Tierna Davidson Brings Gratitude to USWNT Camp Following Year-Long Absence | OneFootball

U.S. Women’s National Team defender Tierna Davidson returned to the USWNT roster this week for the first time in over a year ahead of the three upcoming matches against Japan. Coincidentally, Davidson’s most recent international match was also against the Nadeshiko, on Feb. 26, 2025 at the SheBelieves Cup.

That tournament came at the beginning of a year that saw head coach Emma Hayes give 44 different players caps, 16 of which were their first. A few of the 2025 debutants are on the April roster alongside Davidson who spoke to the media this week about seeing the growth of the team while she was away.

“In some ways, I feel like the new player coming back in because there's been a lot of evolution,” Davidson said. “It’s been really fun to watch. We have so much great talent coming out of our country, so to be able to see so many people get that opportunity and do so well has been really encouraging.”

This past year was the second time Davidson was forced to watch the team from the sidelines following an ACL tear. After helping the USWNT to a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the defender suffered an ACL injury in 2022 during NWSL play.

Davidson said she feels grateful to be back with the group, even if her minutes on the field will be limited.

“I’m really trying to be present and focus on gratitude,” Davidson said. “That’s difficult when you’re in a really highly competitive environment, but especially after going through this injury process twice, to be able to do what I love as a job is something that I think is easy to take for granted. When you step away, you evaluate where you're at. It's something that is so important to make sure that I value every time.”

Despite the 13-month absence, Davidson’s 67 international appearances are still the fifth-most on the roster. Her leadership and experience will be essential as the rest of the backline looks to slow down the high-powered Japanese side. The fifth-ranked Japanese defeated the USA 2-1 in the most recent meeting between the teams and outscored its opponents 29-1 last month on the way to the 2026 AFC Asian Women’s Cup title.

“Preparing to play against a team like Japan requires a lot of concentration to detail and to understand that it's going to be a bit of a chess match at times,” Davidson said. "We need to get those details right and execute on the moments that we’ll have in front of goal, and then to minimize their attacking prowess is something that's critical for us as a defensive unit.”

It’s a full circle moment for Davidson to return to the U.S. team in an area where her soccer journey began. The Menlo Park native also spent three years at Stanford University where she won an NCAA title in 2017 and said she is thrilled to be back in the Bay Area.

“I’m so happy that this is the camp that it worked out that I could come back into,” Davidson said. “There’s a lot to learn and refamiliarize myself with, so it’s been a really fun past couple of days in training. I’m feeling good and excited to be back in front of a home crowd.”