In September, the women’s national team of the United States will take on South Africa in a two-game series, with interim head coach Twila Kilgore revealing her 27-player lineup for the matches in Chicago and Cincinnati. The group of players has been enlarged with the inclusion of new additions Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw, while the retirements of Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe are being honored.
In Australia and New Zealand, the team’s elimination in the round of 16 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup marks the beginning of the pair of friendly matches this summer. The roster of interim head coach Kilgore is the initial one since being appointed following the separation of U.S. Soccer and former manager Vlatko Andonovski.
She is the first American-born woman to earn a coaching license in Pro Soccer’s U.S. She previously coached the U.S. Women’s national youth teams and served as an assistant coach with the Houston Dash in the NWSL for several years. These matches mark her first time leading a senior national team at the collegiate level in Kilgore.
Kilgore expressed, “the duration of time that the players have with the national team from now until Paris is limited, thus we must initiate that venture immediately. The Olympics might appear distant.” Kilgore added, “Therefore, we eagerly anticipate orchestrating two commendable displays against a South Africa squad that performed admirably in the World Cup. The expectations remain consistent and every individual aspires to thrive, regardless of the coach or the players who have the privilege of donning the emblem.”
Want additional coverage of women’s soccer? Tune in to Attacking Third on Golazo Network every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for all the latest updates on USWNT, NWSL, and WSL women’s soccer, and listen below for more information.
Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
Alana Cook (OL Reign), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign): The defensive unit comprises of nine players.
Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Currently not affiliated with any club), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit) make up the midfielders.
Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), and Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC) make up the group of forwards, totaling eight players.
Fresh names in the blend
Golden Boot honors were earned by Shaw in her two seasons in Mexico, where she scored 38 goals. Recently, she signed with FC Chelsea in the WSL Barclay’s after a stellar season with Tigres Femenil in the Liga MX Femenil. Shaw, who is 18 years old, currently has five goals in her second season with FC San Diego Wave in the NWSL. Shaw and Fishel are both facing a new camp, with Shaw earning her second call-up and Fishel making her first-time appearance.
Kilgore informed the press, “We perceive them as individuals with great potential. They possess a plethora of skills. They’ve both been excelling tremendously in their respective local markets. We’re genuinely thrilled to have both Jaedyn and Mia on our team.”
“To ensure that they have a clear future pathway and meet their expectations, they are helped with their onboarding. The idea is to expose them to their current environment and bring them into the environment.”
Progressing ahead
Kilgore intends to name a larger pool roster. As the interim head coach for the Olympics, she is in a unique position. She is actively searching for a new coach, and she is ready to help the team by turning to the federation. There is not a lot of time for Kilgore to implement her own ideas or prepare.
“We want to build off that successful performance by pushing the boundaries and also ensure that we’re sure to make more progress moving forward. However, we’re not really happy with our performance against Sweden. But this isn’t just about the program and the team, it’s also about moving forward.”
To commemorate the retirements of Ertz and Rapinoe, Kilgore will endeavor to handle those athletes while the NWSL season comes to a close and all remaining players are fully focused on making it to the playoffs. Among Fishel and Horan (Lyon), who both compete in Europe, there are merely two individuals on the team who are in preseason mode. As the team progresses from their premature elimination in the World Cup, only 23 players out of the 27-player roster will be selected to participate in the friendly matches against South Africa.
In order to derive pleasure from it, we will engage in a game that adheres to a framework and encourage the participants to express their true selves on the field. Additionally, as a means of showing respect to both Megan and Julie and ensuring fair distribution of playing time among the remaining team members, we aim to accomplish this.