USWNT Ready for Inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup Tournament 

CARSON, Calif. – The United States Women’s National Soccer Team’s (USWNT) interim head coach, Twila Kilgore, will lead the Lady Yanks in the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup tournament. The United States will play against the Dominican Republic tomorrow night at Dignity Health Sports Park in the South Los Angeles suburb of Carson. 

Should the Yanks run the table during the tournament, they will play a total of six games through March 10.

In 2020, Concacaf unveiled a visionary four-year plan to bolster match play of women’s national team games within the North and Central American region, as well as the Caribbean. One product of the initiative is the pending W Gold Cup tournament, and soon, a fresh Women’s Concacaf Nations League. 

The Concacaf W Gold Cup will be played in four venues across the United States, with matches being played at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, and BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

The group stage includes12 best-of-the-Americas teams. Eight will represent Concacaf, while four guests from FIFA’s South America’s CONMEBOL confederation are here. Teams were split into three groups of four, with the top two from each group and the two best third-placed teams then moving onto the knockout round. The championship game will at Snapdragon Stadium on March 10.

The groups were determined at the tournament’s official draw on December 11, 2023.

Group A: United States, Mexico, Argentina, Dominican Republic

Group B: Brazil, Panama, Colombia, Puerto Rico

Group C: Canada, Costa Rica, Paraguay, El Salvador

After FIFA #2 ranked United States plays the distant 107th ranked Dominican Republic, they will tussle with #31 Argentina, then wrap up first round play against #35 Mexico.

Kilgore named her 23-player roster 10 days ago. One revision has been made since then. Veteran defender Becky Sauerbrunn replaces center back Alana Cook, who was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.

The Yanks have been idle for two mouths. Their last outings were against China PR in December. The U.S. outscored China, 5-1 across two friendlies played in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Frisco, Texas. 

This tournament and the upcoming April SheBelieves Cup are significant for the 2024 Summer Olympics bound United States team. 

Team captain Lindsey Horan summed up her perspective during her first press conference at the team’s camp, “Obviously, I think our main goal is to win the Gold Cup. It’s the first one for us, and I think that is very special. I think this is also such a cool opportunity to have a major tournament like this, that kind of exemplifies the Olympics, and gets us prepared for that. What we do here can really train us and mentally prepare us for what we might have to deal with in, in the Summer Olympics. But, first and foremost, this is a major tournament itself, and we want to win.”

Horan added, “I think this Gold Cup, one, it’s a tournament itself that we want to win, and it is also direct correlation to the Olympics and how it’s kind of set up and it’s a major tournament. So it’s cool that we get this preparation leading into the Olympics.” She continued, “Also, it’s a really cool opportunity because the NWSL is coming off preseason, and I think you’re gonna see a lot of interchange in the players and amount of playing time.”

Horan is the top scorer on this roster with 31 career international goals. She will be joined on the pitch by fellow Coloradan, Sophia Smith. The rising international football phenomena has 15 goal under her belt. Both are expected to start and be major contributors to the Yanks’ collective effort.

Supporting them from the stands will be Mallory Swanson. She is in camp rehabilitating with the team’s technical staff.

The Real Colorado Soccer Club product ruptured her patellar tendon against Ireland in Austin, Texas four months before the start of the 2023 Women’s World Cup Tournament. She reflected on the event and what all followed during a interview with The Women’s Game:

Since then, she has be steady recuperating from the intricate surgery and long layoff.

Swanson has to be aiming to be near 100% when head coach Emma Hayes officially comes onboard in May. Hayes is booked up managing Chelsea’s women’s side until then. The Stars and Stripes will absolutely need Swanson’s cornucopia of skills this summer in France.

Nine months ago, the fan favorite boasted 32 goals in just 88 games. Imagine where she would be now has she played in the World Cup, plus a handful of friendlies thereafter.

USWNT supporters can watch the opening match on Paramount+ and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, starting at 8 p.m. MT.

US. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB):

GOALKEEPERS (3): 21-Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), 18-Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), 1-Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (8): 2-Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), 19-Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), 12-Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), 23-Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG), 4-Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), 20-Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), 3-Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC), 5-Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 15-Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), 17-Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), 10-Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), 16-Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), 13-Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), 14-Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

FORWARDS (6): 7-Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), 9-Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), 22-Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), 8-Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), 11-Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), 6-Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC).

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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