I KNOW! You’re thinking you haven’t had time to watch..or learn about the players…so now it’s too late to really get behind them…you don’t want to be a fair weather fan…

Hogwash! It’s our long birthday weekend, and you have time to get to know them before they step on the field Sunday against the Dutch. So I’m providing you some interesting snippets about 23 American heroes. Ready?

Alyssa Naeher, 31, Goalie, Stratford CT: She’s tough on the field, quiet off. Between games she works on crossword puzzles to keep calm.

Ashlyn Harris, 33, Goalie, Satellite Beach FL: Overcame addiction and a troubled youth; engaged to teammate Ali Krieger.

Adrianna Franch, 28, Goalie, Salinas KS: Grew up in a Habitat for Humanity house she helped build.

Kelley O’Hara, 30, Defender, Fayetteville GA: Media monster; has appeared in Howler, Shape, and Sports Illustrated magazines.

Abby Dahlkemper, 26, Defender, Menlo Park CA: Overcame self-doubt to become starting central defender; dating Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler.

Becky Sauerbrunn, 33, Defender, St. Louis MO: Reads books by the armful; played sports with her two older brothers, which she says toughened her up.

Crystal Dunn, 27, Defender, Rockville Center NY: Can play every position; the only player to start every game for the team in 2019.

Ali Krieger, 34, Defender, Dumfries VA: In 2005, narrowly survived a pulmonary embolism and several small heart attacks caused by blood clots resulting from a broken leg.

Tierna Davidson, 20, Defender, Menlo Park CA: The youngest team member; loves horror novels but hates horror movies.

Emily Sonnett, 25, Defender, Marietta GA: The team joker, likes to punk the older players.

Julie Ertz, 27, Defender, Mesa AZ: Sunshine off the field, ruthless on it; married to champion Philadelphia Eagle Zach Ertz.

Lindsey Horan, 24, Midfielder, Golden CO: First woman to skip college and go directly to the pros, playing for Paris Saint-Germain.

Rose Lavelle, 24, Midfielder, Cincinnati OH: The trickster; has the best ball skills on the team, as she showed with a stunning nutmeg vs. England.

Morgan Brian, 26, Midfielder, St. Simons GA: As a young player, was so small she earned the nickname, “Plankton,” a character from her favorite show Spongebob Squarepants.

Samantha Mewis, 26, Midfielder, Weymouth MA: “Six feet of fun” – enough said.

Allie Long, 31, Midfielder, Northport NY: Trains by playing in immigrant men’s futsal leagues in New York City.

Tobin Heath, 31, Forward, Basking Ridge NJ: Earned the nickname, “Tobinha” for her Brazilian-level creativeness on the field.

Alex Morgan, 29, Forward, Diamond Bar CA: One of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People for 2019 as a leading voice for gender pay equity in sports.

Megan Rapinoe, Forward, Redding CA: Trashy-mouthed voice for equality. Cover-girl culture crusader. Captain America with a peroxide pixie.

6.28.19 Rapinoe

Christen Press, 30, Forward, Palos Verdes CA: In addition to multiple magazine appearances, she starred in the movie An Equal Playing Field, and her likeness has been featured on The Simpsons.

Mallory Pugh, 21, Forward, Highlands Ranch CO: When she was 4, she started watching soccer on Telemundo in Spanish, on her Hello Kitty TV.

Jessica McDonald, 31, Forward, Phoenix AZ: The only mother on the team; her son is 7.

Carli Lloyd, 36, Forward, Delran NJ: Jersey girl through and through; as the oldest player and the star of the 2015 Cup, she is the super-sub game-changer.

Want to learn more? Look up “23 Stories” and “The Journey” on YouTube for some great player video profiles. Do it. Get on board. You’ve got time.

USA vs. Netherlands. Sunday July 7 at 11AM. #IBelieveThatWeWillWin