U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced the 23-player roster that will represent the United States in Australia and New Zealand this summer at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
The roster features six forwards, seven midfielders, seven defenders, and three goalkeepers, with plenty of new and returning players.
Alex Morgan (Forward), Megan Rapinoe (Forward), and Kelley O'Hara (Defender) are all returning for their fourth Women's World Cup.
The full roster can be viewed below:
For people who like lists 📝#USWNT x @allstate pic.twitter.com/2dgYGsHG9D
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 21, 2023
Some key other returning players to note are Rose Lavelle (Midfielder), Julie Ertz (Midfielder), and Crystal Dunn (Defender). This is Lavelle's second Women's World Cup. Lavelle is known for her incredible footwork and ability to score goals.
Both Dunn and Ertz recently gave birth and have worked to balance motherhood and being professional athletes.
Quite a few players were unavailable due to injury. Forward Mallory Swanson suffered a torn patella tendon in a game earlier this year. Defender Abby Dahlkemper is out on a back injury and Defender and Captain Becky Sauerbrunn is out on a foot injury.
This left plenty of room in the roster for some new kids. Sophia Smith (Forward), Trinity Rodman (Forward), Lynn Williams (Forward) and Sofia Huerta (Defender) will all help provide some much needed depth to the team. All four players are making their Women's World Cup debut in July, but they have already begun to make a name for themselves in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
The USWNT will attempt to three-peat at the Women's World Cup. The team made it to the final in 2011 and was the champion in both 2015 and 2019. Both titles were won under then-head coach Jill Ellis. Now the current USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski will lead this team to the Cup and hope to defend the title.
With the Women's World Cup less than one month away, the deadline for teams to submit their final squads to FIFA is July 9. That is when the roster will become official.
The Women's World Cup kicks off on July 20 in both New Zealand and Australia. The USWNT play their first match on July 21 against Vietnam.
