Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath are among 29 players called up by women’s national soccer team
Coach Jill Ellis has called 29 players into the first women’s national soccer team training camp of 2017, to be held Jan. 13-23 at the StubHub Center.
The roster is topped by Carli Lloyd, a world player of the year candidate; midfielders Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Morgan Brian; forwards Crystal Dunn and Lynn Williams, the last two MVPs in the National Women’s Soccer League; and defenders Julie Johnston and Becky Sauerbrunn.
Forward Amy Rodriguez, a World Cup champion who missed last year while on maternity leave, was also recalled along with Christen Press and former UCLA standout Samantha Mewis. Missing is forward Mallory Pugh and defender Meghan Klingenberg, who are both nursing injuries.
Alex Morgan, meanwhile, will join the roster midway through the camp.
The camp will not be open to the public.
“The players have had a good break since our last games in November, and I know everyone is anxious to get back to work,” Ellis, a finalist for the FIFA coach of the year award, said in a statement. “January camp has always been valuable to set the tone for the upcoming year and it will be good for the players to get back on the field. For the staff, evaluation and performance remain the focal points during camp as we begin a build up to the SheBelieves Cup.”
That tournament, to be played on the East Coast in March, will feature four of the world’s top-five ranked teams in the U.S., Germany, France and England.
The U.S. women were unbeaten last year, going 22-0-3. But they were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Rio Olympics, falling to Sweden in penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 draw. That marked the first time the U.S. failed to reach the gold-medal game in an Olympic tournament.
The camp will go forward despite the fact the union representing the national team players continues to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the U.S. Soccer. The prior CBA expired last year.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Stanford), Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders: Jaelene Hinkle (Western New York Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars), Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC)
Midfielders: Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Kristen Edmonds (Orlando Pride), Christina Gibbons (Duke), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle (Wisconsin), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), Allie Long (Portland Thorns FC), Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC), Taylor Smith (Western New York Flash)
Defenders: Crystal Dunn (Chelsea Ladies FC), Jessica McDonald (Western New York Flash), Alex Morgan (Olympique Lyonnais), Kealia Ohai (Houston Dash), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City), Lynn Williams (Western New York Flash)
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