Goalkeepers (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Kansas City), Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), Jill Loyden (Sky Blue FC) Defenders (8): Rachel Buehler (Portland Thorns FC), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina), Whitney Engen (Liverpool), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O'Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City) Midfielders (6): Amber Brooks (Bayern Munich), Lauren Cheney (FC Kansas City), Tobin Heath (Paris Saint-Germain), Carli Lloyd (Western NY Flash), Kristie Mewis (FC Kansas City), Heather O'Reilly (Boston Breakers) Forwards (4): Sydney Leroux (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns FC), Christen Press (Tyreso), Abby Wambach (Western NY Flash) Megan Rapinoe was left off the roster because of her Lyon commitments with the Champions League Final and the French Cup Final. Hope Solo will join the team in camp for training and evaluation of her wrist but will not be on the roster. http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Womens...atch-against-Canada-in-Toronto-on-June-2.aspx
Brooks with her first official call-up, while Averbuch was left off. Possibly it's because Göteborg plays on June 4, though Liverpool also plays that day and Engen's on the roster. Guess we'll see if Yael makes the roster for South Korea.
I'm disappointed that Rapinoe isn't on the roster. She has played spectacularly well against Canada. I wonder whether she'll go back to Lyon in the fall? I wouldn't be surprised. She strikes me as the sort of person who likes living in France. And she probably makes more money there than she will with a US team. Are Tancredi and Filigno on the Canada team for this game? I like watching them because Tancredi is mean as a junkyard dog and Filigno runs like a thoroughbred in the Kentucky Derby with mane a-flying.
I don't think the Canadian roster has been announced. Filigno started every game in Cyprus, so I would think she'd be named. Tancredi's been in school and even if she's finished she's probably not match fit, so I doubt we'll see her.
I believe Canada is releasing their roster tomorrow. I would love to see Tancredi; it would make things more entertaining
I'm beyond thrilled that Brooks gets an official call-up. I guess she made a good impression while training with the team in Germany. I'm a little bummed about no Rapinoe, considering how well she played against Canada in the Olympics, but I can't fault Sermanni's reasoning. As to who will get left off the game roster- definitely one of the keepers, and most likely 2 of the center backs. Please let one of them be Buehler. Part of me wants to see Tancredi on the roster, so she and Lloyd can battle it out, but I also don't want any of our players getting hurt and missing league games because of her overly physical style. I have a feeling, though, that this game may not be as physical as we're thinking it will be.
You have to think that Press and Engen make the roster considering they are flying in from across the world for one game and Sermanni easily could have left them off the roster as he did with Rapinoe, Averbuch, and Klingenberg.
Press is almost a definite, due to having only 4 forwards. I don't see any of the mids or forwards being left out. The big question mark is who will get the start at holding mid? Sermanni has shown that he's not afraid of throwing relatively inexperienced players in against top teams like Germany and Sweden. That could be part of his reason for bringing in Brooks. On the other hand, with all the drama from the Olympics lingering around this match, this might be one position where he goes with experience first, and there's not a lot of that other than Lloyd. My starting 11: Barnhart Krieger Rampone Sauerbrunn O'Hara O'Reilly Cheney Lloyd Heath Press Morgan
I can think of 156 reason why Wambach starts. She's at 155 goals and without her height, especially on the defensive end defending set pieces, Sinclair could run wild...again.
Um not too crazy about restricting rosters to 18. Nice to see Brooks get another look. She's a ball winner like Boxx so that will help in practice at least. I doubt she'll dress for the game. Hopefully she's back for South Korea as well. Shame about Rapinoe. If Tancredi doesnt play either then with those two difference makers out it's not really "the rematch" My guess on the cuts r Harris, assuming Loyden is game ready, Brooks and either Johnston or Mewis. That makes Mewis the odd woman out because Press covers them at AM while they would need Johnston or Brooks as cover at DM.
Carli Lloyd back. Most frustrating attacking midfielder in WNT history. She will score a big goal and turn the ball over enough to keep the other team in it.
In the past, yes, there has been many times where Lloyd has been terrible with keeping the ball, and she got deservedly benched for it. Ever since she came off the bench against France in the Olympics, though, I haven't seen much of that. Besides, she'll most likely play the holding mid role, as there are fewer options there than attacking mid.
She's always had stellar games, but for whatever reason many fans like to single her out for every missed pass. Even without the two goals, she was fantastic in the final against Japan - intercepting passes, drawing fouls, and distributing.
He'll start her but he shouldn't. Pack house and crazy fans for this game, so I give them their money's worth. 4-3-3 and phase into a 4-4-2 as needed by dropping sydney to the wing instead of press in the mf. press, morgan and sydney start up top. open the game up magicjack style. it's another meaningless friendly, so go for it. they started together and put germany in a hole 2-0 within minutes.
I'm a huge fan of Lloyd, but that doesn't stop me from pointing out when I see that she isn't playing well. The criticism she gets at times is borderline ridiculous, though. About the final, I don't think even Lloyd's worst critics could find anything to complain about, save for a couple iffy fouls towards the end when it was clear she was exhausted. What stuck out to me in that game wasn't Lloyd's goals or her pass interceptions. Those were a huge part of the game, but we've seen all that before. It was her on-field communication that impressed me the most. I don't think I've ever seen her that outspoken in any game. Usually it's Abby and Hope who are the most vocal players, and Lloyd doesn't say much. It was quite refreshing to see her step up and lead that day.
Canadian Roster GK- Karina LeBlanc | USA / Portland Thorns FC GK- Erin McLeod | USA / Chicago Red Stars D- Kadeisha Buchanan | USA / West Virginia University* D- Robyn Gayle | USA / Washington Spirit D- Carmelina Moscato | USA / Chicago Red Stars D- Rachel Quon | USA / Chicago Red Stars D- Lauren Sesselmann | USA / FC Kansas City D- Rhian Wilkinson | USA / Boston Breakers D- Emily Zurrer | USA / Seattle Reign FC M- Kaylyn Kyle | USA / Seattle Reign FC M- Ashley Lawrence | USA / West Virginia University* M- Diana Matheson | USA / Washington Spirit M- Sophie Schmidt | USA / Sky Blue FC M- Desiree Scott | USA / FC Kansas City F- Tiffany Cameron | USA / Seattle Reign FC F- Christina Julien | RUS / WFC Rossiyanka F- Christine Sinclair | USA / Portland Thorns FC F- Melissa Tancredi | unattached
Canada could completely rule the mid-field in this game, but if it's 50/50, USA forwards will jack their back-line. I see Sesselmann and not much else.
That's a good Canadian team. My heart is broken that Filigno is not there -- but realistically she's not a major cog. Tancredi is there -- but is she in shape to play? If she is -- watch out! US starting line up, conventional I would guess: Barnhart Krieger, Buehler, Rampone, O'Hara O'Reilly, Cheney (ugh!), Lloyd, Heath (ugh!) Morgan, Wambach Subs (I'm assuming there are 6) Press comes in for Wambach in second half. Dunn for Krieger (her knee is tender) Leroux for Heath (surprise!) Mewis for Cheney Brooks for Lloyd Possibly Sauerbrunn or JJ for Buehler Prediction: 2-2 tie. No Rapinoe as a scoring threat and to feed the ball to Wambach. Canadian midfield is better. They'll track Morgan effectively.