OL Reign Down Under: Emily Sonnett

OL Reign defender Emily Sonnett and the United States Women’s National Team are set to begin their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign tonight at 6:00 p.m. PT against Vietnam. After joining OL Reign ahead of the 2023 season, Sonnett has been called up to the United States Women’s National Team for her third World Cup.

LEAGUE PLAY

Sonnett joined OL Reign prior to the 2023 season and immediately became a regular part of the Reign’s lineup. This season, she has played in 13 matches, starting in each of those matches. She has taken four total shots, putting two on target.

Defensively, Sonnett has held down the middle of the field with 27 clearances, 11 blocks and 20 interceptions. A versatile player who excels in both the midfield and backline, Sonnett has connected 434 passes. She has made seven crosses and four key passes, nailing down one assist in OL Reign’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars.

During the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, Sonnett has made two total appearances, playing a total of 152 minutes. She has connected 100 passes, maintaining a passing accuracy of over 91% in both the offensive and defensive halves of the field. She has made 10 clearances in the Challenge Cup, in addition to six interceptions.

INTERNATIONAL

Defender Emily Sonnett earned her first cap on October 25, 2015, in the USA’s friendly against Brazil, and has made a total of 75 appearances across her entire international career. She has scored one goal and tallied five assists.

In her first year with the team, she saw the field four times and made one start, all in friendly matches. In 2016, she continued to appear for the team, making four starts in eight caps. In 2018, she returned to the squad, earning 14 caps. She also recorded her first assist for the team in a Tournament of Nations match against Japan.

In 2019, the defender tallied two assists and eight starts across 14 caps. She appeared in her first-ever World Cup and played in one match in France, coming on at the end of the USA’s second Group F match vs. Chile. She earned two assists in 2019, both in a friendly match against Australia. 2020 brought an additional four starts and six caps for the defender.

Sonnett’s international success continued to 2021, where she totaled 17 caps, seven starts and two assists – one against Colombia and one against Korea Republic. She earned two caps during the United States’ bronze medal run in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

In 2022, she made six appearances, registering 365 minutes of playing time. She also earned her first goal for the United States, against Costa Rica. The defender had a standout match in the win over Mexico at 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship. Her header on frame set up the 89th minute, game-winning goal for the USWNT.

This year, she has appeared in six matches for the United States, most recently playing against Wales in the USWNT’s World Cup Send-Off match.