Chicago, Illinois (May 2, 2019) — The time has come for U.S. Soccer fans all around. Jill Ellis has released the 23 players that are booking their trip to France for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
There are some surprises, but the list is essentially a familiar look. Ellis has surprisingly added Ali Krieger and Morgan Brian to the roster. For a while, it looked like Krieger was permanently out of the U.S. Women’s National Team picture. Her last roster call up was this past April. However, before that, Krieger hadn’t been called into camp for almost two years.
USWNT: Jill Ellis releases 23-player FIFA Women’s World Cup roster
One month, Ellis went from saying that she had no plans to bringing Krieger back to then mentioning that the defender was never off her radar.
However, Krieger isn’t the only surprise selection. Morgan Brian has been in and out of the national team for a while. After a few successful seasons with the Houston Dash, Brian went to France and elected to feature for Lyon. However, she spent most of her time injured in France and failed to find minutes.
She returned to the United States, but headed up north to Chicago. With the Red Stars, Brian has made 10 appearances, but has yet to find the back of the net. Allie Long is another surprise selection.
Both players made the final roster over North Carolina Courage midfielder McCall Zerboni. Zerboni, who is 32-years-old, could potentially be seeing her last World Cup cycle. Another player that was passed up for the World Cup roster is Casey Short.
Meanwhile, injured players making their return for the World Cup include Kelley O’Hara and Rose Lavelle. Both are looking to be starters and make an impact in France this summer.
The United States has a fairly simple group stage, with contests against Thailand and Chile. However, their biggest competition is Sweden, whom they will face on June 20. The USWNT goes into the tournament hoping to defend their 2015 title, which they won over Japan.
First-time World Cup bound players include goalkeeper Adrianna Franch; defenders Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn and Emily Sonnett; midfielders Lindsey Horan, Allie Long, Rose Lavelle and Samantha Mewis; and forwards Jessica McDonald and Mallory Pugh.
Ellis Exclusive ??????
The @USWNT coach talks all things #FIFAWWC with France 2019 just 44 days away.#DareToShine | @FIFAWWC_USA
— FIFA Women's World Cup ?? (@FIFAWWC) April 24, 2019
The Full USWNT Roster
Goalkeepers: Adrianna Franch, Ashlyn Harris, Alyssa Naeher
Defenders: Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett
Midfielders: Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Allie Long, Samantha Mewis
Forwards: Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Jessica McDonald, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe