Crystal Dunn, “It’s important that people know my story”

When Crystal Dunn spoke with the media on Friday there was a long conversation about her identity as a player.

This, in reference to a GQ article written by Emma Carmichael that made the rounds this morning. It was an interesting discussion, fresh off of a Vlatko Andenowski press conference where he stated, “As a Left Back she’s world class and one of the best Left Backs in the world, as a midfielder, there is a lot of competition. We aren’t here to tell any player that they can or can’t play somewhere but Crystal would have a lot of competition as a midfielder.”

That quote may seem, somewhat, inflammatory but it was framed in a way that makes you think that Vlatko and Dunn have talked about her role in the team before and that there is a genuine understanding of how to best utilize her skills in this squad. Vlatko also used his time to mention that Dunn’s comfortability within the USWNT system as an outside back should give her an easier time getting back up to speed after her time away last season.

Crystal Dunn would then speak to the media in the mixed zone ahead of Saturday’s training session and tried to put the animosity narrative to bed. It was a genuinely enlightening conversation, and one Dunn will probably have to have a few times ahead of the World Cup in July.