whomst is new uswnt midfielder hal hershfelt and what does she do

The first official squad of Emma Hayes’ tenure was a mix of veteran players, one notable position group change, and a couple fun new additions. Among the fun new additions reverberated a familiar refrain: Whomst is Hal Hershfelt?

It’s a fair question, Hershfelt is a rookie defensive midfielder who’s been given a bit of license to roam for the Washington Spirit, whose hot start has been dominated by fellow rookie Croix Bethune, international striker Ouleye Sarr, and USWNT superstar Trinity Rodman.

Hershfelt, however, has been key to the Spirit’s success as well. Thanks to my other job of covering the Washington Spirit for The District Press, I’ve watched every game she’s played as a pro so far, including all but one in person, making me uniquely qualified to answer this particular question that I didn’t know so many people would be asking so soon.

She’s shown versatility, and some key attributes that make her inclusion on the national team extremely interesting. So let’s look at what she does on the pitch that may have piqued the interest of Emma Hayes.