The USWNT will be back in action in January, as head coach Vlatko Andonovski has announced a 27-player squad for a camp which will end with two friendlies in Orlando, Florida.
[ MORE: How to watch WSL on NBC ]
It was announced that the USWNT will play against Colombia on Jan. 18 and Jan. 22 at Exploria Stadium, home to the Orlando Pride and Orlando City SC, as the training camp will run from Jan. 9-22.
Andonovski will name an 18-player squad for each game, as the USWNT and Colombia will be based in a secure hotel environment and undergo regular testing.
4,000 fans will be allowed to attend each game, while it will also mark the first time since March 2020 that the USWNT have played a game on U.S. soil. They played a friendly game in the Netherlands in November 2020 which they won 2-0.
As for the roster, veteran stars Megan Rapinoe, Mallory Pugh and Carli Lloyd are included, while Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle will leave Manchester City for the month of January and head to Florida.
Manchester United duo Tobin Heath and Christen Press are staying in England and will not play for the USWNT, while Alex Morgan is not named in the squad as she recently revealed her and her family have contracted COVID-19 as she’s now back in the USA after her short-stint at Tottenham Hotspur.
“A big credit goes to our players, team staff and overall medical staff for the tremendous work to make sure we have secure and healthy environments for our camps and games,” Andonovski said. “And a special thanks also goes to our game operations staff for enabling us to host two matches against a talented opponent. It’s extremely valuable to play a team we don’t see that often and it’s important for our Olympic preparation.”
Other roster notes: youngster Catarina Macario is in the final stages to become eligible to play for the USWNT, while Jaelin Howell (21) and Sophia Smith (20) are the two youngest players on the squad.
Below is the USWNT roster in full, as American soccer fans will finally get to see the reigning World Cup winners back in action ahead of a big 2021 with the Tokyo Olympics fast approaching.
USWNT roster
GOALKEEPERS (4): Aubrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit), Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS (10): Alana Cook (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Abby Dahlkemper (North Carolina Courage), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (UNC), Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit), Margaret Purce (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Jaelin Howell (Florida State), Rose Lavelle (Manchester City, ENG), Catarina Macario (Stanford), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash), Samantha Mewis (Manchester City, ENG), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
FORWARDS (5): Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage)
