The United States women’s national team will kick off the new year with a familiar roster at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
Interim coach Twila Kilgore has called in a 23-player roster, which includes 21 players from the USWNT’s December camp.
Also, Mallory Swanson, who finished last season as the team’s leading goal scorer, despite suffering a left knee injury in April, will join as a training player.
Southern California natives Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC) and Angel City FC’s Gisele Thompson will also join camp as a training players.
Mia Fishel (UCLA, San Diego), Jenna Nighswonger (Huntington Beach), Trinity Rodman (Laguna Niguel) and Abby Dahlkemper (UCLA) are other Southern California products called into camp.
Missing are the familiar names like Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn, as well as Kristie Mewis, Andi Sullivan, Ashley Sanchez, Kelley O’Hara and Sofia Huerta, who all made the FIFA World Cup team.
Alyssa Thompson is also missing, due to a back injury, according to Kilgore.
“She’s got a minor back injury right now,” Kilgore said. “She’s well on her course but isn’t quite into full training yet and just wasn’t quite ready for this and out of an abundance of care and caution, she was not able to come in.”
The USWNT will play all three of their group stage games at Dignity Health Sports Park, starting Feb. 20 against either Guyana or Dominican Republic. Three days later, USWNT will face Argentina and then Mexico, Feb. 26.
All games will start at 7:15 p.m.
The top two finishers in each of the three groups, along with the two best third-place teams, will advance to the knockout stage. The quarterfinals will be played March 2 and 3 at BMO Stadium and the semifinals and final will be March 6 and 10 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
This tournament kicks off an important 2024, with the Olympics on the horizon and soon, new coach Emma Hayes taking over full time.
“Things that happen in the Gold Cup will matter in terms…
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