Forward Lynn Williams and defender Emily Sonnett have returned to the national team for a training camp that will help the United States prepare for this summer’s World Cup.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski announced a 24-player roster for the team’s January camp in New Zealand on Thursday. Williams and Sonnett have recovered from injuries but Sophia Smith (foot) and Megan Rapinoe (ankle) were not included.
The United States will face New Zealand on Jan. 18 in Wellington and on Jan. 21 in Auckland. The matches will help both teams ramp up for the World Cup, which will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The U.S., which won the last two World Cups, will play group stage matches in both cities during the tournament that begins on July 20. The team’s base camp for the tournament will also be in New Zealand.
Sonnett, who injured her foot, hasn’t played since last summer’s World Cup qualifying matches in Mexico, where she scored her first international goal against Costa Rica.
Williams had a hamstring injury that required surgery and has kept her sidelined since last February’s SheBelieves Cup. Williams has 14 goals in 47 appearances with the team.
“We’re very happy where Lynn is, actually. In fact, she was very close to playing in the playoffs for her club team in Kansas City,” Andonovski said during a conference call with reporters. “But Lynn has been a regular national team player, actually she was before the injury, and we don’t want to punish her for getting injured.”
Defenders Tierna Davidson and Kelley O’Hara, as well as forward Catarina Macario, were not yet ready to return from injuries, Andonovski said. Macario tore her ACL while playing with her club team, Lyon, and has been rehabbing in Qatar.
“The pool is narrowing down a little bit and the players that we have on the list right now, together with some of the players that are injured, or a few of them that we expect to get back soon, is basically the group that we are looking a little bit closer at,” the coach said.
Mallory Pugh, who married Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson in December, will wear her married name on her jersey for the first time.
United States roster by position with club affiliation:
Goalkeepers: Adrianna Franch (Kansas City Current), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit).
Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (Gotham), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit).
Forwards: Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Midge Purce (Gotham), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), Lynn Williams (Kansas City Current).
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