Also in today’s roundup, Canada announces 18-player roster ahead of friendly against France
Kelley O’Hara is ruled out for the upcoming USWNT friendlies against Mexico due to injury (graphic courtesy of Utah Royals FC)
Yesterday, U.S. Soccer announced that defender Kelley O’Hara has been ruled out of the USWNT roster for the upcoming friendlies against Mexico due to a hamstring injury. The USWNT is set to take on Mexico on Thursday, April 5 in Jacksonville, FL and Sunday, April 8 in Houston, TX.
To replace O’Hara, Ellis has added two players, Tegan McGrady and Haley Hanson, to the training camp roster. With this call from Ellis, both McGrady and Hanson are receiving their first senior WNT call ups.
McGrady, a rising senior and outside back at Stanford, has played with youth national teams at the U-17, U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels for U.S. Soccer. She started all three matches for the U-23s in the Thorns Spring Invitational this past NWSL preseason.
Hanson, an NWSL rookie with the Houston Dash, has played all 90 minutes in the Dash’s first two NWSL game this season. Hanson played with the U-23 WNT at the end of 2017 and at the start of 2018. She was drafted by Houston as the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NWSL College Draft out of Nebraska.
Out of the 23 players Ellis has in camp ahead of the friendlies, she will name 18 players to the game day roster.
Full training camp roster by position below.
Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders (7): Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage), Tierna Davidson (Stanford), Sofia Huerta (Chicago Red Stars), Hailie Mace (UCLA), Tegan McGrady (Stanford) Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC), Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC)
Midfielders (6): Morgan Brian (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Haley Hanson (Houston Dash), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Allie Long (Seattle Reign FC), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Forwards (7): Crystal Dunn (NC Courage), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit); Savannah McCaskill (Sky Blue FC), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Mallory Pugh (Washington Spirit), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC), Lynn Williams (NC Courage)
Heiner-Møller announces 18 player roster ahead of France friendly
Jessie Fleming, Deanne Rose, and Sophie Schmidt (right to left) were all named to Canada’s roster ahead of international friendly against France (photo courtesy Canada Soccer Association)
Canada Soccer has announced their roster for their upcoming match against France on April 9 at Roazhan Park in France. This will be an important test for Canada, who currently holds fourth position in FIFA’s first 2018 world rankings, as they take on the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosts who currently sit in the fifth position in the rankings.
The 18-player roster named by head coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller represents the large majority of the team that represented Canada at the 2018 Algarve Cup.
“France is definitely on their way up with some young players well engrained into the team and strong veteran players, so they are planning for the FIFA Women’s World Cup they will be hosting next year and they are in good shape,” said Heiner-Møller in Canada Soccer’s official release. “We feel this will be a very equal match and we are looking forward to getting to France and having a number of days to prepare for it.”
Despite familiar faces found with the veterans on the roster in the likes of Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson, Heiner-Møller is looking forward to continuing to bring in youth players into camp as well including NCAA players as well as amateur players.
“All the players we are bringing to France performed very well in Portugal, so again we are bringing in four teenagers in Deanne Rose, Jessie Fleming, Jordyn Huitema and Julia Grosso,” he said. “It’s been very uplifting to see how the young players in our EXCEL Program have been able to integrate themselves in this squad, especially from a structural perspective. Young players coming in can now step into a position on the Women’s national team because the positions are managed the same way through our youth program. The benefit of having that system in place is made obvious when you look at how well players like Huitema and Grosso have transitioned into the Women’s national team.”
The next test for the Canada WNT will take place on June 10 where Canada will host Germany at home in Hamilton, Ontario.
Full roster by position below.
Goalkeepers (2): Stephanie Labbe (unattached), Erin McLeod (FC Rosengard, SWE)
Defenders (6): Lindsay Agnew (Houston Dash), Allysha Chapman (North Carolina Courage), Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint German, FRA), Shelina Zadorsky (Orlando Pride), Kadeisha Buchanan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Rebecca Quinn (Washington Spirit)
Midfielders (5): Desiree Scott (Utah Royals FC), Sophie Schmidt (FFC Frankfurt, GER), Jessie Fleming (UCLA), Diana Matheson (Utah Royals FC), Julia Grosso (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite)
Forwards (5): Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns), Deanne Rose (University of Florida), Janine Beckie (Sky Blue FC), Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash), Jordyn Huitema (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite).
