Simone Jackson can make a mark in the USWNT 


By
 in

The United States Women’s National Team is the standard in the world of soccer — women’s and men’s. 

They’ve won half of the FIFA World Cups ever played, four of seven possible Olympic gold medals and never fallen below No. 2 in the official FIFA world rankings.

The U.S. talent pool is fed by products of the NCAA women’s soccer system, home of the best young prospects in the sport. 

So why hasn’t a program like USC — winners of as many or more national titles than all but four schools in the country — left a proportionate mark on the legacy of the USWNT? More importantly, who is set to make that breakthrough?

The answer is Simone Jackson, and before I launch into that explanation, I would like to acknowledge the one exception to the above statement: Amy Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez is a legend and should be regarded as nothing less at USC and professionally. She won the Trojans their first national title and went on to bring home two Olympic golds and a World Cup. 

Rodriguez’s impact on the women’s professional soccer scene in the U.S. cannot be overstated. She helped bridge the gap between folding and emerging women’s professional leagues, all while continuing to move the game forward.

But after A-Rod, there’s a void. — a void much too large for a program as successful as USC’s. 

Enter Simone Jackson. ­— the fourth-ranked recruit in the class of 2021 and already an All-Pac-12 honoree; she can do it all. 

Jackson is an incredible athlete; her speed down the wings is often too much for college fullbacks to handle. Even when she fought for minutes early in the season, her burst on the counter was impossible to ignore. 

As the opportunities and the minutes came, we got to see the rest of the repertoire. With senior forward Penelope Hocking sidelined with an injury, Jackson stepped up to shoulder the creative burden. 

Carrying the ball forward herself, combining with senior midfielder Croix Bethune and using that elite quickness, she kept the scoreboard ticking for the Trojans in the absence of their
all-time leading goalscorer. 

Then, with more and more touches came more opportunities in big moments to prove just how much attacking brilliance Jackson possesses. 

Down 2 goals at the half in a must-win match against Stanford, Jackson scored and assisted in a second-half comeback that resulted in a 3-2 overtime win. 

Trailing 2-1 in the dying minutes of their second round matchup with Penn State, Jackson scored a screamer from outside the box to keep the Trojans’ season alive. 

In the semifinals of the U-20 Concacaf Championship, with a spot in the U-20 World Cup on the line, Jackson only went and netted the fastest hat trick in the history of the competition. 

Jackson is skilled with the ball at her feet, too athletic to ignore off the ball, a lethal finisher and — most of all — at her best when the moment demands it the most. 

The USWNT is the hardest eleven to crack on the planet, but it’s time this USC program found its way in with more regularity. And, for that, look no further than Simone Jackson. 

Sam Reno is a sophomore writing about current and former USC Trojans in the NWSL and USWNT. His column, “Made in McAlister,” runs on Tuesday.