The coach of the United States women’s soccer team, Emma Hayes, has only been in office for a month, and she is already causing controversy. Hayes decided to renew the team, leaving out two of her most experienced players, two months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Hayes, who came to fill the vacancy left by Vlatko Andonovski in 2023, has already shaken American women’s soccer status quo by not calling two of the mainstays to the national team, veterans Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn.
This is the first time since 2008 that neither has earned a place on the national team. After announcing the list, Hayes acknowledged Morgan’s talent and experience but noted, “I felt I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players.”
The new direction that Hayes mentioned includes the call-up of nine players who had never attended an Olympic Games: goalkeeper Casey Murphy, defenders Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, and Jenna Nighswonger, midfielders Korbin Albert and Sam Coffey, and forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Jaedyn Shaw.
The list of players
Hayes’ final roster includes goalkeepers Murphy of the Carolina Courage and Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars). On defense will be Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG), Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC), and Emily Sonnett ( NJ/NY Gotham FC)
Playing in midfield will be Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), and Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG)
The forward will be Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Rodman (Washington Spirit), Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Smith (Portland Thorns FC), and Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars)
Jane Campbell, Hal Hershfelt, Croix Bethune, and Lynn Williams will be alternates.
The USWNT schedule
The American team has two send-off games before leaving for France. The first will be on July 13 against Mexico at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. Second, they will face Costa Rica on July 16 at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
The USWNT is part of Group B of Paris 2024, along with Zambia, Germany, and Australia. They will play their first match of the Olympic tournament against Zambia on July 25 at the Nice Stadium.