U.S. women’s national team head coach Twila Kilgore has confirmed the 23-player roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, with three additional training players set to participate in the pre-match training camp, including forward Ma Lori Swanson. This will be Swanson’s official return to the national team after recovering from a torn patella tendon last April.
“Mal is going to come in and be Mal. We’re excited to have her back in a camp environment,” Kilgore said. “We know that whatever Mal does, she brings a high level of professionalism and execution. We believe she is fully ready to take this step, and she is a very important leader on this team.”
Compared with the team’s last friendly match against China in December 2023, the team’s lineup is basically unchanged, with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (she may make her 100th appearance during the Gold Cup) and Linebacker Crystal Dunn returns and performs well. Veterans Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan were not on the December roster, but their absences in this training camp are notable.
“We have a fair number of players who are not in training camp and we are still observing and evaluating them pre-Olympics. No one is excluded. The same goes for some of our big names. That goes for the smaller players that we have been tracking name. We want to get things done,” Kilgore said. “As far as Alex is concerned – and I think this is true for everyone who’s not here – everything that happens in the Gold Cup will have an impact on the future, and everything that happens outside the Gold Cup will also have an impact on the future. impact in the future.”
Taking a new turn after a busy NWSL offseason, NJ/NY Gotham FC now leads the NWSL representative team with seven players: defenders Dunn, Tierna Davidson and Jenna Nighswonger; midfielders Ross Lavelle and Ai Millie Thornette; and forwards Mitch Pooles and Lynne Williams. Since the last U.S. Women’s National Team roster, six players have signed with new clubs.
Midfielder Savannah DeMello and defender Giselle Thompson are the other two non-roster players who will train with the U.S. Women’s Team. Gisele Thompson, the younger sister of striker Alyssa Thompson, recently signed with Angel City FC and received her first call-up to the senior team. While this is limited to a training environment, the recognition is another positive sign for Gisele Thompson to build on her youth national team experience.
“This is a great opportunity for Gisele to see firsthand what the environment is like in action,” Kilgore said. “Obviously, she’s starting her career in the NWSL, so she has a lot of firsts, but I think that’s an important part for her to understand what she’s working towards.”
Goalkeeper(3): Jen Campbell (Houston Rush), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Neher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defender (8): Alanna Cook (Seattle Reign), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Waves), Crystal Dunn ((New York/New Jersey Gotham)) Tierna Davidson (New Jersey/New York Gotham State), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Gilma (San Diego), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Neiswanger (New York/ Gotham City Football Club, New Jersey)
Midfield (6): Corbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Lindsay Horan (Olympique Lyonnais), Ross Lavelle (New Jersey/New York Gotham FC), O’ Livia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Thornette (New Jersey/New York Gotham FC)
Forward (6): Mia Fisher (Chelsea FC), Mitch Purce (New Jersey/New York Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jadine Shaw (San Diego Tide FC) , Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (New Jersey/New York Gotham FC)
California, here we come!
your #USWNT 2024 @Coffee Association of North America and the Caribbean Gold Cup roster 🇺🇸⤵️
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 7, 2024
How to watch the Gold Cup
The first W Gold Cup has 12 teams participating, including 8 teams from the Central and North American and Caribbean Football Association (CONCACAF), and 4 guest countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Paraguay. In the United States, CBS holds the rights to the event and every game can be watched on Paramount+.
The USWNT will play all three group stage games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, California. All games will begin at 7:15pm PT/10:15pm ET:
- vs Guyana/Dominican Republic (preliminary winners), Tuesday 20 February
- vs. Argentina, Friday, February 23
- vs. Mexico, Monday, February 26
The 12 teams are divided into three groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group, plus the two best third-place teams (eight teams in total) will advance to the quarterfinals at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The top eight will determine the seeding teams based on results, such as 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc.
The four winners will travel to San Diego and Snapdragon Stadium for the semi-finals and finals, which will end on March 10.
“This is not just a trophy, but a great opportunity to take advantage of meaningful competition opportunities and experience the short turnaround between competitions that is so closely tied to the Olympic format,” Kilgore said in the release. Rhythm. “
These games are meaningful, but also the first of the year. The team will likely view this as an extended pre-season, which should be the biggest takeaway; if they make it to the finals, they will spend a lot of time together on the training ground and gain game time. They may not be the prettiest games, but there will still be plenty of numbers for everyone — including incoming head coach Emma Hayes. The tricky balance Kilgore and the team must strike is acknowledging the pressure of an upcoming Olympic roster while trying new tactics and combinations.
Forward momentum
Fisher and Shaw scored their first U.S. Women’s National Team goals last year. (Photo by Brad Smith, Getty Images for USSF)
Everyone (including me) is excited about the roster for the December friendlies. It’s not surprising to see continuity between the two camps, but what’s most exciting is the chance to see players like Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel become expected names on the USWNT roster – as well as candidates to get some starts people.
If there’s one thing that can get everyone excited, it’s that Swanson is one step closer to officially returning to the national team. Swanson was in great shape before getting injured last April. Despite Swanson’s long-term absence, she still led the team with seven goals last year. There was no need to hold her back before the Olympics as anyone involved with the USWNT already knew exactly what she would bring to the table, so letting her return to form through the NWSL was the right thing to do.
deeper
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I wrote after the friendly in December that the team’s victory was not “in a perfect way, but in a way that tells us about the direction and immediate future of the sport ahead of the Olympics”. These games are also relatively quiet, with low attendance and limited media coverage.
However, we are now in an Olympic year. It’s not quite the same as a World Cup year, where players still have a few months to escape the spotlight. When Emma Hayes arrives, all bets are off. For now, the Gold Cup could be important in getting the little things in order.
(Photo: Sam Hodder/Getty Images)
