Alex Morgan left off USWNT roster vs. China

United States women's nationalist squad interim manager Twila Kilgore has named a 26-player roster up of a brace of December friendlies against China, 1 that omits respective USWNT mainstays, including Alex Morgan, and includes 11 players with less than 10 caps.

The U.S. volition play the archetypal affable against China connected Dec. 2 successful Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with the 2nd acceptable to instrumentality spot 3 days aboriginal successful Frisco, Tex.

The matches instrumentality spot pursuing the naming of Chelsea manager Emma Hayes to instrumentality implicit arsenic U.S. manager.

But with Hayes acceptable to spot retired the remainder of the nine play with the Blues, Kilgore volition oversee the grooming campy and 2 friendlies.

The roster was enactment unneurotic successful consultation with Hayes and U.S. Soccer sporting manager Matt Crocker.

Among the absentees are six World Cup players who were connected the USWNT roster for a brace of friendlies past month, a radical that includes OL Reign defender Sofia Huerta, San Diego Wave FC guardant Alex Morgan, Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, Washington Spirit midfielder Ashley Sanchez, Portland Thorns FC defender Becky Sauerbrunn and Washington Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan.

The roster includes 2 uncapped players successful Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Korbin Albert arsenic good arsenic NJ/NY Gotham FC midfielder and NWSL Rookie of the Year Jenna Nighswonger.

"As we determination guardant with the adjacent steps, we request much opportunities to spot players from our excavation successful our unsocial National Team environment, successful some grooming and games, truthful we tin measure if and however they mightiness lend moving guardant to the Olympics," said Kilgore.

"We worth these players who person precocious been successful camps oregon played successful World Cup and were not chosen for this roster, and they are of people inactive a portion of our pool, but we cognize what they bring connected and disconnected the field. At the aforesaid time, we besides request to proceed to measure and bring on players successful the close ways to springiness the squad the champion accidental for success."

Nighswonger appeared successful 20 games for Gotham portion playing much than 1,500 minutes successful her archetypal nonrecreational season.

She scored 3 goals, tied for 2nd among each rookies.

Albert signed with PSG successful January of 2023 aft playing collegiately astatine the University of Notre Dame.

Since then, she has played successful 17 matches for the Paris nine with 10 starts implicit the 2nd fractional of past play and the commencement of this season.

The roster besides includes a brace of seasoned defenders returning to the USWNT squad, those being the San Diego Wave's Abby Dahlkemper and the Chicago Red Stars' Tierna Davidson.

Dahlkemper returned to the tract successful 2023 aft undergoing backmost surgery, and helped pb the Wave to the NWSL regular play title.

This is her archetypal call-up since April of 2022. Davidson precocious recovered from a facial injury, though she was connected the U.S. roster for a brace of September friendlies.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle is besides backmost successful the squad for the archetypal clip since the extremity of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The USWNT past played China successful 2018, signaling 1-0 and 2-1 victories.

Those were the 59th and 60th meetings betwixt the 2 countries, the second-most all-time for the USWNT against an hostile down Canada.

The 2 sides memorably contested the 1999 World Cup final, which the USWNT won via a punishment shootout.

U.S. Women's National Team Roster by Position (Club; Caps/Goals) - December Friendlies vs. China PR

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 7), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 16)

DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 29/1), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC; 79/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 50/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 37/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 24/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 41/0), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC; 1/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 0/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 5/0), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 6/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 137/30), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 91/24), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 0/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 81/2)

FORWARDS (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 21/5), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 24/4), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 26/6), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 2/1), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 36/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 8/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/17)