'Here for a reason' - Alyssa Thompson reintroduces herself to USWNT, as teen shows why she must be in Emma Hayes' plans

It all came very quickly for Thompson, to be fair. At one moment, she was a high school star. Before she knew it, she was lining up next to her heroes in a World Cup. That's a lot to take in.

"I think my first or second camp is when I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm here right now with the people that I've watched since I was younger'. It's crazy to think that I was on a team with them," Thompson told GOAL earlier this year. "They called me their teammate! Being at the World Cup with them was so surreal and I couldn't believe that I was able to get to that point. I feel like I'm such a big fan of theirs and being able to just learn so much from them and grow as a player because they're there with me was really cool."

Thompson had plenty of reasons to be stunned by those around her. She was in a squad with legends such as Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan in the attack. There she was competing with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman, two of the brightest young stars in American soccer. Thompson's rise was fast and, in Hayes' eyes, it might have been a little bit too fast.

"She is someone who is -- her international career started at a very early stage," Hayes said on Thursday. "That's why I believe it does take time. Maybe she wasn't ready before, but I can see from tonight's performance here that she offers a lot for us going forward, and I was super pleased for her goal and performance."

Thompson doesn't disagree with Hayes' assessment. She admits that, at times, everything thrown at her was a lot to handle.

“The biggest adjustment that I had to make was learning who I was as a soccer player again,” Thompson told reporters. “Last season, there was so much going on, and there [were] a lot of good things, but I didn’t really have the time to think, process and continue to improve.

“This season, I’ve been really honing in on things that I need to work on that will make my game even better and get me into positions where I want to be, like making this roster.”

With Angel City, the progress has been tangible. After scoring four goals and providing two assists during her rookie season, those numbers are up this campaign. She scored five goals during the regular season while setting up seven more. That form earned her a USWNT call-up for the first post-Olympic games, and it also helped her rediscover the confidence required to score a banger in that return.

USWNT stars past and present went crazy on social media. They had every right to. Thompson's goal was worthy of that reaction.

Receiving the ball on the left side of the box, Thompson cut inside and breezed past a defender, creating just enough space to shoot. She picked out the far corner with that shot, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance of preventing her from scoring her first international goal. You saw the passion on her face as she celebrated. This meant something.

“Coming onto the field in the beginning, and wearing this jersey, I was like, ‘This is surreal,' " Thompson told TNT. "And being able to get my first goal, I can’t describe how I feel. I’m just so happy.”

It's clear that Thompson has the support of her teammates. Those in the building swarmed her in the corner after her goal. Those back home were quick to turn to social media to hype up the teenage star.

"That’s my little sister! When she was dribbling I was like, ‘Take her Alyssa'," said Smith, who scored the third goal in the 3-1 win. "And then I saw her eyes and she was in so much shock, I was like, ‘C’mon here, Alyssa!’"

Thompson's biggest influence was watching at home, though, as there's one former USWNT star who has helped Thompson in a big way this year.

The joke at Angel City has been that Thompson was enrolled in the Christen Press School of Finishing. After her goal against Iceland, it's safe to say the lessons are paying off.

Press, who recently returned to the field after over two years away due to injury, has unlimited USWNT experience. She earned 155 caps for the national team, scoring 64 goals while winning two World Cups. As it turns out, Press has been the perfect mentor to help Thompson navigate her aspiring career.

"Christen Press has been a huge help for me this season," Thompson told ION. "Shes' really taken me under her wing and has been an amazing teammate and mentor. Her energy has really helped me."

Thompson was also quick to credit Angel City teammate Katie Zelem, too, for being a driving force in her improvement.

“One of my teammates, Zel, she's been so helpful, and she talked to me before the game and kind of gave me a pep talk" she said. "She just helps me with my confidence and getting out there and knowing that I'm here for a reason."

With three matches in a week (two against Iceland, then a third vs Argentina), Hayes promised rotation, so it's unlikely we'll see Thompson in both of the remaining friendlies. She'll no doubt want a closer look at a player auditioning for a bigger role as the cycle continues.

"I have been watching her performances since the Olympics," Hayes said, "and I know she's committed to looking for the next level in her play, and I think you see just how threatening and dangerous she is."

Just hearing that has infused Thompson with confidence. She's building something, and she knows her coach has her back. Scoring goals will reinforce that, and now that she has her first international finish on her resume, the hope is that this is just the beginning. The World Cup may have been her introduction, but Thursday seemed like Thompson's official welcome to the USWNT.

“Before the game, [Hayes] kind of just told me, 'Be yourself. Do everything you know how to do this is why you're here,' " she said. "I think that really helped me to know that I'm here for a reason, and knowing what I'm best at is why she called me in.”