USWNT vs. Dominican Republic – 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup – Group A
Date: February 20, 2024
Venue: Dignity Health Sports Park; Carson, California.
Transmitted: Paramount+, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
Official kick-off time: 10:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. PT
Starting XI vs. Dominican Republic: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 2-Abby Dahlkemper, 3-Jenna Nighswonger, 5-Becky Sauerbrunn, 6-Lynn Williams, 9-Midge Purce, 11-Sophia Smith, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 14-Emily Sonnett, 15-Korbin Albert, 17-Sam Coffey
Available subs: 4-Naomi Girma, 7-Alex Morgan, 8-Jaedyn Shaw, 10-Lindsey Horan, 12-Tierna Davidson, 16-Rose Lavelle, 18-Casey Murphy, 19-Crystal Dunn, 20-Casey Krueger, 21-Jane Campbell, 22-Trinity Rodman, 23-Emily Fox
GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- USWNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this game): Sauerbrunn (218), Naher (98), Sonnett (84), Dahlkemper (81), Williams (60), Smith (39), Purce (27), Coffey (8), Nighswonger (3), Moultrie (3), Albert (2)
- This starting eleven includes the four world champions from 2019, Dahlkemper, Naher, Sauerbrunn and Sonnett, as well as four players with single-digit appearances, Albert, Coffey, Moultrie and Nighswonger.
- The roster has an average age of 27.6 years and has 56 caps per player. Sauerbrunn (38) and Naheher (35) are two of the oldest players in the squad and Moultrie (18) and Albert (20) are two of the youngest. Moultrie was just two years old when Sauerbrunn, her teammate at Portland Thorns FC, made her international debut in January 2008.
- Emily Sonnet will earn her 84th cap as she makes her eighth consecutive start for the USWNT. Starting with the World Cup round of 16 against Sweden, Sonnett has now started the USA's last eight games, scoring one goal and two assists in that time, while also helping to limit USA's opponents to just one goal and eight total shots to limit goal in the last seven games.
- defender Becky Sauerbrunn will be the team captain as she earns her 218th cap for the USWNT and makes her first start for the United States since April 11, 2023. Sauerbrunn was not originally included in the squad for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, but was added along with Alana Cook due to a minor knee injury forcing her to withdraw. When Sauerbrunn takes on the Dominican Republic, it will be the 16th year she has earned a cap for the USWNT.
- Alyssa Naher was not part of the U.S. squad for the year-end game against China PR in December 2023, but returns to the starting lineup to open 2024 and will play her 98th cap. Naeher is poised to become the third goalkeeper in USWNT history to reach the 100-cap milestone and has 59 career shutouts, nine of them in 2023, tying her record of a clean sheet year in one Calendar year sets. If she reaches the 100 mark, the United States will become the first country in history to have three female goalkeepers earn 100+ caps.
- After having to take a break for almost two years due to a serious back injury, Abby Dahlkemper will earn her 81st cap for the USWNT as she makes her second appearance – and second start – since December. Dahlkemper underwent major back surgery in November 2022, but returned for the USA on December 2, 2023, playing the full 90 minutes in the USA's victory over China PR.
- Reigning NWSL Rookie of the Year Jenna Nighswonger will make her third international appearance as she makes her second consecutive start for the USWNT. Nighswonger, who grew up in Huntington Beach, California, just under 25 miles from DHSP, made her international debut on December 2, 2023 in Ft. Lauderdale and made her first start three days later, playing the full 90 minutes in the USA's year-ending victory over China VR in Frisco, Texas.
- Lynn Williams will make her 60th international appearance as she starts for the US for the second consecutive year. Williams scored three goals in 11 appearances for the USWNT in 2023, including four as a starter.
- Midge Purce is her 10th career start and first since the USA's opening game of 2023 as she earns her 27th international cap. Purce, the 2023 NWSL Championship Game MVP with NJ/NY Gotham FC, played six games for the USA in 2023.
- The 2023 NWSL Golden Boot winner, Sophia Smith will play her 39th cap for the USWNT. Smith started nine of her 11 games for the USA in 2023 and directly contributed to a goal in each of her final two games. She scored the opening goal in the USA's December 2 victory over China PR and assisted on Jaedyn Shaw's game-winning goal on December 2. 5 in Frisco, Texas.
- Eighteen years old Olivia Moultrie makes her first start for the USWNT, reaching her third cap overall. Moultrie made her international debut on December 2, 2023, playing in the second half of the USA's win over China PR in Ft. Lauderdale is the 72nd teenager ever to earn a cap for the USWNT and also saw action in the Dec. 5 win in Frisco, Texas.
- At 18 years, 156 days, Moultrie becomes just the third player in the last 15 years to start a game for the USWNT at age 18 or younger, joining Mallory Swanson and Alyssa Thompson.
- Korbin Albert will make her first ever start for the USWNT and secure her second cap for the red-white-blue. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder made her international debut on December 5, 2023, coming on as a substitute against China PR in the second half and helping set up the USA's decisive goal with a foul near the penalty area shortly after entering the game.
- Sam Coffey will make her third career start and second consecutive start for the USWNT and earn her eighth cap. Coffey started and played the entire 90 minutes in the USA's game against China PR on December 5. She scored her first career international goal in the 62nd minute, giving the USA a 2-1 victory after coming from behind.