The United States Women’s National Team has been going through what ESPN termed “the most drastic overhaul in the 40-year history” of the program, with Emma Hayes searching for her ideal group. The fullback position remains “anyone’s guess,” as the manager has given an opportunity for several players to stake a claim. Lilly Reale is one of the newer additions to the pool, having picked up two starts at the most recent camp. The 22-year-old Gotham FC defender is building a strong rookie season after
a sterling collegiate career.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Reale competed with South Shore Select and was teammates with Ally Sentnor. At the scholastic level, she played for Hingham High School and amassed 36 goals in her first two seasons before moving to defender while also competing for the basketball team. Her various honors included All-League, All-State, All-Region, and All-American, boosted by regular experience with the national team program.
After initially committing to Boston College, Reale matriculated to the University of California, Los Angeles and opened her collegiate career by starting in 19 matches, being named All-Pac-12 First-Team and Freshman Best XI and All-Freshman First Team by Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News, respectively. Her sophomore campaign saw her pick up another 24 appearances and garner first-team All-American, Pac-12 Defender of the Year, and Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the College Cup as the Bruins won the national title. She continued to dominate as a junior by repeating as Pac-12 Defender of the Year and a first-team All-American, despite being upset by UC Irvine in the first round of the NCAA tournament. After training over the summer with Gotham FC and Angel City FC, her time in Westwood ended with another stellar season, compiling a total record of 71-9-7 and receiving Big Ten Defender of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and first-team All-American.
Beyond her performance at multiple positions, Reale’s leadership helped the program achieve high levels of success. “Lilly only has one volume, which is loud,” said UCLA head coach Margueritte Aozasa. “She’s kind of like a coach on the field. She’s directing, she’s encouraging, she’s organizing things, and that’s why I think our team really looks to her to be a leader for us… Lilly was just a player that, right away, you notice her potential.”
In January, Reale signed with Gotham on a three-year deal, receiving her debut in the season opener and starting the following week against Orlando Pride. She has made 21 total appearances across all competitions, scored her first goal in a 3-1 victory against the North Carolina Courage, and started as her side claimed the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 1-0 win over Tigres. The league named her to the Best XI for the month of April, while the defender has met her stated objective of “adjusting to the speed of play” and “putting forth the most consistent performances.”
“I think it’s definitely an adjustment as it always will be, going into the pros,” Reale told the Sports & SHEnanigans podcast. “Playing against and with a lot of my role models growing up – just players I’ve looked to for so long for little tips and tricks to add to my game – to now play against them in training every day is so much fun… [It’s] awesome to pick their brain and understand who they are, not only as a player but also as a person. [That] has been probably the most exciting part for me… The back line that I’m fortunate to work with right now has been awesome.”
At the international level, Reale began appearing with the United States program for the Under-15 team in 2017 and was a member of the side that won the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship before dumping out of the group stage at the ensuing U-20 World Cup. After being included in January’s Futures Camp, she played with the Under-23 squad in June’s two friendlies against Germany and scored in the opening fixture. Her first senior call-up came during the most recent camp, with her debut cap coming in the first 4-0 win over Ireland; during the 90-minute appearance, her tackle and assist set up Alyssa Thompson for the fourth goal. Hayes utilized her again for the full match in the 3-0 victory against rivals Canada, with Goal describing her as “looking as if she’s been playing alongside [Naomi] Girma forever” and “great on the ball.”
Standing at five feet, nine inches tall, Reale is a defender who can deploy at left fullback and centre-back, racking up tackles and clearances every match and looking to beat opponents off the dribble by displaying “great attacking qualities” and accurate crosses. She is praised for being “fearless, physical, capable of contributing on both ends of the field, and [able] to elevate play,” seeking out the ball and “committing high to snuff out attacks early.” Her communication and assertion of control over proceedings have been noted despite her newness to the professional level.
“My tenacity [is my greatest on-field attribute],” said Reale. “Being a defender, you have to be really competitive and gritty. So, in moments where I have to track back or lay a tackle, I feel like I find that competitiveness and channel that. I like to say that I’m a pretty tenacious player… It’s something that I definitely pride myself on and try to bring into my game every game that I play. Keeping that up and holding myself to that standard is a big thing.”
Reale finally made her way to the professional level after dominating the college scene and quickly became a key player for her club and entered the national team picture. She has the talent and potential to contribute to the USWNT, as Hayes appears to be intrigued by the rookie. There is a chance for her to seize her spot in the depth chart, with the all-important CONCACAF Championship taking place in November of 2026.
