The US Women's National Team (USWNT) roster for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup won't be official until May 24. That is the deadline for nations to s
The US Women’s National Team (USWNT) roster for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup won’t be official until May 24. That is the deadline for nations to submit their final rosters to FIFA. Jill Ellis and US Soccer, however, have released the USA’s roster for the FIFA Women’s World Cup that begins next month in France. Barring last-minute injuries or unforeseen circumstances, here are the 23 players who will be battling the world to win the USA’s forth Women’s World Cup.
Twelve players from the 2015 World Cup Championship team have been named to the roster:
Fowards:
- Tobin Heath. Heath has appeared in ten Women’s World Cup matches.
- Carli Lloyd. Lloyd will be playing in her fourth World Cup.
- Alex Morgan. Morgan will captain the team along with Rapinoe and Lloyd.
- Christen Press. SoCal’s own, Press will look to bring depth to the US top line.
- Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe will be playing in her third World Cup
Midfielders:
- Morgan Brian. “Mo” will be playing in her second World Cup and was the youngest player on the 2015 roster (then 22).
- Julie Ertz. While at Santa Clara University, Ertz (then Julie Johnston) helped the US win the U-20 World Cup in 2012.
Defenders:
- Ali Krieger. Krieger will lead the US back line, bringing the experience of her 13 World Cup appearances (second only to Lloyd’s 18).
- Kelley O’Hara. O’Hara will be appearing her her third World Cup.
- Becky Sauerbrunn. Sauerbrunn is likely to start on the back line alongside Krieger and O’Hara, all three appearing in their third World Cups.
Goalkeepers:
- Ashlyn Harris. Harris, fiancé of defender Ali Keieger, and Naeher will be ushering in a new post-Solo era for US Women’s World Cup soccer.
- Alyssa Naeher. While playing for the Penn State Nittany Lions, Naeher was part of the US roster that won the 2008 U-20 World Cup.
Women’s World Cup Debutantes
Ellis’s roster includes eleven players making their Women’s World Cup debuts:
Forwards:
- Jessica McDonald. “J Mac” is the only “Soccer Mom” on the roster. McDonald, the NWSL all-time scoring leader, has a seven-year-old son.
- Mallory Pugh. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Pugh become the youngest American player (17 at the time) to score a goal in the Olympics.
Midfielders:
- Lindsey Horan. In 2012, Horan passed up her full-ride to the University of North Carolina to join Paris Saint Germain FC. While at PSG, she scored 46 goals in 58 appearances.
- Rose Lavelle. Lavelle was the number one draft pick at the 2017 NWSL draft after playing college soccer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Allie Long. At 31 years old, Long is making her World Cup debut along with fellow 31-year-old McDonald.
- Samantha Mewis. Mewis was on the US team that won the U-20 World Cup in 2012. She is also the favorite player of San Diego’s own Sophia Vivar.
Defenders:
- Abby Dahlkemper. UCLA won their first-ever NCAA Women’s Soccer championship in 2013 with Dahlkemper leading the back line.
- Tierna Davidson. Davidson is a fellow NCAA champion along with Dahlkemper. Davidson’s Stanford Cardinal won the Women’s Soccer championship in 2017. She is also the youngest player on the US roster (20).
- Crystal Dunn. The 5’1″ Dunn helped the US win the U-20 World Cup in 2012.
- Emily Sonnett. Before becoming a defender for the USA, Sonnett was a goal-scoring machine. During her high school career at Fellowship Christian School, she scored 113 goals.
Goalkeeper:
- Adrianna Franch. Although this will be Franch’s first World Cup, she has been part of US camps and tournaments since 2009. She was also named the 2018 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year playing for the Portland Thorns.
Few Surprises, Lots of Anticipation
Unlike Jurgen Klinsman’s epic 2014 snub of Landon Donovan, Ellis’s World Cup roster came with few surprises. The average player age is 28 — the same average as the 2015 championship roster. The only surprising absence, and it would only be surprising to a fan who has been living under a rock, would be Sydney Leroux. Leroux and her husband, Dom Dwyer, are expecting their second child later this year.
