The U.S. women’s national soccer team is returning to action for the first time since March 11, when the team defeated Japan in the finale of the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, one of the last major sporting events before the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports around the world for months.
On Friday, in the team’s first match in 261 days, the USWNT will play the Netherlands, which it defeated in the final of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.
The 23-player roster includes 14 players who currently play in the National Women’s Soccer League, seven who are playing in Europe and two college players. Lindsey Horan of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns tested positive for COVID-19 and was replaced by Jaelin Howell, who plays for Florida State and became the second college player on the roster (following Stanford’s Catarina Macario).
USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who replaced two-time World Cup-winning coach Jill Ellis, has won each of his first 10 games at the helm, tying a record for best start as U.S. women’s national team head coach.
TIME: 12:30 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: ESPN2 (Spanish language: UniMás)
STREAMING: WatchESPN (https://www.espn.com/watch/)
LOCATION: Rat Verlegh Stadium, Breda, Netherlands
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ROSTER (CLUB; CAPS)
Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit; 0), Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 3), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 63)
Defenders (8): Alana Cook (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 1), Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 61), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 26), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 104), Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 131), Margaret Purce (Sky Blue FC; 1), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 177), Emily Sonnett (Orlando Pride; 45)
Midfielders (6): Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 102), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 86), Jaelin Howell (Florida State; 0), Rose Lavelle (Manchester City, ENG; 45), Catarina Macario (Stanford; 0), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash; 15), Samantha Mewis (Manchester City, ENG; 67)
Forwards (6): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 2), Tobin Heath (Manchester United, ENG; 168), Alex Morgan (Tottenham Hotspur, ENG; 169), Christen Press (Manchester United, ENG; 138), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 0), Lynn Williams (NC Courage; 28)
