Star forwards Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan headline the U.S. women’s national team’s 23-player roster for the 2023 SheBelieves Cup, U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Rapinoe will reach 200 career national team caps if she plays in all three games of the tournament. Morgan has 201 and will be honored for reaching the 200-cap milestone before the opening match in Orlando.
- Of the 23 players on the roster, 22 were with the U.S. squad that played two friendlies in New Zealand last month.
- Though she won’t be on the official tournament roster, defender Tierna Davidson will join the team “for the first part” of training camp amid the final stages of her recovery from an ACL injury she sustained in March 2022.
- Sophia Smith, the 2022 NWSL MVP, has recovered from the foot injury that kept her off the New Zealand roster but is not on the SheBelieves Cup roster because she is still working her way back to full fitness, a U.S. Soccer spokesman told ESPN.
- The U.S. will be joined by Canada, Brazil and Japan for the SheBelieves Cup.
Ready to play for hardware 🏆
Full Roster Notes » https://t.co/x2glYutyP4#SheBelievesCup, presented by @Visa pic.twitter.com/5nJzzl0WLd
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 1, 2023
Full U.S. SheBelieve Cup roster
Goalkeepers (3):
Adrianna Franch (Kansas City Current; 10), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 12), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 87)
Defenders (7):
Alana Cook (OL Reign; 21/0), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 24/0), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 128/24), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 12/0), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign; 27/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 212/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 70/1)
Midfielders (6):
Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 123/26), Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave FC; 9/2), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 86/24), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 47/7), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 19/3), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 39/3)
Forwards (7):
Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 15/5), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC; 201/120), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 22/4), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign; 197/63), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 12/2), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars; 84/28), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 49/15)
Any surprises with the roster?
There weren’t a lot of surprises with this roster. The biggest omissions here from the last roster are midfielder Sam Coffey and defender Hailie Mace. Neither Coffey nor Mace saw any playing time in the USWNT’s last two games, away friendlies against New Zealand in which the U.S. defeated its opponent by a combined score of 9-0.
That’s particularly interesting for Coffey given that Taylor Kornieck was given a runout against New Zealand as a 6 and struggled there, while Coffey has performed in that role for the Portland Thorns.
Mace is facing a little bit of a crowd with fullbacks Emily Fox, Crystal Dunn, Sofia Huerta, and Emily Sonnett also in the running, although Mace’s ability to shift higher into a midfield role and perhaps work well underneath a winger should be a consideration. — Yang
SheBelieves Cup schedule
Feb. 16 (matches played at Exploria Stadium in Orlando):
- Japan vs. Brazil, 4 p.m. ET
- U.S. vs. Canada, 7 p.m. ET
Feb. 19 (matches played at Geodis Park in Nashville):
- U.S. vs. Japan, 2:30 p.m. ET
- Brazil vs. Canada, 6 p.m. ET
Feb. 22 (matches played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas):
- Canada vs. Japan, 4 p.m. ET
- U.S. vs. Brazil, 7 p.m. ET
What they’re saying
“All three of these matches are great opportunities for the players and coaches as we enter the final stretch to choose the World Cup roster,” USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said in a release. “To get to play three top teams, all who are in the World Cup, over seven days, will test our team mentally and physically, and that’s exactly what we need at this point in our preparations. We still have a few players in the pool recovering from injuries, but we are confident that they will be ready for selection for our April matches.”
Required reading
(Photo: Sam Navarro / USA Today)
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News Summary:
- 2023 SheBelieves Cup: Rapinoe, Morgan headline U.S. roster; Davidson to join training
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