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The USA will play Football Ferns at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday (Friday 10pm ET) to wrap up a two-game series against New Zealand, which will host the USA’s opening match against Vietnam in the Women’s World Cup on July 22. increase.
usa coach Vlatko Andonovsky Brought 24 players to New Zealand, then reduced team to 23 Lindsey HoranThe lone foreign player is back in Lyon for Sunday’s D1 Arkema match against Montpellier. Reigning European champions Lyon agreed to release Horan, but only in the first match the USA won 4–0.
Ahead of the second match, Andonovski was asked how many players would be competing for the final World Cup squad, but it has not been determined how many players each team can bring.
“At the moment, we have a list,” said the US coach. “There are about 30 people vying for a spot and we keep looking, watching and evaluating everything. These players are fighting really hard and every day they do it for us. Ultimately, we hate it. We love the fact that we have to make hard decisions.”
Andonovski was asked why he has such a short list.
“It was 40 at one point. Now it’s 32, to be exact.”
In addition to the 23 still in New Zealand and Horan, three 2022 regulars (if healthy) are back.
Tiana Davidson He is currently training at German club Wolfsburg to rehabilitate a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered last March. Kelly O’Hara (Withdrawal from mid-August due to a back injury) is also scheduled to return soon. Catalina Macario (another victim of a torn ACL) will have to resume training in Lyon in February.
Also being sidelined Sam Mewis Kristen Press, Abby Dalkemper When Tobin Heath, all key members of the 2019 US World Championship team. Andonovski was asked about Mewis, who is suffering from a knee injury, on Tuesday.
“At this point, I don’t want to speculate when or if she’ll be back,” Andonovsky said.
two time world champion Julie Artswho started with Rose Ravel With Mewis in midfield as the USA won the 2019 World Cup in France. I gave birth to my first child in August.
Aerts, one of the most difficult positions to hold in midfield, needs more time to prepare before training begins, Andonovski said.
Photo (LR): Horan, Morgan, Sanchez, Swanson, Lovell, Sullivan, Rodman vs. New Zealand. Credit: AFP.
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