Does it feel like just yesterday you were waking up in the middle of the night to watch the Women's World Cup? Luckily for you, Paris has much more forgiving (American) start times. However, as fresh as the memory of the World Cup might be, the roster turnover between the two tournaments is significant, as teams have tinkered with their lineups, in some cases instituting wholesale changes. In light of that, here's one player per team to keep an eye on as the Olympics progress.
Katie Kitching, New Zealand
Alright, the past 24 hours have certainly not gone the way anyone expected for New Zealand and Olympic Soccer in general. On top of the Canadian drone spying scandal, Ali Riley, the Football Ferns captain was removed from the Olympic roster due to medical reasons. So, in the midst of a spying scandal, with a complicated coaching situation, and without the leadership of Riley, New Zealand has to somehow navigate its opening match against the reigning Olympic Champions Canada. Midfielder Katie Kitching is going to be the key, not just to what has suddenly become a massive match in terms of fair play standards, but for New Zealand’s tournament as a whole.
Kitching plays midfield and has found herself on the score sheet more often than not in the lead-up to these Games. That’s important, as New Zealand will need to score goals. But, perhaps more important, is that Kitching has scored as a starter and coming off the bench, as well as being able to be deployed in different midfield roles. She’s versatile, she’s in form, and, she’s relatively new to the National team, which means her potential is, to some extent unknown. A fresh option in the midfield, with confidence from scoring in the previous two matches, and, along with the rest of the team, something to prove might be enough to jumpstart New Zealand’s tournament. Regardless, you’ll notice Kitching on the field because she’ll be the one running box to box, tirelessly trying to gain control of the midfield.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, Nigeria
Ideally for Nigeria, it would be hard to keep your eyes on Nnadozie because the ball is never near her. But, going up against the likes of Brazil, Spain, and Japan means that it's more than likely the young goalkeeper sees plenty of action. Nigeria is okay with that. The 23-year-old Paris FC star has come up big before, stopping Christine Sinclair's penalty kick in the World Cup. Nnadozie has an unshakable confidence that makes it a joy to watch her in goal.
Usually, for goalkeepers, it's all about experience. The longer one has played, the more angles, unlucky bounces, shot trajectories, and crosses a goalkeeper has seen. So for Nnadozie to be able to make the plays she's been making since she was 19, it's pretty remarkable. Nigeria will need clutch performances across the pitch to advance out of their group. Nnadozie's ability to keep clean sheets on the world's biggest stages will give Nigeria a chance to produce upsets, or at least stay level on points with key draws. Goals are the high point of soccer. However, slightly more eye-catching is watching Nnadozie out-position the world's top forwards to make saves look easy. Not to mention her dives across the face of the goal to get her fingertips on what looked like a sure goal.
Emily van Egmond, Australia
Part of Australia's ultimate undoing at the World Cup was the lack of squad rotation. This time around it's looking like Australia might not have a choice, with injuries cropping up. Which makes it all the more important to keep your eyes on van Egmond during the Olympics. Versatile, van Egmond has seen time in a central midfield role and as a second striker in the lead-up to the Games.
Van Egmond isn't a guaranteed starter, although her name is recognizable to NWSL fans. Her ability to slot into a couple of different positions gives her the ability to be a game-changer throughout the Games. She can start a game or come off the bench, and how van Egmond is utilized can give some clues as to how rotation will work during a tournament with a quick turnaround. Not, of course, that van Egmond should be reduced to a weathervane for squad rotation. She has strong offensive and defensive skills that make her fun to watch anywhere on the pitch.
Leicy Santos, Colombia
Santos has it all: the ability to make game-changing plays, versatility in which position she plays, and, perhaps most importantly for the ambitions of this Colombia team, a healthy dose of audacity. Technical, constantly pushing forward and into the final third, Santos creates chances in the attacking third. Where there aren't chances, Santos simply creates them out of thin air. Santos is equally capable of putting her own chances away or assisting the rest of the Colombian team.
It's the audacity that will probably help the Colombian team the most in terms of intangibles, though they'll need Santos's creativity as well. Linda Caicedo had a breakout World Cup, which means that teams will have her on their radar. That means that Santos and the rest of the team will have to provide additional options. Santos's passing ability will also be tested in finding Caicedo in limited space. How well Santos can navigate the opposition's defense will be a good indication of how far Colombia will go in the tournament.
Patri Guijarro, Spain
Spain's roster might be the definition of world-class. At the very least it's an abundance of riches and star-studded in every position. With Guijarro returning to the lineup, Spain's game, if you can believe it, has the potential to enter a whole new stratosphere. Playing a box-to-box midfielder role, Guijarro has a knack for scoring in key moments to rally the team behind her. It's her ability to be everywhere, all the time, that will make Guijarro an important figure to watch for Spain, and you likely won't have any trouble spotting her on the pitch.
On a less tactical note, Guijarro is also an important player to watch to see how far the Spanish Federation has actually come since the World Cup debacle. Guijarro was one of the 15 players who declared themselves ineligible for the National Team, she did not attend the World Cup, and she left Head Coach Montse Tomé's first camp. Now, however, it appears sufficient changes within the Federation have taken place and Guijarro feels comfortable enough to declare herself for selection. Inevitably, and as they should, all eyes will be watching the Spanish Federation to see how the players are treated during the Olympics and Guijarro's voice in her return will be an important one.
Kadeisha Buchanan, Canada
It's no secret that if you can't score goals, you need an extremely tough defense to keep the opposing team from scoring goals on you. It's also no secret that Canada has had some trouble with this, but luckily, they have Buchanan on the backline. Versatile, Canada has started Buchanan as both a center-back and a left-back in the lead-up to the Olympics. Perhaps even more important, Buchanan can score. Although it's not an ideal plan to have your defenders scoring your goals, Canada has an extra boost with Buchanan's ability to find the back of the net on occasion.
Where Buchanan plays will also, undoubtedly, give a clue into Canada's tactics for a match. With three in the back, as a center back, Buchanan anchors the defense, which is her preferred position. Playing on the left allows her greater flexibility to jump forward into the attack. Against Australia, Buchanan played on the left, though in the match she scored in she was playing center back. The tinkering gives some indication that Canada still has some things to sort out, though clearly Buchanan is an asset at either position.
Klara Bühl, Germany
The German National Team Player of the Year, Bühl might seem like an obvious choice of players to watch. Bühl certainly has the potential to cause mayhem on the left wing. She can score, but more importantly, she can assist goals and is strongest on the dribble. There is no question about the offense that Bühl either helps to produce or produces herself. She's also part of the next wave of German stars. But, it's not just her offense that will be important during Olympic play.
It's glaringly obvious that Germany will miss Lena Oberdorf. So, watching Bühl simply for her attacking creativity would certainly be fun. She, and by extension the rest of the forwards who find themselves behind the front two in Germany's 4-2-2-2, will have to commit slightly more to defense with Oberdorf's absence. Watching how quickly Bühl can get back and how accurate her outlet passes become will be a good indication of how quickly Germany can recover some of the creativity their lineup will be missing. It's a lot to ask a first-time Olympic player, but that's why it's key to watch Bühl. Big players step up in big moments.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto, France
Katoto might just be France's X-factor. She missed the Olympics due to her ongoing recovery from an ACL injury sustained in 2022. The striker is the heartbeat of the French offense, adding another threat up top to complement the likes of Kadidiatou Diana, Eugenie Le Sommer, and Amandine Henry in the midfield. If that sounds like an abundance of attacking threats, it is. That's part of what makes Katoto a player to watch: with plenty of attacking threats surrounding her, Katoto's lethality sets her apart.
Part of Katoto's x-factor lies in her ability to score at any given moment. She can strike early in a match, but also in the waning moments of the first or late in the second half. When other players start to lose their concentration, somehow that's when Katoto comes to life. Calm, with the ability to find herself in space in the box, and a clinical finish, Katoto simply comes up big in big moments. And, there's no bigger moment right now than the Olympics. With Katoto back in the lineup and in form, she's the player to watch.
Marta, Brazil
Perhaps Brazil's biggest issue in their early exit from the World Cup was their lack of scoring, despite the abundance of quality in the final third. New coach Arthur Elias has addressed this, shaking up the roster for the Olympics with an eye towards 2027 and hosting the World Cup. However, with time ticking on how long Marta will continue to play for the National Team, it would be silly to recommend watching anyone but her. If this is, indeed, Marta's last time representing Brazil, then eyes should be glued to her every move.
For over twenty years, Marta has been creating magic out of nothing. These Olympics will be no different, especially considering the form she's been in with the Orlando Pride this year. More than just her on-the-field magic and goal-scoring prowess, Marta brings invaluable leadership to this squad in transition. The greatest women's soccer player in the world, there's still so much to be learned from watching her, even if it's as a player coming on as a substitute or simply providing leadership from the bench.
Racheal Kundananji, Zambia
There are lots of eyes on Zambia already. Barbara Banda has promised to be even more lethal this tournament. There are plenty of people who will watch just to say they knew Zambia wasn't serious. Plenty more people will watch to prove that Zambia is a legitimate threat, despite the group draw. So, while you're watching Zambia, keep an eye out for Kundananji. The Bay FC forward started the NWSL season on a hot streak but hasn't quite managed to keep the streak consistent.
Like Banda, Kundananji has experience against the NWSL defense that she'll be going up against in the USA. That experience, and the goal-scoring that she provides, will be key to seeing Zambia survive through to the knockout rounds. Zambia cannot be the Banda show and advance, the World Cup demonstrated that. Zambia will need secondary scoring and secondary threats to both find the space defenses to leave covering Banda and attempt to free Banda up at critical moments. Seeing Kundananji's name on the score sheet as a goal scorer or as the assister will be a good indication of Zambia's chances to advance.
Sam Coffey, USA
Coffey is easy to spot on the pitch. One, because she tucks her jersey into her shorts. And two because she tends to cover the entire midfield, providing support to the defense and allowing players like Jenna Nighswonger and Rose Lavelle to go forward into the attack. If you look at who's moving into space, especially behind the run of play, you'll find Coffey. She's a player to watch precisely because you don't want to see her unless it's making a through-ball pass.
The US has struggled in the attack to connect the midfield with the forward trio and part of that has to do with a lack of creativity and progression. Coffey will be an important piece in solving this dilemma. She'll either have to cover the space vacated by Albert or find the overlapping midfield runs with Lavelle and Horan, all while providing the backline extra defensive support. How well Coffey can balance the offense and the defense, as well as how much she is called on defensively, will be the major clue into how the US is clicking in the tournament.
Yui Hasegawa, Japan
What makes Japan so good and such a lethal threat is their ability to beat teams at their own game. If everything is going smoothly, Japan will look like they understand their opponents' tactics better than the opponents do. It's frustrating to play against and Japan executes the game plan correctly more often than not. They're also a team with plenty of emerging superstars, but, in this Olympics, it's going to come down to the center of the field. And there is no one better to watch in that role than Hasegawa.
Hasegawa isn't new for fans who have been following the Japanese National Team. But, important in this tournament, she plays the role of central attacking midfielder. It is her link-up play and passing vision that will help to determine whether Japan advances or goes home early. With her ability to decimate defenses through a single pass, Hasegawa can easily shift herself into whatever Japan needs at that very moment. There is no lockdown defense when she is on the field. Hasegawa serves as Japan's heartbeat, so pay attention to the rhythm she's setting.
Group play for the Olympics kicks off on Thursday, July 25th. All 12 teams will play their opening match, making the 25th a perfect all-day soccer affair.
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