NEW YORK – Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan will play of their fourth Women’s World Cup alongside quite a lot of new faces as United States head coach Vlatko Andonovski unveiled his squad on Wednesday forward of their bid for an unprecedented third consecutive title.
Nearly 20 years sit between the oldest and youngest gamers, with 18-year-old ahead Alyssa Thompson becoming a member of 37-year-old Rapinoe on the match beginning on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
“”We’ll do something doable to assist this workforce make historical past,” Andonovski told reporters. “We wish to do it for the gamers, we wish to do it for the workforce, we wish to do it for the neighborhood, we wish to do it for this nation.
“We want to do something that has never been done before.”
The top-ranked Americans are fielding one among their least skilled squads in latest reminiscence, with 14 of the 23 gamers going to their first World Cup, in comparison with 11 in 2019 and 7 in 2015.
Key defender Naomi Girma, 23, earned a spot after bursting on to the scene final 12 months and uncapped 25-year-old midfielder Savannah DeMelo was a shock inclusion amid a powerful National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season.
“Based on the needs that we have in terms of the opponents and different situations that we may face, we see (DeMelo) being very important for us going forward,” stated Andonovski, who led the workforce to Olympic bronze in Tokyo.
Up entrance, Andonovski has put his religion in 22-year-old NWSL MVP Sophia Smith and 21-year-old Trinity Rodman together with the 33-year-old Morgan.
“We believe in the quality of the team, we believe in the support that we have and we think that we have what it takes to make it possible,” stated Andonovski, who took the reins from Jill Ellis in 2019.
Five gamers, Rapinoe, Morgan, midfielder Julie Ertz, defender Kelley O’Hara and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher had been a part of the victorious US World Cup squads in 2015 and 2019.
‘Winning combo’
The four-times champions maintain a coveted place in American tradition as crusaders for gender equality and final 12 months resolved a prolonged dispute with their federation over equal pay on what the gamers described as a landmark day for the game.
U.S. President Joe Biden and first woman Jill Biden appeared in a celebrity-filled video unveiling the squad.
“From lifting trophies to fighting for gender equity, these women have been a source of inspiration to Americans of all ages – our family included,” Biden stated.
Pop star Taylor Swift introduced Morgan’s title whereas four-times NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal congratulated Rodman, and Mikaela Shiffrin, essentially the most profitable Alpine World Cup skier, cheered for her fellow Coloradoan Smith.
“Colorado kids and World Cups? That sounds like a winning combo to me,” stated Shiffrin.
Injury points
The squad will, nonetheless, journey to the match with out a number of key gamers resulting from accidents.
Leading scorer Mallory Swanson went down in April with a severe knee drawback, whereas captain Becky Sauerbrunn stated final week she would miss out resulting from harm and midfielders Catarina Macario and Sam Mewis had been additionally dominated out.
Andonovski stated Sauerbrunn would “always be our captain” as he decides on her alternative.
“We’re going to miss her on the field, we’re going to miss her off the field,” he stated.
Sam Mewis’s sister and fellow midfielder, Kristie Mewis, was included within the roster for her first World Cup at age 32. Her Gotham FC workforce mate, Lynn Williams, additionally made the lower for the worldwide showpiece match for the primary time at age 30.
The US start their World Cup marketing campaign on July 22 in opposition to Vietnam. They additionally play the Netherlands and Portugal in Group E.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)
Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Angel City FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais, FRA), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC) — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
