The U.S. women’s national team’s quest for a third straight World Cup is officially underway, with coach Vlatko Andonovski announcing his 24-player roster for the squad’s January camp. Jetting to New Zealand, the USWNT will kick off 2023 with a pair of friendlies against this year’s World Cup cohosts, taking on the Football Ferns in Wellington, New Zealand, on Jan. 18 before facing off again in Auckland on Jan. 20. Both venues will serve as sites for July’s tournament.
This January camp isn’t the typical USWNT training that traditionally features up-and-comers and seasoned pros alike, with refined roster selection ever-important as the World Cup nears. Andonovski’s latest lineup features key absences, including veteran Megan Rapinoe, and fresh faces not seen in the USWNT pool in some time as mainstays return from injury and, per usual, some controversy.
Here are three major takeaways from the USWNT’s January roster.
