Emma Hayes names USWNT roster for first matches since winning gold at the Olympics

AP Soccer Writer

Trinity Rodman will miss a trio of upcoming matches for the U.S. women’s national soccer team as she continues to recover from a back injury.

Coach Emma Hayes named her roster Thursday for games against Iceland on Oct. 24 in Austin, Texas, and Oct. 27 in Nashville. The Americans then host Argentina on Oct. 30 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The matches are the first for the United States since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The roster includes 18 members of the team that played in France, but also a handful of newcomers to the team.

“For me, it’s just about evolving. The Olympics form a great basis and is a great foundation for us. But it’s not a future predictor for success,” Hayes said. “We have to make sure we drive the key messages home to all of the players. … I feel like we’ve already got a great understanding of our principles, we just need to evolve it to the next step.”

Hayes called up 26 players for the camp, but will suit up 23 players for each match.

Rodman, who plays for the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League, suffered an intense back spasm that caused her to leave the field by wheelchair in a match against the Kansas City Current last month.

She was a substitute in the Spirit’s victory last weekend over Racing Louisville, playing for the first time since the injury. She’ll continue her rehab with the team in preparation for the NWSL playoffs.

Also missing from the roster because of injury was Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, who sustained a torn meniscus that ended her season, and defender Tierna Davidson, who was injured last weekend playing for Gotham. Forward Crystal Dunn was unavailable because of “personal commitments,” US Soccer said.

Hayes included six players in camp who could play in their first matches for the United States: midfielder Hal Hershfelt, defender Emily Sams, center back Eva Gaetino, defender Alyssa Malonson, forward Yazmeen Ryan and forward Emma Sears.

Hayes did not include players from the recent under-20 Women’s World Cup team that finished with the bronze medal at the event in Colombia last month. The United States is planning on a “Futures Camp” at the team’s traditional January training camp.

“As far as older players the door’s never closed,” Hayes said Thursday about including veteran players who haven’t had call-ups. “That’s why I call it a Futures Camp, because there might have been some more senior players, more experienced players, that are equally entitled to be in camp now. And I don’t want to shut the door, even in January. So a futures player could be a more experienced NWSL player that didn’t get a look now that I really want to look at.”

The U.S. team will honor veteran defender Kelley O’Hara with a retirement ceremony at halftime in Nashville.

The matches are the last for the United States on home soil. The team will play a match against England at Wembley Stadium on Nov. 30 and another against the Netherlands at Bingoal Stadium in the Hague on Dec. 3.

U.S. roster:

Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders: Emily Fox (Arsenal), Eva Gaetino (Paris Saint-Germain), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC), Jenna Nighswonger (Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC)

Midfielders: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Ashley Sanchez (North Carolina Courage)

Forwards: Yazmeen Ryan (Gotham FC), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC)

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