Ashley Hatch Calls World Cup Rejection 'Key Point' In USWNT Career- "Biggest Failure" originally appeared on Athlon Sports .
The FIFA Women's World Cupis the dream of many women soccer players to play in, and for the U.S. Women's National Team, it is the objective. Ashley Hatch , the forward of the Washington Spirit, was infamously left off the USWNT roster for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The decision to leave Hatch off the roster was questioned by many USWNT fans, as she was looked at as a solid asset to the team. Hatch described the moment as the 'biggest failure' of her career, putting in perspective how those decisions affect players.
Ashley Hatch: "When I'm talking to like youth players about trials or like overcoming failures, that's usually the one that I bring up because it does feel like the biggest 'failure or trial' of my career. I don't want to be known as the player that didn't make the World Cup roster."
Hatch was a top goalscorer of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) with the Washington Spirit. The center forward missing from the USWNT roster for the 2023 Women's World Cup made Hatch focus more on improving rather than dwelling on the situation.
In an interview with American former USWNT player Sam Mewis in The Women's Game podcast , Hatch revealed her real thoughts towards missing out on representing the USA in the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Hatch was open to describe how she felt when being left off the roster for the USWNT in 2023. The Washington Spirit forward mentions how she considers it a 'big failure' in her career that she managed to overcome it.
Hatch mentions that she used that 'failure' to push herself in improving on the pitch, and it was key for her development as a player. This led to an impressive start to the 2025 NWSL season, where she has scored six goals in nine starts for the Washington Spirit.
Ashley Hatch: "I will just focus on moving forward and playing soccer to the best of my ability. I've come to terms with it."
The last time Ashley Hatch played for the USWNT was in December 2023. Hatch returned to the USWNT this year in a friendly match against Brazil in April.
It was the first time she was called up under Emma Hayes, who joined the USWNT in May 2024. Hatch suffered a back injury in early June and was left out of the roster for the USWNT's matches this week.
USWNT will play the Republic of Ireland tomorrow and on Sunday. Next week, the USWNT will take on Canada . With two years left of the Women's World Cup, Hatch's return to the national team could be a sign of positive things for her international career.
Related: The Biggest Lesson Emma Hayes Learned From USWNT Stars- "It's a Parallel Process"
Related: Alex Morgan Predicts Big Change In Women's Soccer By 2030
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
