The U.S. women's national team Olympic roster was announced Wednesday morning. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski named his final roster, including alternates, ahead of the Tokyo games in July. It's a particularly difficult decision as the Olympics only allow for 18 players (and four alternates) as opposed to the typical 23 player roster used for the World Cup.
The long awaited roster is a mix of veterans and fresh faces and includes several members of the 2019 World Cup winning team. The roster is filled with players representing eight clubs from the National Women's Soccer League, with Portland Thorns FC with the most number of players represented with four.
Here's the roster in full.
2020 U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer Team Roster
Goalkeepers (2): Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders (6): Abby Dahlkemper (Manchester City), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Kelley O'Hara (Washington Spirit), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit)
Midfielders (5): Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash), Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage)
Forwards (5): Tobin Heath (Unattached), Carli Lloyd (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Unattached), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)
Alternates: GK; Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), DEF; Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), MID; Catarina Macario (Lyon), FWD; Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage)
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Let's take a look at the players by position:
Goalkeepers
Alyssa Naeher and Adriana Franch will go to Tokyo as the goal keeping duo for the Olympics, and Jane Campbell has been named as an alternate for the roster
This is Naeher's second Olympic roster appearance after heading to Rio with the team back in 2016, while Franch makes her Olympic debut. For Naeher, the starting keeper job is hers, as the Chicago Red Stars player has had consecutive starts with the national team since their 2019 world cup win.
Franch, a member of the 23 player 2019 world cup squad, has made her way back into form for the Olympic after some lingering injuries in club play and will be backup to Naeher. Houston Dash goal keeper Jane Campbell has spent time with the national team in camps, but has minimal starts in international friendlies, but strong individual performances with her club has put her in the travel squad for Tokyo.
Defenders
Coach Andonovski has settled on six defenders for Tokyo. Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn Kelley O'Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Emily Sonnett will all be responsible for maintaining the back line. Chicago Red Stars defender Casey Krueger has been named an alternate after being left off the 2019 World Cup roster.
Sauerbrunn and O'Hara lead the way in Olympic roster appearances among the defenders as they now have been named to three rosters. Both players represented the national team in both 2012 and the 2016. Dunn returns to her second Olympics, as a defender this time, after representing team USA as a forward in the Rio games, while Sonnett features for the first time on the full Olympic roster after being named as an alternate in 2016. Dahlkemper and Davidson are making their Olympic team debuts.
Midfielders
Five midfielders will be responsible for holding things down in the middle third for the national team during the summer tournament. Julie Ertz and Lindsay Horan return to their second Olympic games, as Rose Lavelle makes her first ever Olympic roster.
Samantha Mewis features on her first full Olympic roster after being named an alternate for Rio in 2016. Kristie Mewis makes her first ever Olympic squad after being away from the national team scene for six years and will head to Tokyo in top form on strong club play with the Houston Dash. Catarina Macario was named as an alternate for the team after a strong showing with her club team in Europe, Lyon.
Forwards
It's a veteran core of forwards leading the top line for team USA in Tokyo as coach Andonovski selected five experienced attackers for the summer games.
Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath lead the way with most Olympic roster appearances with four after representing the team previously in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe will attend their third Olympics after being named to the 2012 and 2016 rosters, while Christen Press returns for her second Olympic games with the national team. North Carolina Courage forward Lynn Williams has been named an alternate.
