1/5
June 21 (UPI) — Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Trinity Rodman, the daughter of NBA icon Dennis Rodman, have been selected as part of the United States’ 23-player squad for the upcoming 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The highly anticipated tournament, involving 32 teams, is scheduled to take place from July 20 to August 20.
“Choosing a World Cup team is always a challenging task, but I am proud of the dedication and determination shown by the players throughout the selection process. Our coaching staff has worked tirelessly to assemble the strongest team possible,” said U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski in a press release.
“It is the players who have the greatest impact on our environment. They inspire each other to improve, and I am confident that as a group they are incredibly motivated to make our country proud at the World Cup.”
The roster includes experienced players such as goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defenders Crystal Dunn, Kelley O’Hara, and Emily Sonnett, and midfielders Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, and Rose Lavelle, who have all participated in previous World Cups.
Morgan, Rapinoe, and O’Hara will be making their fourth World Cup appearances, while Ertz and Naeher will be participating for the third time.
Joining them will be Trinity Rodman, as well as forwards Lynn Williams, Sophia Smith, and Alyssa Thompson, midfielders Savannah DeMelo, Kristie Mewis, Ashley Sanchez, and Andi Sullivan, defenders Alana Cook, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, and Sam Huerta, and goalkeepers Aubrey Kingsbury and Casey Murphy, all of whom will be making their World Cup debuts.
Rapinoe, who will turn 38 on July 5, is the oldest player on the roster, while Thompson, at 18 years old, is the youngest. Thompson, who was the first overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft for Angel City FC, is one of eight former top picks on the team, including Dunn (2014), Sonnett (2016), Lavelle (2017), Sullivan (2018), Smith (2020), Fox (2021), and Girma (2022). Rodman was the second overall pick in 2021.
“Each player has a unique journey to reach this point, so our roster consists of incredible stories and a great mix of veterans and younger players,” commented Andonovski.
The U.S. women’s team currently holds the top spot in the FIFA World rankings, followed by Germany, Sweden, England, and France. They have been placed in Group E alongside Vietnam (32nd in the rankings), Portugal (21st), and the Netherlands (9th) for the initial round of matches.
The American team, who have won the last two World Cup titles, will play a friendly against Wales on July 9 in San Jose, California at 4 p.m. EDT. Their first World Cup match will be against Vietnam on July 21 in Auckland, New Zealand at 9 p.m.
The final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup will take place on August 20 at Accor Stadium in Sydney, and the tournament will be broadcasted by Fox.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
