Smith, Rodman, Albert headline USWNT roster for Concacaf W Gold Cup

The U.S. women’s national team are 13 days away from the start of its first competitive action of 2024 and interim head coach Twila Kilgore has announced her roster ahead of it.

Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Korbin Albert headline Kilgore’s 23-player roster for the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup. The CONCACAF W Gold Cup will take place from Feb. 17-March 10.

Mallory Swanson, Savannah DeMelo, and Gisele Thompson are three non-rostered players that will train with the USWNT ahead of the tournament. Swanson had been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury in April 2023, which forced her to miss the Americans’ involvement at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“Not only is there a trophy on the line, but this is a great opportunity to capitalize on meaningful match opportunities and experience the short turnarounds between games, which is a rhythm that closely mirrors the Olympic format,” said Kilgore. “We are going to take our next steps together as we continue to evolve our style of play and provide opportunities for players to grow into possible future roles and partnerships.

“There is something special about tournament play and what it can bring out of players,” she added. “We are hopefully going to be together for a month and we are looking forward to both finding and enjoying that working rhythm required to be in tournament for long stretches while upholding and driving our standards forward. We can’t wait for the opportunity.”

The USWNT will open group stage play on February 20 against the winner of the Guyana vs. Dominican Republic Preliminary Round match. Argentina will also oppose the USWNT on Feb. 23 before a final group stage match against Mexico comes on Feb. 26.

The top two finishers in each of the three groups along with the two best third-place teams will qualify for the knockout stage. The quarterfinals will take place on March 2-3 at LAFC’s BMO Stadium before the…

Source link : https://sbisoccer.com/2024/02/smith-rodman-albert-headline-uswnt-roster-for-concacaf-w-gold-cup

Author : Larry Henry Jr

Publish date : 2024-02-07 17:41:37

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