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REIMS, France — United States midfielder Rose Lavelle shimmied a bit in her seat and jokingly cupped her hand to her ear as she sat beside her coach, Jill Ellis, at a news conference in advance of Monday’s knockout round game against Spain. Ellis had just been asked to describe what Lavelle brings to the team.
“She’s a joy,” Ellis said, as the superlatives flowed. “The way she approaches the game, how she plays on the field, who she is off the field.”
On a United States team with 11 World Cup rookies, Lavelle, 24, is arguably the most creative young playmaker.