Advertisement

A closer look at the USWNT stars on the Tokyo Olympics roster

Megan Rapinoe, second right, and her teammates warm up in Tokyo
Megan Rapinoe, second from right, and her U.S. teammates warm up during a training session Saturday in Chiba, near Tokyo.
(Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press)
Share

Meet the 22 U.S. women’s national team players coach Vlatko Andonovski took to Tokyo for the Olympic Games. Teams can only suit up 18 players per match:

U.S. goalkeepers Adrianna Franch, left, and Alyssa Naeher celebrate
Goalies Adrianna Franch, left, and Alyssa Naeher celebrate after the U.S. won a Women’s World Cup semifinal against England outside Lyon, France, in 2019.
(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)

Goalkeepers

Jane Campbell, 26, Houston Dash

Advertisement

The daughter of Navy fighter pilots who also competed collegiately — father Mike in hockey and rowing and mother Chrystal in rowing — Campbell is one of five national team members who played at Stanford. ... Made her senior international debut in April 2017 in a win over Russia. ... Is unbeaten in five games with the USWNT, giving up just two goals in 308 minutes.

Adrianna Franch, 30, Portland Thorns

A two-time NWSL goalkeeper of the year, Franch made the 2019 Women’s World Cup team. ... She has two clean sheets in five international appearances. ... Made her international debut in 2019 at age 28. ... Is the first women’s soccer Olympian from the state of Kansas.

Alyssa Naeher, 33, Chicago Red Stars

A two-time Women’s World Cup champion, Naeher has given up one goal in her last 16 national team appearances and has three losses in 73 games with the U.S. ... Posted a shutout in 45 of those 73 U.S. appearances. ... Scored more than 2,000 points as a point guard in high school in Connecticut. ... Twin sister Amanda, a two-time NCAA Division III player of the year at Messiah College, is a high school soccer coach in North Carolina.

United States Crystal Dunn, right, keeps the ball from Mexico's Daniela Espinosa
The United States’ Crystal Dunn, right, keeps the ball from Mexico’s Daniela Espinosa during a friendly July 1 in East Hartford, Conn.
(Jessica Hill / Associated Press)
Advertisement

Defenders

Abby Dahlkemper, 28, Manchester City

A member of UCLA’s national championship team in 2013, she was the only American to start all seven games in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. ... She was off the field for just eight minutes of the tournament in France. ... She was a three-time NWSL Best XI selection and former defender of the year before leaving for Manchester City.

Tierna Davidson, 22, Chicago Red Stars

At 20, she was the youngest member of the 2019 Women’s World Cup team. ... A national champion at Stanford. ... A versatile defender, she can play as a holding midfielder, at center back and on a wing. ... Was the first player since Julie Foudy in 1994 to play the full 90 minutes in her first five senior caps. ... Her grandmother captained the Republic of Ireland field hockey team from 1955 to 1957.

Crystal Dunn, 28, Portland Thorns

Started six games in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. ... Won the Hermann Trophy and an NCAA title at North Carolina, where she was named both conference offensive and defensive player of the year. ... A two-time NWSL champion, she won the league’s Golden Boot and MVP awards in 2015.

Advertisement

Casey Krueger, 30, Chicago Red Stars

One of the final cuts from the 2019 Women’s World Cup squad, Krueger initially made the Olympic team as an alternate. ... Her NWSL and senior national team debuts were delayed until 2016 by injuries. ... Krueger also ran track in high school and won three state championships, two at 800 meters and one at 400 meters, becoming the first girl in Illinois to win both events in the state Class AA championships in the same year.

Kelley O’Hara, 32, Washington Spirit

A two-time Women’s World Cup champion, she also won an Olympic title in 2012. ... One of nine players on the team with more than 100 international caps. ... Won the Hermann Trophy at Stanford. ... Made her national team debut in 2010.

Becky Sauerbrunn, 36, Portland Thorns

The team captain, Sauerbrunn is a two-time world champion and an Olympic gold medalist. ... Her 188 international caps trail only Carli Lloyd among active players. ... Only one field player in U.S. Soccer history has played more games without scoring a goal. ... Is a four-time NWSL defender of the year and a seven-time Best XI selection.

Advertisement

Emily Sonnett, 27, Washington Spirit

Made her national team debut in 2015 and appeared in one game in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. ... Was an alternate for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics. ... Can play on the back line or in the midfield. ... In addition to the NWSL, has played professionally in Sweden and Australia

U.S. midfielder Julie Ertz (8) directs a play during the SheBelieves Cup
U.S. midfielder Julie Ertz directs a play during the SheBelieves Cup against Brazil on Feb. 21 in Orlando, Fla.
(Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)

Midfielders

Julie Ertz, 29, Chicago Red Stars

A hard-nosed defensive midfielder, Ertz is arguably the most indispensable player on the U.S. roster. ... Is recovering from an MCL injury that kept her out of the last training camp. ... A two-time world champion and a two-time U.S. Female Player of the Year, she has the most caps of any midfielder on the roster with 110.

Lindsey Horan, 27, Portland Thorns

Advertisement

Had two goals and two assists in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. ... Is a former NWSL champion and MVP. ... Tied Christen Press with a U.S.-best seven goals in 2020. ... Scored 46 times in four seasons with Paris Saint-Germain. ... Has scored or assisted in 12 of her last 20 appearances for the U.S., collecting 10 goals and seven assists. ... She and Carli Lloyd are the only two women to play in every game for the U.S. in 2021.

Rose Lavelle, 26, OL Reign

Won the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, in which she scored three times in six starts. ... Scored her first international goal in her third start for the U.S. ... As a third-grader in Ohio, Lavelle dressed up as Mia Hamm to present a book report about the two-time World Cup winner. ... Her selection to her first Olympic team was briefly in doubt after she rolled an ankle earlier this month. ... Scored the last goal in the 2019 Women’s World Cup final.

Catarina Macario, 21, Lyon

The youngest player on the team at 21. ... Was born in Brazil and started playing soccer at age 4, mostly on boys’ teams. ... Moved to San Diego at age 12 with her father to further her soccer career. ... Played for the San Diego Surf and Torrey Pines Falcons before going to Stanford, where she won two Hermann Trophies in three seasons. ... Became a U.S. citizen last October and was cleared by FIFA to play for the U.S. in January. ... Made her international debut five days later before the first naturalized citizen to play for the USWNT.

Kristie Mewis, 30, Houston Dash

Advertisement

The older sister of Women’s World Cup champion Sam. ... Made her professional debut in 2013 with Canberra of Australia’s W-League. ... Also played for Bayern Munich in Germany and FC Kunoichi in Japan. ... Was taken third overall in the first NWSL draft by Kansas City, whose coach was Vlatko Andonovski. ... Made her national team debut in 2013, had five appearances in 2014, then went five years before being called back in 2020 by Andonovski.

Sam Mewis, 30, North Carolina Courage

An NCAA champion at UCLA. ... Had two goals and tied for the team high with three assists in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. ... Has scored or assisted in four of her last five national team appearances. ... Won two NWSL titles with the North Carolina Courage and a Women’s FA Cup with Manchester City. ... Older sister Kristie, also a Houston Dash midfielder, is also on the Olympic team.

United States' Megan Rapinoe (15) is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a penalty kick
Megan Rapinoe (15) is congratulated by U.S. teammates after scoring on a penalty kick against France in Le Havre, France, on April 13.
(David Vincent / Associated Press)

Forwards

Tobin Heath, 33, unattached

A two-time World Cup and Olympic champion. ... Scored in both of the U.S. send-off games with Mexico after sitting out six months because of ankle and knee injuries. ... Will be appearing in her fourth Olympics, matching Christie Rampone’s record. ... Has played in 16 Women’s World Cup games without a loss.

Advertisement

Carli Lloyd, 39, Gotham FC

A two-time world and Olympic champion, Lloyd is one of the most decorated players of all time. ... Is the only player, male or female, to score the game-winning goal in two Olympic finals. ... Is a two-time world player of the year. ... Will match Heath and Rampone with four Olympic appearances in Tokyo, and if the U.S. strike gold again, she and Heath will become the only players to win two World Cup and three Olympic titles. ... Needs one goal to tie Abby Wambach’s Olympic record of nine. ... Ranks third all time among Americans with 306 caps and fourth with 126 goals. ... Has tallied a goal or assist in 15 of her last 25 appearances.

Alex Morgan, 32, Orlando Pride

A two-time finalist for world player of the year. ... A two-time Women’s World Cup Champion and an Olympic gold medalist. ... Her six goals and three assists tied for the scoring lead at the 2019 Women’s World Cup. ... Scored what proved to be the winning goal in the semifinal victory over England in the 2019 World Cup. ... Is tied for fourth in the NWSL with four goals in seven games. ... Her 110 international goals in 180 games trails only Lloyd among active U.S. players and ranks fifth all time. ... Spent much of 2020 on maternity leave.

Megan Rapinoe, 36, OL Reign

The 2019 world player of the year and Ballon d’Or winner. ... Won the Golden Boot (top scorer) and Golden Ball (top player) at the 2019 Women’s World Cup. ... A two-time Women’s World Cup champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist. ... Has a team-best seven goals in nine games this year.

Advertisement

Christen Press, 32, Unattached

Ninth on the all-time U.S. scoring list with 63 career goals, Press has been directly involved in 37 goals in her last 37 games. ... A two-time Women’s World Cup champion, she was an alternate on the 2012 Olympic team that won gold in London. ... Won the Hermann Trophy at Stanford in 2010, when she led the nation in goals and assists. ... Also had a 3.61 college GPA. ... Carried Palos Verdes Estates’ Chadwick High to two Southern Section titles.

Lynn Williams, 28, North Carolina Courage

A Hermann Trophy finalist at Pepperdine, Williams is one of five players who has never been on a Women’s World Cup or Olympic Games roster. ... Was the NWSL scoring champion and MVP in 2016, when she won the first of three league championships. ... Has game-changing speed.

Advertisement