Five USWNT players making a case to be automatic starters by shining

The U.S. women’s national team’s era of experimentation at the Concacaf W Gold Cup has seen several players deliver standout performances, and after the group’s decisive 3-0 win over Colombia on Sunday, interim head coach Twila Kilgore inches closer to revealing the findings of her month-long assessment.

Kilgore tinkered after last week’s loss to Mexico by making six changes to the lineup, many of which paid off in a high-stakes matchup that tested not only the coaching staff’s approach but the individuals entrusted with carrying out that vision. The rewards came nearly instantly for the USWNT, who swapped out a frantic performance against Mexico for a high-intensity showing against Colombia that potentially revealed who the team’s current first-choice starters might be as they search for a new look ahead of July’s Olympics.

It comes as little surprise that Kilgore blended youth and experience against Colombia, which allowed a wide variety of players to step up to the plate. Jaedyn Shaw once again impressed and notched a place in the USWNT’s record books in the process, but the headlining acts on Sunday were players in two very stark situations pre-match — up-and-comer Jenna Nighswonger and Alex Morgan, the veteran with a point to prove.

Here’s a closer look at the players who successfully made a case for themselves against Colombia as the competition for tickets to Paris heats up.