da bet esporte： Time is running out for players to prove themselves ahead of Paris 2024, with places in Emma Hayes' squad still up for grabs

da pinnacle： For the U.S. women's national team, the Olympics seemed so far away when they were treading water post-World Cup. They're just over three months away now, though, and there's still so much to figure out before Paris 2024.

New coach Emma Hayes hasn't yet arrived, but her fingerprints are all over the roster that has been selected for the SheBelieves Cup. The U.S. will begin the tournament on Saturday with a clash against Japan, with a meeting with either Canada or Brazil coming up the following Tuesday. It'll be two big tests that should give the U.S. some more insight into where they stand heading into the summer.

The squad features returning stars, some new faces, and a bunch of players on the bubble that could use some big moments before a final Olympics squad is selected.

But who has the biggest point to prove over the next week? GOAL takes a look at the USWNT stars who are under the most pressure heading into the SheBelieves Cup:

Getty ImagesKorbin Albert

Korbin Albert's situation is certainly awkward right now, and it will be for some time. For now, all she can do is keep her head down and put in strong performances on the pitch as she deals with a storm off it.

Albert came under fire last week for anti-LGBTQ social media posts. In the hours that followed, many current and past USWNT stars – including Megan Rapinoe – came out to condemn those posts. For a player like Albert who is still so new to this program, it's not a good look.

After a strong start to life with the national team, it seemed that the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was on the path towards an Olympic spot. Now, that doesn't feel so sure. With just 18 roster spots available and chemistry a big, big focus, it wouldn't be too hard to leave Albert out. There are other options with similar resumes and without the social media disasters.

For Albert, the first goal of this camp will be to earn back whatever trust was lost, and she'll have to do that privately and personally. The second goal will be to not let her level drop on the field as she looks to prove that, despite what happened, she's still deserving of an Olympic spot.

Can she do that? That will ultimately be up to Hayes. All Albert can do now is make things right as best she can.

AdvertisementGettyAlex Morgan

Alex Morgan's certainly made progress since the start of 2024, but an Olympic spot isn't guaranteed just yet. Her performances in the Gold Cup got her back in contention, giving her a chance at a roster spot this summer. To say that comes as a surprise would be an understatement, though, as Morgan went from being left off the Gold Cup roster to being a key contributor as an injury replacement.

Strikers are measured in goals, though, and Morgan will need to score a few more to stay in contention, especially with more attacking options being added to the mix. If she can stay hot, she'll have a chance to get one last tournament run.

GettyMallory Swanson

She's finally back! Almost a year after seeing her World Cup dream cruelly end due to a serious knee injury, Mallory Swanson is back in the USWNT squad. She did train with the group prior to the Gold Cup as she worked her way back to full fitness, but now she's ready to go.

Swanson has already opened her goal-scoring account for the season in the NWSL for the Chicago Red Stars and has shown signs of being that player she was before her injury. Prior to that, you could have made the argument that Swanson was the USWNT's most dynamic attacker; now, she'll need to prove she can still claim that title if she wants starting minutes in France this summer.

The U.S. attack is deep, with young superstars like Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Jaedyn Shaw currently holding down starting spots. Swanson will need to put in a big shift to unseat any of those three, but she obviously has the talent to do just that.

GettyCatarina Macario

Speaking of players back after a long injury absence… Catarina Macario is finally fit after her ACL injury, and it's been two years since we've seen her in a USWNT shirt.

Incoming USWNT boss Hayes has been overseeing her recovery at Chelsea, so she'll know exactly what Macario can do. The forward has been in fantastic form since making her return in London, too, which makes it seem like she's more than ready to step back into the national-team spotlight.

When she's fit and firing, there's no player in the USWNT pool like Macario. It almost hurts to imagine how much of a difference she could have made at the World Cup last summer. If Macario was healthy, the creativity she would have added to the team could have sent the U.S. much further in the tournament.

She's re-entering a new USWNT, though, and she'll once again have to prove where she stands in the pecking order. It's all about fitness and confidence, which Macario will need to build this camp if she is to make it onto the Olympic roster.