United States national team head coach Pia Sundhage on Sunday named the roster of the 18-players she will take to the Olympics in roster this summer. Word came just hours before the start of the United States’ game against China at PPL Park in Chester, Penn.
Most of the roster was predictable given how many of these players are veterans; 11 of the 18 players participated in the Beijing Games. The defensive unit was the most unpredictable of the bunch and
Sunday’s roster for the match against China is the exact same as the one which will head to London, except for one change: Meghan Klingenberg will suit up on tonight for the U.S. and give Tobin Heath a rest. Heath has been nursing a sprained ankle and trained only lightly on Saturday.
Four alternates were also named: Midfielder Lori Lindsey, goalkeeper Jill Loyden, forward Christen Press and Klingenberg. Those four players will travel with the team for the two-week training camp in Sweden in mid-June, which features matches against Sweden on June 16 and against Japan on June 18.
Here is the full U.S. Olympic roster:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart, Hope Solo
DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Kelley O’Hara, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn
MIDFIELDERS (6): Shannon Boxx, Lauren Cheney, Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Heather O’Reilly, Megan Rapinoe
FORWARDS (4): Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach
Of note:
- Christie Rampone will become the first U.S. player to appear in four Olympics when she steps foot on the field in Great Britain this summer.
- Sydney Leroux is the only player on the roster who did not participate in the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
- Christen Press is an alternate despite never appearing for the U.S. at the senior level. She does, however, play club soccer in Sweden for Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, so that may have factored into the decision since the U.S. will train in Sweden.
- Klingenberg has only played 22 minutes for the U.S. over two games in 2011.
- Stephanie Cox, Ali Krieger, Lindsey and Loyden are the four player left off the Olympic roster who participated in the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
