SAN JOSE, Calif. –
U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis has named 24 players to the roster ahead of the Nov. 10 match against Romania at Avaya Stadium. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPN2.
Ellis named 11 uncapped players to the USA’s roster for the matches against Switzerland earlier this month and six of those earned first caps, with two players, forwards Lynn Williams and Kealia Ohai, scoring their first goals. Of those six players, five return to this roster: Williams, Ohai, defender Casey Short, defender Abby Dahlkemper and midfielder Andi Sullivan. Two uncapped players have been called up in goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, who has been in with the U.S. team for several camps over the last few years, and first time call-up midfielder Kristen Edmonds, who enjoyed a fine NWSL season with the Orlando Pride while leading the team in scoring with six goals. Defender Jaelene Hinkle of the NWSL champion Western New York Flash, who has earned eight caps over the past two years, was also named to the roster.
In addition, five veterans of the 2015 Women’s World Cup Team and 2016 Olympic Team, who were not called in for the games against the Swiss return to the roster: defenders Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg and Ali Krieger, midfielder Megan Rapinoe and forward Alex Morgan.
“Our last training camp and games with Switzerland were extremely positive in regards to giving new players a chance to perform, continuing the process of deepening the player pool and fostering competition within the squad," said Ellis. “With this dynamic mix of players, we are looking forward to the environment and to finishing off the year on a winning note.”
Tickets for the match at Avaya Stadium can be purchased
online
, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Bay Area. Tickets will not be sold at Avaya Stadium except on the day of the event.
U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (3):
Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS (8):
Abby Dahlkemper (Western New York Flash), Jaelene Hinkle (Western New York Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars)
MIDFIELDERS (8):
Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Kristen Edmonds (Orlando Pride), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Allie Long (Portland Thorns FC), Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign), Andi Sullivan (Stanford)
FORWARDS (5):
Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Kealia Ohai (Houston Dash), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Lynn Williams (Western New York Flash)
Additional Notes:
- The USA is 20-0-3 in 2016 and will try to remain unbeaten in regulation for just the third time in a calendar year in which it has played 10 or more matches. The USA went 18-0-4 in 2006 and 13-0-3 in 2013. The penalty kick loss to Sweden in the Olympics officially counts as a tie.
- Seven different players scored the USA’s nine goals in the two matches against Switzerland.
- Fourteen different players have scored for the team in 2016.
- Andi Sullivan, currently a junior at Stanford, is the only collegiate player in camp. She played for the USA in the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
- 2016 NWSL Golden Boot winner Lynn Williams scored 11 times for the Western New York Flash last season, plus two more in her club’s playoff semifinal victory over the Portland Thorns and the dramatic equalizer in overtime of the championship game before her team triumphed in penalty kicks. She set a record for fastest goal in a WNT debut when she scored 49 seconds after coming on at halftime against Switzerland on Oct. 19. The record would last just four days.
- Houston Dash forward Kealia Ohai, who also scored 11 goals during the regular season, did Williams one second better, scoring 48 seconds into her debut on Oct. 23 after coming on as a substitute against Switzerland in the 81st minute. She also famously scored the game-winning goal in the 2012 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Final as the USA defeated Germany, 1-0, to win its third championship for that age level.
- Fourteen of the 18 players that were on the 2016 Olympic Team were named to this roster, plus two of the four alternates.
- U.S. captain Carli Lloyd will not be on the roster for these games as she is getting married in November.
- Alex Morgan comes into the camp with 71 career goals and needs four more to tie Cindy Parlow for seventh on the USA’s all-time goal scoring list.
- Former U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team captain Abby Dahlkemper came off the bench in both matches against Switzerland to earn her first two caps.
- Chicago Red Stars defender Casey Short started both matches against Switzerland, one at outside midfield and one at outside back, to earn her first two caps. She played 90 minutes in both games.
- First-time call-up Kristen Edmonds played professionally in Iceland and Russia after a college career at Rutgers.
- The friendly will mark the first match between the USA and Romania in women’s soccer. Romania is the 51st different country the U.S. Women have played in their history.
- Romania, currently 36th in the FIFA rankings, finished second behind France in Group 3 of qualifying for the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro, earning a spot in the playoffs against Portugal for the final berth to the 16-nation tournament being held in the Netherlands. Romania barely missed out on being one of the six best group runners-up, and thus qualifying directly for the final tournament. Russia edged Romania for the sixth spot by just one more goal scored.
- In the playoffs, Portugal and Romania drew 0-0 in the first leg in Portugal, but a 1-1 draw in Romania gave Portugal the final berth to the Euros next summer on away goals.
- The match will mark the USA’s eighth visit to San Jose, but just the second visit to Avaya Stadium, home of the San Jose Earthquakes. The USA’s previous six matches in San Jose were all at historic Spartan Stadium.
- The USA last played at Avaya Stadium on Mother’s Day in 2015, a 3-0 win vs. the Republic of Ireland.
- The U.S. Women have never lost in San Jose, going 7-0-0 while scoring 28 goals and allowing one.
About Avaya Stadium
Avaya Stadium, home of the San Jose Earthquakes, is an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium located on Coleman Ave. adjacent to the San Jose International Airport. The European-inspired building is the first cloud-enabled venue in Major League Soccer and is among the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world. The stadium features a canopy roof and the steepest-raked seating in MLS to provide the best possible fan experience. Additionally, the north end zone houses the largest outdoor bar in North America, a two-acre fan zone and a double-sided video scoreboard. The suites and club seats are located at field level, giving fans a premium experience unlike any other in professional sports. The stadium has hosted numerous non-Major League Soccer events since its inaugural season in 2015, including the International Champions Cup, which featured Manchester United and Club America, a Send-Off Series match for the United States Women¹s National Team ahead of the 2015 FIFA Women¹s World Cup, the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup and the 2016 Major League Soccer All-Star Game against Arsenal FC. For more information about Avaya Stadium, visit
sjearthquakes.com
.
