The United States women’s national team will kick off the new year with a familiar roster at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
Interim coach Twila Kilgore has called in a 23-player roster, which includes 21 players from the USWNT’s December camp.
Also, Mallory Swanson, who finished last season as the team’s leading goal scorer, despite suffering a left knee injury in April, will join as a training player.
Southern California natives Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC) and Angel City FC’s Gisele Thompson will also join the camp as training players.
Mia Fishel (UCLA, San Diego), Jenna Nighswonger (Huntington Beach), Trinity Rodman (Laguna Niguel) and Abby Dahlkemper (UCLA) are other Southern California products called into camp.
Missing are the familiar names like Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn, as well as Kristie Mewis, Andi Sullivan, Ashley Sanchez, Kelley O’Hara and Sofia Huerta, who all made the FIFA World Cup team.
Alyssa Thompson is also missing, due to a back injury, according to Kilgore.
“She’s got a minor back injury right now,” Kilgore said. “She’s well on her course but isn’t quite into full training yet and just wasn’t quite ready for this and out of an abundance of care and caution, she was not able to come in.”
The USWNT will play all three of its group stage games at Dignity Health Sports Park, starting Feb. 20 against either Guyana or the Dominican Republic. Three days later, the Americans will face Argentina and then Mexico, on Feb. 26.
All games will start at 7:15 p.m.
The top two finishers in each of the three groups, along with the two best third-place teams, will advance to the knockout stage. The quarterfinals will be played March 2 and 3 at BMO Stadium and the semifinals and final will be March 6 and 10 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
This tournament kicks off an important 2024, with the Olympics on the horizon and soon, new coach Emma Hayes taking over full time.
“Things that happen in the Gold Cup will matter in terms of the future and everything that is happening outside of the Gold Cup will matter in the future,” Kilgore said. “We recognize there are multiple players that aren’t going to be in the environment that we are still looking at, that are still very much in the mix.”
USWNT CONCACAF W GOLD CUP ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS: Alana Cook (Seattle Reign FC), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
FORWARDS: Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
