PREVIEW: U.S. WNT set for first-ever match vs. Spain on Tuesday
(Via U.S. Soccer) – The USA is coming off a 3-1 loss to 2019 Women’s World Cup hosts France on January 19 in Le Havre and will now look to get back to its winning ways when it faces Spain on Jan. 22 at Estadio José Rico Perez in Alicante (2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 & UDN).
Spain will also be in France this summer after qualifying for its second Women’s World Cup.
A less than full-strength U.S. side faced a very talented and athletic France team in front of 22,870 last Saturday night. It was the USA’s first loss in 29 matches dating back to the summer of 2017. Since the 2017 SheBelieves Cup in March of that year, the USA has failed to score in just one game (vs. Australia at the 2017 ToN). That’s a 34-game span.
U.S. WNT ROSTER BY POSITION: FRANCE & SPAIN 2019 (CAPS/GOALS)
GOALKEEPERS (3): 18- Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 3/0); 21- Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), 24- Ashlyn Harris(Orlando Pride; 19/0), 1- Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 39/0)
DEFENDERS (8): 7- Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 31/0), 12- Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 13/1); 19- Crystal Dunn (NC Courage; 76/24), 26- Emily Fox (UNC; 3/0), 5- Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 112/2); 4- Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC; 150/0), 14- Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars; 27/0), 2- Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC; 27/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): 6- Morgan Brian (Chicago Red Stars; 82/6), 22- Danielle Colaprico (Chicago Red Stars; 2/0), 8- Julie Ertz(Chicago Red Stars; 73/18); 9- Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 63/7), 16- Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit; 20/6), 3-Samantha Mewis (NC Courage; 42/8), 27- Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 11/0), 25- McCall Zerboni (NC Courage; 7/0)
FORWARDS (7): 17- Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC; 142/25); 10- Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC; 266/105), 20- Jessica McDonald (NC Courage; 4/1), 13- Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 154/98), 23- Christen Press (Utah Royals FC; 107/46), 11- Mallory Pugh (Washington Spirit; 44/13), 15- Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC; 145/41)
STORYLINES
USA vs. Spain: This meeting will mark the first between the teams at the senior level and will be the USA’s first match in Spain. The meeting with Spain will mark the 27th European country the USA has faced in its history. (Four of those countries no longer exist: West Germany, USSR, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia).
100 Goals Watch: After scoring against Scotland on Nov. 13 to close out 2018, Alex Morgan – the 2018 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, now has 98 goals and at age 29 sits in sole possession of seventh place on the USA’s all-time goal scoring list. She has scored 25 goals over her last 27 WNT matches through the end of 2017 and 2018. With her hat trick against Japan on July 26, the fourth of her career, Morgan is now tied with Michelle Akers in third place all-time in multi-goal games (26) behind Abby Wambach (45) and Mia Hamm (38). She has 22 career two-goal games. Morgan has scored against 28 different countries and in 11 different countries, including 12 goals in Portugal – all at the Algarve Cup – and three in Scotland, two against France at Hampden Park in Glasgow during the 2012 Olympics, and one against Scotland on Nov. 13.
Countdown to the Cup: The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the eighth consecutive World Cup appearance for the USA, which has appeared in each of the previous seven tournaments that have been contested and won in 1991, 1999 and 2015. The USA is one of six countries to qualify for all eight Women’s World Cups along with Brazil, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Nigeria. The tournament will be held from June 7-July 7 in nine cities in France. The USA’s Draw and placement in Group F gave the USA venues that are all within a two-hour drive of each other, with the opening game taking place in Reims, followed by Paris and then Le Havre. The “Countdown to the Cup” will take the WNT to all four times zones in the continental United States, giving fans across the country a chance to cheer the team on to France. FULL SCHEDULE HERE .
U.S. Soccer Federation and Volkswagen Announce Multi-Year Presenting Partnership: U.S. Soccer and Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced a landmark, integrated partnership making Volkswagen the presenting automotive partner to the Federation through 2022 . As part of Volkswagen’s long-term commitment, the automobile maker will help U.S. Soccer with its mission to become the preeminent sport in the United States by increasing participation, developing world class players, coaches and referees, and increasing fan engagement around the sport. As part of the historic partnership, Volkswagen will have branding on training tops for all U.S. Soccer National Teams, including the Men’s and Women’s National Teams, all Youth National Teams and the Para 7-a-side, Beach and Futsal National Teams, and the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
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