USWNT names 26-player roster for final friendlies ahead of 2023 World Cup | OneFootball

U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski named the 26-player roster for the final international friendlies ahead of the 2023 World Cup, with Julie Ertz and Alex Morgan headlining the squad.

The United States will host the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, April 8 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas before finishing the two-leg set on Tuesday, April 11 at CITYPARK in St. Louis, Missouri.

“It’s exciting to get the group back together and we’re getting closer to how we want to look this summer,” said Andonovski.

“The team is gelling and getting these players back in camp, all who know the environment very well, is just going to make it more competitive and turn the intensity up a notch. I know there is a lot of pressure on the players as the competition for World Cup spots increases, but that’s not something we shy away from. We talk about it, and we embrace it, as we all know these players make each other better.”

Two-time World Cup champion Julie Ertz returns to the USWNT for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and after giving birth to her first child in August of 2022. Though she is currently without a club, Andonovski confirmed she has been training with Major League Soccer academy players.

Defenders Kelley O’Hara and Tierna Davidson will also return for the international friendlies, after extended absences. On the other end, Megan Rapinoe was not included in the roster due to an underlying injury.

The USWNT prepare to face Vietnam, Netherlands and Portugal in the World Cup’s Group E. The American team enters the international tournament as reigning champions, after triumphing 2-0 over the Netherlands in 2019.

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