The U.S. Women’s National Team roster for the upcoming friendlies against China will look very different.
Ten players from this summer’s World Cup team – including starters Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn, Andi Sullivan and Alyssa Naeher – were not called up to training camp in December. However, according to a US Soccer spokesperson, their absence is simply to “give new players a chance to perform in training and hopefully in games.” With only 26 spots available, US Soccer is looking to bring in new faces to expand the player pool.
This is especially true with the 2024 Paris Olympics just around the corner and US Soccer recently named long-time Chelsea coach Emma Hayes as the USWNT’s next head coach. The Americans will face China on December 2nd in Fort Lauderdale and December 5th in Frisco, Texas.
“As we move forward to the next steps, we need more opportunities to see players from our pool in our unique national team environment, both in training and in games, so that we can assess whether and how they could contribute to the Olympics ,” Twila Kilgore said in a statement. Kilgore will continue to serve as the team’s interim head coach, handling day-to-day operations until Hayes takes over fully in May following the conclusion of the 2023/24 Women’s Super League season.
Kilgore said she and Hayes speak often and that she plans to travel to London sometime in the next six months so they can meet in person. The two coaches “put together this roster together,” Kilgore said, and they will continue to do so.
“We value these players who have recently been in camps or played in the World Cup and were not selected for this squad, and of course they are still part of our pool, but we know what they bring on and off the field,” he said Kilgore continued. “At the same time, we have to continue to evaluate and take the players on board in order to give the team the best chance of success.”
Because of her many years of coaching in the United States – she began her career in the United States – she has always had a “huge interest” in player development, said U.S. athletic director Matt Crocker. “That is the result she is aiming for outside of Chelsea.”
Kilgore said she called veteran players from the previous camp to tell them, and while she didn’t go into details, she said, “They reacted like professionals, they understand that we’re watching everything, what they’re doing, that everything “What’s important is that they don’t stand out from the crowd and that there are equal opportunities to get into this squad in the future.”
This squad includes two midfielders – Jenna Nighswonger and Korbin Albert – who were selected for their first full national team training camp. Nighswonger plays for recently crowned NWSL champions Gotham FC and was the league’s 2023 rookie of the year, while Albert plays for Paris Saint-Germain.
This camp also marks the return of veteran defender Abby Dahlkemper, who was a starter during the USWNT’s 2019 World Cup campaign but has not been called up since April 2022 because she underwent major back surgery. Defender Tierna Davidson is also back after recovering from a facial injury sustained during an NWSL game that ruled her out of the previous camp. And midfielder Rose Lavelle, who hasn’t been 100% healthy for some time, will compete in her first camp since the World Cup.
While Hayes’ inability to take on a full-time position immediately isn’t ideal, Crocker said Monday that from his perspective, “what’s important is that we have the best candidate in the long term and not the wrong candidate in the short term.” he said , five characteristics of Hayes – her leadership skills, her experience, her playing style, her role as a “serial winner” and as a “legacy coach” – stood out and ultimately helped him make his final decision.
While Hayes won’t be able to move from Chelsea to the USWNT until May at the earliest, Crocker is “really, really confident” that this plan with Kilgore will work. Crocker also said he is “hopeful” Hayes can come to Fort Lauderdale next week and meet with players and staff during camp.
“I’m really excited about the potential for change for the Olympics and beyond,” Crocker said. “We have to seize this moment. We have a great long-term coach in Emma, we have an excellent short-term plan and leader in Twila, and of course we now have a young and exciting squad.”
“And my message to the players is really clear: grab the jersey, be excited about this opportunity and challenge that you have, be bold and courageous and we’re really excited to work with you and so am I. “I look forward to continuing to develop the program to move it forward.”
Here is the full list:
GOALKEEPER (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 7), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 16)
DEFENSE (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 29/1), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC; 79/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 50/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 37/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 24/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 41/0), MA Vignola (Angel City FC; 1/0)
MIDFIELDER (8): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 0/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 5/0), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 6/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 137/30 ), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 91/24), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 0/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 81/2)
FORWARD (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 21/5), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 24/4), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 26/6), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 2/1), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 36/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 8/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/17)
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.