Olivia Moultrie among young prospects named to USWNT roster

CHICAGO – U.S. Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore has named a 27-player training camp roster for the two October home friendly matches against Colombia.

The USA will face Las Cafeteras on Oct. 26 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah (9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT on TBS, Universo and Peacock) and Oct. 29 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego (5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT on TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and FDP Radio). Both matches, as well as pre and postgame coverage, will be available for English language streaming on Max.

Twenty-four of the players who were in camp for the September friendlies return for the October matches with veteran Becky Sauerbrunn, who missed the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup due to a foot injury, and forward Sophia Smith, who has returned from a knee injury suffered during NWSL play, both coming back to the USWNT roster.

The roster includes two uncapped 18-year-olds in U.S. Under-20 WYNT forward Jaedyn Shaw of the San Diego Wave and midfielder Olivia Moultrie from Portland Thorns FC. This is the first senior call-up for Moultrie and the second for Shaw, who trained with the USA during the September friendlies but did not see game action. Both played for the USA at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica and are age-eligible for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will be played in Colombia.

“I was very impressed and pleased with the focus, energy and dedication of the players to prepare for the two games against South Africa in September and I’m expecting the same for this camp, even if we’ll only have a few training days together,” said Kilgore. “Once again, this roster is a mix of the players from the World Cup team who are fit to play international minutes, players trying to establish themselves in the environment and players who are taking a next step in their growth through this experience with the senior National Team. All of these players are excited for the future and for these two tough tests against Colombia, which is a team we might see in the Olympics next year.”

U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS) – OCTOBER FRIENDLIES VS. COLOMBIA

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 15), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 96)

DEFENDERS (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 27/1), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 138/24), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 35/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 22/0), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign; 31/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 40/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 216/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 79/2), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC; 1/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 4/0), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 4/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 135/29), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 26/3), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 51/3)

FORWARDS (9): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG; 1/0), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 20/5), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC; 213/121), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 24/4), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 24/6), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 0/0), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 34/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 7/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 57/17)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Twenty-five of the 27 players called in for this camp compete domestically in the NWSL with Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA) and Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG) the only players currently with clubs outside the USA.
• Fishel earned her first senior team cap on Sept. 24 vs. South Africa in Chicago, Ill. while defender M.A. Vignola, who returns for her second USWNT call-up, made her international debut three days prior in Cincinnati.
• With the call-up of Olivia Moultrie, that makes three players in this training camp who played at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, along with Jaedyn Shaw and Alyssa Thompson.
• Moultrie, Shaw and Thompson were all on the team that won the 2018 Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship in Bradenton, Florida.
• Nine different NWSL clubs are represented on this roster, led by five players from the Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns FC. OL Reign and the San Diego Wave FC have three players each.
• Of the 27 players on the roster, 17 will be competing in the 2023 NWSL Playoffs.
• While the USWNT has played eight matches in San Diego during its history, this will be the first at recently opened Snapdragon Stadium, home to San Diego Wave FC of the National Women’s Soccer League, which replaced the now-demolished former NFL stadium that hosted the USA four times.
• The last USWNT match at America First Field in Sandy, Utah was also against Colombia, a 2-0 win for the Americans on June 28, 2022.
• Sixteen players on this roster were a part of the squad that took on Colombia in the June 2022 matches prior to the 2022 Concacaf W Championship. Sophia Smith had a match to remember, scoring twice in the USA’s 3-0 win over Colombia in the first of the two matches on June 25 in front of a hometown crowd in Commerce City, Colorado.
• Five players on this roster earned their first cap with the USWNT in Sandy, Utah: Alex Morgan, Ashley Hatch, Casey Krueger, Andi Sullivan and Lynn Williams. Morgan made her debut on a memorable – and snowy – match against Mexico on March 31, 2010, while Hatch, Krueger, Sullivan and Williams all debuted on October 19, 2016, in the USA’s 4-0 win over Switzerland.
• The match will be a homecoming of sorts for Hatch, who not only earned her first cap in Sandy, but also played her college soccer at nearby BYU in Provo.
• Colombia is coming off a stellar performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup where it won Group H on the heels of a monumental result against Germany, beating the two-time Women’s World Cup champions, 2-1, on a late header goal from Manuela Vanegas. Colombia then beat Jamaica, 1-0, to win its first-ever knockout match at a Women’s World Cup before falling to Women’s World Cup runners-up England, 2-1, in the quarterfinal.
• Like the USA, Colombia has already qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France and both teams will be using these games as early preparation for that tournament. Of the 12 teams participating in the Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament, just five have qualified thus far: host France, the USA, Brazil, Colombia and Canada.