Sermanni Names 23 Player Algarve Cup Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3):Nicole Barnhart (FC Kansas City), Ashlyn Harris (Duisburg), Jill Loyden (Sky Blue FC)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (Portland Thorns FC), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina), Whitney Engen (Liverpool), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Yael Averbuch (Göteborg FC), Shannon Boxx (Chicago Red Stars), Lauren Cheney (FC Kansas City), Tobin Heath (PSG), Carli Lloyd (Western NY Flash), Kristie Mewis (FC Kansas City), Heather O’Reilly (Boston Breakers), Megan Rapinoe (Lyon)

FORWARDS (5): Lindsey Horan (PSG), Sydney Leroux (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns FC), Christen Press (Tyresö), Abby Wambach (Western NY Flash)

Notable things:

• Solo is sidelined with a wrist injury that may require surgery
• Roster includes newbies Dunn and Mewis - but no Johnston
• No Mitts
• Addition of Lindsey Horan
• Horan, Rapinoe, and Heath will not join the team until March 3rd

Where did the Horan selection come from? I guess skipping college worked out for her.

Keelin Winters was the other one to be left out from the recent training camp and friendlies squad, I notice.

Hmm. I would have liked to see him drop Buehler and either Lloyd or Cheney, frankly, and bring in Julie Johnston and maybe Amber Brooks. I guess he's taking a slowly-but-surely approach . . .

That approach is fine by me. While he is integrating some new faces, there's no need to completely rock the boat. Although I would like to see Brooks in camp at some point this year.

Maybe he figures Horan is over there and this is good time to take a look. Not a good sign for Hagen tho.

If Solo has surgery the Reign has no one left.

I figured Dunn made it as she wasnt listed among the U-23...odd that he'd name Mewis who was on the U-23 roster tho.

So who is the starting GK? He seemed to like Loyden but if Harris was injured???

Horan is rocking the boat a little bit. Otherwise none of this surprises me.

I hope Ashlyn gets a go against Pia. In fact I hope all the new players get started against Pia. Horan & Press up top. Averbuch & Mewis down the middle, Engen & Dunn in the back, Harris in goal.

I seem to recall a tweet of the Harris injury, impact injury to the ankle area that usually heals quickly. Or was that someone else?

Heather Blaine Mitts Feeley, should end her career with the USWNT and ride off into the sunset in dignity.
She has well over 100 caps for the USWNT, 3 Gold Medals, NCAA National Championship, Ohio State Championship and many other soccer related and personal honors and accomplishments.

Heather Mitts has contributed to the US Women's National Soccer Team for over a decade and maybe now it's time to move on to another chapter in life. Whatever it may be - family, broadcasting, acting, etc.
I have been a big fan for many years but I just don't see her fitting in to the future of this team any more.

She's beautiful, talented and from everything I've read, a very nice person.
Join ESPN or FSC. You could be the next Erin Andrews of soccer television.

The kernel says: "Maybe he figures Horan is over there and this is good time to take a look."
Wambach has nothing to prove and Horan can play up top so Abby can rest her legs. Abby can also mentor Horan...Like the roster.

The ankle was Morgan. Harris tweaked a quad muscle. See if she plays for Duisburg against Turbine Potsdam on February 24.

Well, looks like Dunn is the only one who will be going back to her hotel room to do homework. I can't imagine she can miss much more school during this semester. One thing when you go to a camp for U20s and everyone is a student. Now you go to a camp and no one else is a student. Good to see her called again.

Good looking out.

With UNCs recent Football scandal she won't get any leeway, either. I see a tough trip for Dunn.

What do you mean by a "tough trip"?

Oh she will enjoy being there, but she's going to have to do a ton of studying. I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now that's brimming with students. I think mid terms are coming up.

Never easy but based on the amount of time she left school for national team camp, qualifiers and WC's over the past several years, she probably just sucks it up and makes it up when she returns. I think those U17 and U20 girls just deal with it. But as a UNC fan, just want to make sure she is ok academically for the fall which I have to think she will be.

I thought Horan was a mid?

I don't know, let's ask @MRAD12 - he's seen her play. She sounds good enough to play either forward or mid. Which means that some of us will probably be calling for her to play left back for the national team.

She was picked up as a forward tho I cant say for sure she hasnt been moved. She played Forwrd for Rush and U20s.

I wonder if Sermanni got a little scouting report on Horan from Tobin Heath.

Changes from last year's Algarve Cup roster:

GK: Solo out, Loyden in.

DF: Cox, Klingenberg, LePeilbet, Mitts out; Dunn, Krieger in.

MF: Lindsey, Rodriguez out; Averbuch, Mewis in.

FW: Horan, Press in. [Cheney moved from FW to MF.]

The Mewis thing is interesting. She was on the U23 trip to Spain so does this pull her out of that? Is she just there to help with practices as Rapinoe and Heath wont arrive til March 3? If Mewis ends up as one of the two alternates she probably would have been better off playing in Spain with the U23s. Of course if she actually gets to play at Algarve then it was prolly worth it.

Kind of a tough row to hoe for Horan. She wasnt at the first camp and will arrive late to the second. By the time she has a few practice under her belt, the two games with the opportunity for subs will be over. Oh yeah, and she has Wambach, Morgan, Leroux and Press in front of her. Maybe he'll keep her as an alternate and watch her in practice.

I like this roster.
I too would like to see Brooks get a shot.
I like the Horan addition. Sermani has done his research. He's watched her play in the French league and likes what he sees. There's a reason for her call up and Mewis.
Both have the potential to be part of this team going forward.
I'd like to see Morgan Brian included in a camp in the near future. Great middle player imo. Can pass circles around Lloyd.

Lindsey and Mitts - thank you for great careers. very impressive...

Or he asked Heath about her. Personally, I would have rather seen Hagen at this point even if down the road it turns out to be Horan.