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One week after announcing her intent to represent the United States and not the Netherlands, 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes headlines a 24-player USWNT roster for upcoming road matches against England and the Dutch.
The 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning Americans will round out the year against England on Nov. 30 at Wembley Stadium in London, followed by a meeting with the Netherlands in The Hague three days later.
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They will be without all three starting forwards from the Olympics -- Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson -- due to "nagging injuries that need rest," U.S. Soccer said in a news release.
Smith limped off the field at a recent NWSL playoff game after appearing to reaggravate an ankle injury that has bothered her since the Olympics, while Rodman will compete for the NWSL Championship with the Washington Spirit on Saturday.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has called up goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce and forward Ally Sentnor for the first time. Sentnor captained the U.S. team that recently finished third at the U20 World Cup, and she was a standout rookie in the NWSL for Utah Royals FC. Tullis-Joyce, who just turned 28 years old, assumed the starting goalkeeper role at Manchester United this season after the departure of England international Mary Earps.
Hayes has now given 11 players their first senior call-ups since officially starting the job in late May. All seven players who earned their first caps in October are back on the roster for these high-profile road friendlies. Fourteen players have 20 caps or fewer, continuing Hayes' search for depth and the next generation of talent ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
"In terms of our schedule, this is the end of a wonderful year, but we're still at the beginning of our process of building towards qualifying for the next World Cup," Hayes said in a statement. "So, this trip will be about testing ourselves against two world class teams with opportunities to develop our roster. We will continue to build relationships on and off the field and I'm really excited to work with this group as we continue to set the stage for 2025."
Fifteen of the 22 members of the 2024 Olympic team were named to this roster. In addition to the absences at forward, midfielder Croix Bethune and goalkeeper Jane Campbell are injured. Full-back Crystal Dunn has been an excused absence from club and international duty for over two months.
Casey Murphy, the team's backup goalkeeper at the Olympics, is healthy but absent from the roster. Tullis-Joyce and Mandy Haught will back up No. 1 Alyssa Naeher in this camp. Haught made her debut in October after replacing Campbell midway through training camp.
Yohannes returns to the USWNT for her third training camp. She scored 10 minutes into her debut in June against South Korea. She grew up in Virginia before her family moved to the Netherlands when she was 10 years old when her father accepted a job in Amsterdam. Yohannes signed with Dutch power Ajax at 15 years old in 2023. Later that year, as a 16-year-old, she became the youngest player in UEFA Champions League history to start a group-stage match.
Dutch coach Andries Jonker publicly courted Yohannes, who previously said that she was looking into obtaining Dutch citizenship. Yohannes thanked both federations for their patience in the process when she announced her decision.
"The U.S. is my homeland, my birthplace, and where my extended family resides," Yohannes said in a statement. "These strong connections have driven me to honor my roots and proudly commit to U.S. soccer. I am excited and eager to continue putting in the work and earn my place on the U.S. Women's National Team."
Twenty-three of 24 players will suit up for each match, which serve as the final two before a mid-January "Futures Camp" in Los Angeles meant to identify new players who haven't yet earned call-ups.
U.S. Women's National Team Roster by Position (Club; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPERS (3): Mandy Haught (Utah Royals FC; 1), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 0), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 113)
DEFENDERS (9): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 64/3), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 60/1), Eva Gaetino (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 1/0), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 42/2), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit; 59/0), Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC; 1/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 17/2), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 2/0), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 101/2)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 20/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 26/1), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 2/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 159/36), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 108/24), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 1/1)
FORWARDS (6): Yazmeen Ryan (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 2/0), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 2/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals FC; 0/0), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 19/8), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 11/1), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 73/20)
Source: espn.co.uk