Interim US women’s national team manager Twila Kilgore has omitted World Cup winner Alex Morgan from her 26-player roster for the upcoming friendlies against China.
Morgan is among several veterans to be left out of the squad for the friendlies on 2 December and 5 December. Eleven players with 10 caps or fewer have been named to the roster as the US enters a new era after a disappointing performance at the 2023 World Cup.
Six players from the World Cup squad were left off the roster.
Sofia Huerta, Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Sanchez, Becky Sauerbrunn, Crystal Dunn, Andi Sullivan and Morgan all featured in the team’s friendlies last month but have been left out of the squad, with US Soccer looking to evaluate a new generation of players before next year’s Olympics. Thirteen of the players named in Monday’s squad were not involved at the World Cup.
The matches in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, and Frisco, Texas, will be the first since Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was named as the next national team coach. With Hayes not taking over the role until May, the squad was put together by US Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker. Hayes and Kilgore were consulted on the formulation of the squad.
“As we move forward with the next steps, we need more opportunities to see players from our pool in our unique national team environment, in both training and games, so we can evaluate if and how they might contribute moving forward to the Olympics,” said Kilgore.
Rose Lavelle is back in the USWNT fold for the first time since the World Cup. There are also returns for veteran defenders Tierna Davidson and Abby Dahlkemper.
Two uncapped players were named to the roster: Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Korbin Albert and NJ/NY Gotham midfielder Jenna Nighswonger. Nighswonger was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year after appearing in 20 games for the champions.
“We value these players who have recently been in camps or played in World Cup and were not chosen for this roster, and they are of course still a part of our pool, but we know what they bring on and off the field,” Kilgore said. “At the same time, we also need to continue to evaluate and bring along players in the right ways to give the team the best chance for success.”
The friendlies against China will be the USWNT’s final fixtures of 2023. China is the second-most common opponent in US history (after Canada). The teams have met on 58 occasions in the past.
Full USWNT squad for friendlies v China
Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell, Houston Dash; Aubrey Kingsbury, Washington Spirit; Casey Murphy, North Carolina Courage
Defenders: Alana Cook, OL Reign; Abby Dahlkemper, San Diego Wave FC; Tierna Davidson, Chicago Red Stars; Emily Fox, North Carolina Courage; Naomi Girma, San Diego Wave FC; Casey Krueger, Chicago Red Stars; MA Vignola, Angel City FC
Midfielders: Korbin Albert, Paris Saint-Germain; Sam Coffey, Portland Thorns FC; Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville FC; Lindsey Horan, Lyon; Rose Lavelle, OL Reign; Olivia Moultrie, Portland Thorns FC; Jenna Nighswonger, NJ/NY Gotham FC; Emily Sonnett, OL Reign
Forwards: Mia Fishel, Chelsea; Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit; Midge Purce, NJ/NY Gotham FC; Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit; Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave FC; Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns FC; Alyssa Thompson, Angel City FC; Lynn Williams, NJ/NY Gotham FC
