The United States women's national team is ready to suit up for the fourth-annual SheBelieves Cup in two weeks, and head coach Jill Ellis has announced the 23-player roster for the tournament. Midfielder Lindsey Horan is the only player excluded from the roster due to injury as the 2019 Women's World Cup roster comes into focus. The World Cup will be just three months away by the time the SheBelieves Cup is over.
Very few changes in 2019
The upcoming USWNT matches will be the second camp of 2019 for the team, and the roster is almost the exact same. Goalkeeper Jane Campbell, defender Emily Fox and midfielder Morgan Brian have all been dropped from the roster for reasons not related to injury, and Andi Sullivan was the only player added to the roster. It should be noted that the roster in January had 26 players while the SheBelieves Cup roster has just 23.
The midfield changes will be most important for Danielle Colaprico, Sam Mewis, McCall Zerboni, and Rose Lavelle. Each of those players are fighting for a spot on the plane to France, and the upcoming three-game series will help them prove that they have what it takes to help the United States win back-to-back World Cup championships.
Despite not being named to the official roster, Fox and Campbell were invited to practice with the team in Tampa ahead of the tournament. Allie Long and Merritt Mathias were also added to the training camp roster. The low turnover seems to indicate that Ellis is starting to settle on a final roster for France. There might be some time for players to break into the roster once the NWSL regular season starts, but the window is closing fast.
Tournament Schedule
The 2019 SheBelieves Cup will take place between the United States, England, Brazil, and Japan in a round robin format. It will simulate a tournament group with three points awarded for a win and one point for a draw.
The United States will play against Japan on February 27th, England on March 2nd, and Brazil on March 5th.