U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis has named 25 players to participate in training camp prior to two matches against Japan in June.
The group of 25 players will get together on May 27, before Ellis will cut down the roster to 18 for each match. Fifteen of the 25 players names were on the Women’s World Cup championship roster in 2015.
“We are going with a slightly larger roster for this camp than the last few, so internally we can play in more 11v11 training scenarios,” Ellis said in a press release. “My staff and I have been watching the league play, and now we get to evaluate them back together. Both environments are important.”
Among those who made the camp are stars Hope Solo, Julie Johnston, Kelley O’Hara, Christie Rampone, Tobin Heath and Alex Morgan. Solo comes in with 98 shutouts in her career and could reach 100 during this two-match trip. She would be the first U.S. player to do reach that mark. Rampone will make her return to the U.S. lineup after injuring her knee in last year’s World Cup Victory Tour. She has fully recovered from surgery.
Twenty-four of the 25 players have been with the team in 2016. Gina Lewandowski, who plays in the Women’s Bundesliga in Germany for FC Bayern Munich, earns her second call up to the squad.
The U.S. and Japan have met in the last three world championship finals — 2011 and 2015 World Cup and 2012 Olympics.
The USWNT will first take on Japan with a June 2 meeting at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. (7 p.m. MT on FS1) and then the two teams will play in Cleveland for the second leg of the two-game series on June 5 at FirstEnergy Stadium (12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2).
Here is a breakdown of the roster by position:
Goalkeepers (4): Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
Defenders (10): Whitney Engen (Boston Breakers), Jaelene Hinkle (Western New York Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Gina Lewandowski (FC Bayern Munich), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC)
Midfielders (7): Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle (Wisconsin), Allie Long (Portland Thorns FC), Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash), Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City)
Forwards (4): Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Mallory Pugh (Real Colorado)
Bless Rampone’s heart…still giving it a go.
Any word on if the memo to not be involved in: domestic violence issues, drunk driving issues or driving a car into a building and leaving the scene issues was distributed before these matches?
Haters gonna hate
Those sound like requirements.
Its been a long time since I’ve seen a U. S. Roster heading for a big Match(es) without Megan Rapino or Carli Lloyd. Japan was the dominant team statistically in the Asia Olympic Qualifying,
but appeared to have amazingly bad luck in the tie & 2 loses that put them 3rd. They will come
to these 2 matches with something to prove. Anyone looking good against Japan will most
likely win theirselves a trip to Rio. Midfield will be the key here!!
w/o Lloyd vs the next best team in the world – how will they look? leaves a big opening in the middle of the field, lots of good winger or holding mid types on this roster but no #10.