Rose Lavelle, Croix Bethune's returns highlight USWNT roster for upcoming friendlies
Slowly but surely, Emma Hayes is getting more of her players back in camp. During the last FIFA window in May, Naomi Girma returned to the U.S. women's national team after recovering from injury.
This time, it's Rose Lavelle. The midfielder, who underwent ankle surgery last December, has been named to the USWNT roster for the first time in six months.
Lavelle is one of 25 players that Hayes called up for the latest training camp, which includes three matches: two against the Republic of Ireland on June 26 (at DICK's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado) and June 29 (at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio); and then against Canada on July 2 (at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.).
The squad also features 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune, who has not played for the U.S. since the Paris Olympics last summer while recovering from knee surgery. Forward Yazmeen Ryan is on the roster as well after not being available in the last window due to injury.
Aside from Girma, this particular roster does not include any of the USWNT's European-based players. Hayes said last week that she felt it was important to give those players a break following long seasons. The ultimate goal for this group is to win the World Cup in 2027, so now is the time for players to rest and recover before qualifying begins later this year.
Additionally, four players earned their first-ever senior squad call-ups: defenders Jordyn Bugg, Lilly Reale, and Izzy Rodriguez, as well as midfielder Sam Meza. Six players in the group are uncapped. This is all part of Hayes' larger plan to keep growing and developing the player pool ahead of the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics. It's also noteworthy that those four players went to Germany with the U-23 team last camp, indicating the pathway from one age group to the next that Hayes is creating within the larger women's soccer program.
"We want to continue to improve our understanding of how we want to play and widen the player pool, and those are some of the key goals of this three-game window," Hayes said in a statement. "On this roster, we have players with a varied amount of experience, and my priority is to deepen the exposures required for international soccer. These are three challenging matches and as always, we want to win, but also to make sure we are ready for the next steps."
With the absences of mainstays like Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman and many of the European-based players, the squad leans quite young. The average age of this group is 24.5 years old. In terms of caps, however, it averages 18.4 appearances per player. If you take out the six players who have been to world championships at the senior level – Lavelle, Girma, Bethune, Lynn Biyendolo, Emily Sonnett and Sam Coffey – that number shrinks to 3.3 caps per player.
As far as the ongoing goalkeeper competition goes, leader Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who plays for Manchester United, won't be in camp. This will allow inexperienced players like Mandy McGlynn, Claudia Dickey and Angelina Anderson an opportunity to showcase their talent in front of Hayes and her staff. Among that trio, only McGlynn has made a USWNT appearance (three caps).
U.S. Women's National Team Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Angelina Anderson (Angel City FC; 0), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 0) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 3)
DEFENDERS (10): Kerry Abello (Orlando Pride; 1/0), Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC, ENG; 46/2), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 0/0), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 6/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 4/0), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 4/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 108/2), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 3/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 35/2), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 3/0), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 110/24), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 7/2)
FORWARDS (6): Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign FC; 80/24), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 6/1), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 9/0), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville; 5/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 9/4), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 19/1)
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman . Get more from United States Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
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