Crystal Dunn, critical part of the United States backline and key to winning Friday's match against France in what most see as the battle of the world's two best teams, still remembers the call she got from Jill Ellis about making the move to defender.
"I was like, all righty then," Dunn said during an interview last month. "And there wasn't really much training before and I really got a phone call just saying, 'Hey, you know, tomorrow's game, I'd want you to step in and be an outside back. I'm trusting that you can do that and I know that you can.' And you know, that's all really that I needed. I really just needed a coach to really say, you're valuable. I'm trusting you. And I think from there it was all about growing in my own, investing in myself."
It's hard to imagine how recent that change occurred, or how much consternation it led to from observers and fans at the time. The concern was logical.
Dunn, for years, had been the expected future of the American attack. As the last player cut back in 2015 from the World Cup roster, she'd promptly returned to NWSL play and simply dominated all summer long, winning the league's MVP award and becoming a must-watch finisher.
So when Jill Ellis praises her now, it's certainly warranted. She's become an elite player doing something completely different on the field.
“She’s the most versatile player I’ve ever coached,” Ellis told the AP. “It’s not just her ability to play in different lines, it’s the quality with which she plays in different lines, which is quite extraordinary.”
In a number of ways, Dunn is perhaps the most significant player on the field Friday. France's attack, particularly on Dunn's side of the field, led to much of the offensive attack and the three-goal tally that beat the U.S. back in January during a friendly.
Notably, Emily Sonnett played in the position Dunn typically occupies now in that one, Ellis still tinkering at the time, with Emily Fox on the opposite side. Dunn played midfield in January. Don't expect Dunn to be anywhere else but that back four in this one.
Spain's attack kept getting ensnarled in Dunn's aggressive challenges all afternoon in the round of 16, and that's critical against a French team that needs to be uncomfortable to limit their offensive capabilities.
Then there's the fact that Dunn hasn't forgotten how to score goals, either. A potent counter-attack, in a match that feels unlikely to be decided 1-0, is going to matter, too.
Dunn has gone to the film, again and again, to turn herself into a proper defender. It's about more than just what the U.S. needed in that moment Jill Ellis called her. It's about the long-term for Dunn, and the kind of player she hopes to be.
"I really didn't wait for the coaching staff to really direct me on what I needed to do," Dunn said. "And it was all about me wanting to do above and beyond stuff for the team."
But now, with the U.S. facing its biggest quarterfinal test in World Cup history, Dunn's preparation has her at the center of what that team needs right now.
