CHICAGO, Ill. – The United States Women’s National Soccer Team’s (USWNT) head coach, Emma Hayes, officially named the 18-player USWNT Olympics roster and four alternates for Paris 2024.
“Making an Olympic roster is a huge privilege and an honor and there is no denying that it was an extremely competitive process among the players and that there were difficult choices, especially considering how hard everyone has worked over the past 10 months,” said Hayes.
“Choosing an 18-player roster plus alternates involved many considerations, but I am excited for the group we have selected and I’m looking forward to building on the work from last camp as we head into the Send-Off matches and then onto France.”
Included in the elite-18 are Coloradans Lindsey Horan, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith.
Horan will captain the team during the 17-day tournament in France. The international event will take place from July 25 to August 10 in seven cities and venues throughout the country.
This will be Swanson’s second call-up to represent the United States. In 2016, she made her Olympics debut with a notable start in the opener of the Rio De Janeiro games. As a substitute for Meghan Rapinoe, the then 18-year-old scored against Columbia. Four years later, she struggled with juries and her rebound fell out of favor. She did not make the Japan Olympic roster.
Smith’s well-deserved invitation is her first. The Real Colorado alum has been a beacon of hope and a ball of energy for the U.S. since she emerged as a decisive attacker in last year’s World Cup Tournament Down Under.
Since then, she has carried on with much pizazz, both in her play in the North American Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and recent friendlies hosted by U.S. Soccer and the USWNT.
Hayes selected ten players who were members of head coach, Vlatko Andonovski, 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Team.
Just eight players who were on Team USA’s roster for the Japan-based 2020-21 Olympics will make a return this summer, including goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defenders Tierna Davidson, Casey Krueger, and Emily Sonnett, midfielders Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Catarina Macario and forward Crystal Dunn.
Horan and Dunn have the most Olympic appearances coming into the tournament with 10 each.
Horan, Dunn, Lavelle, and Mallory Swanson all have scored once in the Olympic Games. Swanson and Dunn scored in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil while Horan and Lavelle scored in Japan in 2021.
However, veteran Alex Morgan, did not make the final cut, not even as an alternate.
Morgan posted on social media: “Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage. This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest. In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team.”
Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage. This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.
Hayes was quick to state about Morgan, “First off, I want to talk about what an amazing player and human that Alex Morgan has been. I’ve only had one opportunity to work with her in the last camp and saw firsthand not just her qualities but her professionalism. Her record speaks for itself.”
Ahead of the 2020-21 Olympics, Horan stated, “Winning a World Cup is the pinnacle of soccer and it was the goal I had for my whole life. It was an absolute dream, but now our minds have shifted to the Olympics. That’s just the way it is. All eyes on Olympic Gold.”
Horan must now be double-motivated to achieve her ambitious objectives.
Instead of packing gold medallions in their carry-on luggage from Tokyo, Horan and her teammates returned stateside with a bronze medal. It is fair to say that the Lady Yanks struggled throughout the COVID-19 pandemic postponed tournament. The U.S. was unable to muster up a goal in the semifinals and lost to a testy Canada side, 1-0.
The Canadians went on to become gold-medal winners. Eight months ago she returned to America after last summer’s World Cup Tournament in New Zealand and Australia empty-handed. Needless to say, expectations are once again sky-high rather high for Horan, Swanson, and Smith, their new head coach, plus her imported assistants.
Collectively, they now have another worldly opportunity to make America feel proud.
The 12-team tournament includes seven countries from the 2021 Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament – USA, Brazil, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and Zambia.
World Cup champion Spain is also booked to compete in France. So is Sweden, who knocked out the Americans during a demoralizing 5-4 penalty shootout in the round of 16 in Sydney, Australia.
Team USA will certainly have its work cut out for itself going toe-to-toe with many formidable rivals.
“The biggest factor is we can have 16 outfield players,” Hayes said during her press conference about the staff’s selections. “To play a lot of games, arguably, I hope over 17 days, having a roster that could adapt is essential. … Having players on the roster that could play more than one position mattered with squad depth.
2024 Olympics Women’s Soccer Groups and Venues:
Group A (Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Nice):
A1: France
A2: Colombia
A3: Canada
A4: New Zealand
Group B (Marseille, Nice, Saint-Etienne):
B1: USA
B2: Zambia
B3: Germany
B4: Australia
Group C (Nantes, Bordeaux, Paris):
C1: Spain
C2: Japan
C3: Nigeria
C4: Brazil
Hayes’ team will depart for the south of France soon after they close out the second of two friendlies in July.
The USA will face south-of-the-border rival Mexico on July 13 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, then wrap up play in Washington D.C. against fellow Concacaf member, Costa Rica. Costa Rica ranks 44th, while Mexico, is 31st in FIFA’s Women’s Table.
FIFA’s 5th rank Lady Yanks are set to open Olympic play in the south of France on July 25 against 64th Zambia, one day before the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in central Paris.
Two days later, they will face another very tough Group B opponent, Germany (FIFA #4) in Nice some 600 miles from Paris, and then Australia (FIFA #12 ) due west in Marseille on July 31.
The Lady Yanks will not only have to negotiate their challenging initial schedule, but also France’s often sweltering summer climate, and so, with limited rest days between matches. The top two finishers in each of the three Groups advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams.
Should the U.S. advance to the second round by winning Group B it would meet the second-place team from Group C in Paris in the quarterfinal. If the USA finishes second in the Group, it will face the second-place team from Group A in Marseille. A third-place finish could mean a possible meeting with the first-place team from Group A or C.
Should teams be tied on points and the end of group play, the first tie-breaker is superior goal difference followed by goals scored.
Of note, two teams will be representing America in Olympic soccer events this year, as the Under-23 Men’s Youth National Team also qualified. The young men were placed in Group A and open play in the south of France on July 24th.
2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team Roster by Position/Affiliation/Caps/Goals:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 19), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 104)
FORWARDS (5): Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 147/25), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 38/7), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 14/7), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 48/19), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars; 92/34)
ALTERNATES (4): Goalkeeper Jane Campbell, midfielder Hal Hershfelt, midfielder Croix Bethune, and forward Lynn Williams.
Photo Credit: John Babiak
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