Croatia.

Unlike most of us, however, Sauerbrunn is also preparing for her third straight FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance next year, when France hosts the tournament. The star defender, who also has an Olympic gold medal to her name, is one of three former University of Virginia players on the current roster of the U.S. Women’s National Team, which has won three World Cup titles – in 1991, 1998 and 2015.

Fellow ’Hoo Morgan Brian, a midfielder, joined Sauerbrunn on the 2015 World Cup champion squad and the 2016 Olympic team. 2015 UVA graduate Emily Sonnett, a defender, was an alternate on the Olympic team and hopes to make her World Cup debut next year. All three of them also play for professional teams: Sauerbrunn for the Utah Royals FC, Brian for the Chicago Red Stars and Sonnett for the Portland Thorns FC.

We caught up with Sauerbrunn late last week as she and her teammates were already preparing to defend their 2015 championship.

Q. Has watching the men’s World Cup increased your anticipation for the upcoming women’s World Cup? How are you preparing? 

A. Of course! Whenever there’s a match where true stakes are on the line, I get a flutter of excitement at the thought of competing in the World Cup.

There’s nothing that matches the pressure and exhilaration of a World Cup match. You prepare as best you can through physical, technical, tactical and mental training. Then, when the tournament actually arrives, you rely on that training and you rely on the people around you. And many times you discover things about yourself you had no idea were there. 

Q. Which team have you most enjoyed watching in this World Cup and why?

A. I’ve enjoyed watching Japan. Here’s a technically and tactically strong team lining up against physically more dominant teams. How they solve problems on the field, how they play out of pressure and move into spaces to neutralize another team’s strength is amazing to watch. 

Q. Which team surprised you the most? 

A. I think the team that surprised me the most was [pre-tournament favorite] Spain, and “disappointed” might be a better word for it. It’s a reminder that the past doesn’t matter, that on any given day any team can win if you don’t show up to play. 

Q. Which fan base have you enjoyed watching? 

A. It’s been interesting to follow England’s fan base because they have such wild responses to their team. It fluctuates from reverence to outright disgust. Those English players must be so mentally tough and have such confidence in themselves and each other to create a bubble around themselves. 

Q. What have you enjoyed most about your current season with the Utah Royals? What aspects of your game are you most focused on right now?

A. I’ve enjoyed playing for a new team. Everything is fresh, you’re creating relationships with new players and a new staff.

The best part is cultivating the team culture. What are the values and beliefs we will play by? What’s our on- and off-field identity? What are we going to be known for? It’s difficult, but amazingly rewarding when you get it right. 

Q. What can we expect from you, your UVA teammates and the rest of the Women’s National Team as the 2019 World Cup draws closer? 

A. You can expect a wild year! We’re challenging ourselves with the Women’s National Team schedule. We have qualifiers in October that are extremely important and that’s our focus for the next few months.

The players will be constantly evaluated both professionally and with the WNT until a final roster is named. It’s an intense time. It’s ultimately what makes this team great. We’re put through the pressure cooker and it helps to ready us for the world tournaments.