DENVER — Whenever a national soccer team unveils its roster for a major tournament, you can usually tell who the last player to make it was.
And since the big international tournaments usually mandate 23-player squads, you’ll hear that someone is “the 23rd player” on a team: a young prospect brought along to experience the big stage, perhaps, or a hard-working veteran rewarded for toiling outside the limelight.
On the U.S. women’s squad for Concacaf’s upcoming World Cup qualifying and Olympics tournament, the 23rd player is also clear.
