Hope Solo, Ali Krieger, Carli Lloyd, and Abby Wambach headline a powerful roster that may head to Winnipeg to face the Canadian ladies’s crew for a global pleasant.
BY
John D. Halloran
Posted
Might 04, 2014
8:45 PM
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LAST WEEK UNITED STATES ladies’s nationwide crew interim coach Jill Ellis named a 22-player roster for the crew’s upcoming pleasant towards Canada. The sport can be performed on Might 8 in Winnipeg at 8 p.m. ET.
After the firing final month of former head coach Tom Sermanni, that is the primary roster chosen by Ellis in her tenure as interim coach. Right here’s the total squad.
GOALKEEPERS: Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), Jill Loyden (Sky Blue FC), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
DEFENDERS: Stephanie Cox (Seattle Reign FC), Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Whitney Engen (Tyresö), Meghan Klingenberg (Tyresö), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Nikki Marshall (Portland Thorns FC), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas Metropolis)
MIDFIELDERS: Morgan Brian (Virginia), Lauren Vacation (FC Kansas Metropolis), Julie Johnston (Chicago Pink Stars), Carli Lloyd (WNY Flash), Allie Lengthy (Portland Thorns FC), Heather O’Reilly (Boston Breakers)
FORWARDS: Sydney Leroux (Seattle Reign FC), Christen Press (Tyresö), Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas Metropolis), Abby Wambach (WNY Flash)
…and this is a fast take a look at the roster’s ins and outs of this crew.
The Usuals
As one would totally count on, goalkeeper Hope Solo was named to the crew, in addition to defenders Crystal Dunn (coming back from harm), Whitney Engen, Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Christine Rampone, and Becky Sauerbrunn.
Midfielder regulars Morgan Brian, Carli Lloyd, Lauren Vacation, and Heather O’Reilly additionally be part of the crew, together with forwards Sydney Leroux, Christen Press, and Abby Wambach.
Press, together with Engen and Meghan Klingenberg, are coming back from Sweden solely days after their membership, Tyreso, certified for the Champions League remaining with a 3-0 win over Birmingham Metropolis within the semifinals.
On the Coach’s Desk
A number of gamers are unavailable for the sport on account of harm, together with Alex Morgan (stress response), Kristie Mewis (ankle), Megan Rapinoe (foot), and Rachel Van Hollebeke (ankle).
The Fringe Gamers
Among the many gamers known as in who’re probably nonetheless in a battle for a spot on the U.S.’s World Cup qualifying roster this fall are: goalkeepers Ashlyn Harris and Jill Loyden; defenders Stephanie Cox and Meghan Klingenberg; midfielder Julie Johnston; and ahead Amy Rodriguez.
Harris and Loyden will probably be in a battle with a number of different keepers for the 2 backup spots behind Solo whereas Cox and Klingenberg are anticipated to be in a battle with one another, in addition to Mewis, for the final spot at outdoors again.
Johnston was the U.S.’s U-20 captain on the 2012 World Cup (the U.S. gained that match) and has gotten off to a stable begin within the NWSL with the Chicago Pink Stars, however remains to be thought of to be an extended shot to make the ultimate World Cup qualifying roster. Rodriguez has additionally gotten off to a scorching begin in NWSL, however will nonetheless probably fall to fifth on the ahead depth chart as soon as Morgan returns from harm.
The place are they?
There have been 5 notable absences from the roster, together with Tobin Heath, Erika Tymrak, Amber Brooks, Yael Averbuch, and Nicole Barnhart.
Brooks, Averbuch and Tymrak had been all seemingly falling out of favor throughout the finish of Sermanni’s reign, a development that looks as if it’s going to proceed with Ellis now in cost. Barnhart’s exclusion is a little bit of a shock as she’s been Solo’s typical backup, however she was additionally unnoticed of the U.S.’s final camp. Heath remains to be at Paris Saint-Germain till the top of their season.
Newbies
The 2 newbies named by Ellis are Portland Thorns midfielder Allie Lengthy and, additionally from the Thorns, defender Nikki Marshall. Each Lengthy and Marshall have represented the U.S. on the U-20 and U-23 stage and Lengthy was as soon as known as up below former coach Pia Sundhage, however not capped.
Implications
One attention-grabbing merchandise of word from the roster is the inclusion of solely six midfielders. This can be a sign that Ellis plans on persevering with to play the 4-3-3 that the crew lately launched in its friendlies towards China in April.
John D. Halloran is an American Soccer Now columnist. Observe him on Twitter.
