US vs Russia (April 6 & 9) Pre-Match-Post

The call-in to camp is for 24 players. 18 will be named to each game roster. The training camp will start on March 30, and Dunn will report that day. Lloyd is scheduled to come in a day later, and Morgan will report to camp on April 3.

As far as the roster, it looks like Kling, Rapinoe, ARod, and Ohai are back in. Oyster gets her first call up. From the SheBelieves roster, there's no Johnston, Sonnett, Pinto, or McDonald.

 

I'll also add the info that the April 6 game is in Frisco, TX at 7:30 pm CT (7 pm CT starts the pre-game show). It will be on FS1. The April 9 game is in Houston, TX at 1 pm CT, and will televised on ESPN.

 

I like the idea that we have just one thread for both games. Hope it stays that way & someone doesn't create 2 more threads for each game.

 

Morgan Brian is off the USWNT (soccer edition) for the upcoming series vs. Russia due to the knee injury she's been battling lately.

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) March 28, 2017

 

This seems like a crucial series for several players. Rodriguez, Rapinoe, Krieger, and Klingenberg have to prove that they're still in the running for the 2019 WC team.

Why Megan Oyster? She was a sub last year for Washington.

Sam Mewis gets a chance to nail down a starting spot. Lavelle hopefully gets a chance to show her stuff in the middle. Bad news for Brian and/or Horan?

Who's going to be the center back if we continue with the three-back? Not exactly a roaring success so far.

 

I say this is a crucial series for Jill Ellis. She experimented. Her experiment failed. If she learned then wonderful. If not not then she needs to be gone right away. A coach that doesn't learn should not be leading the national team.

Long on defense is a fail. A 3 back using anything other than centerback players is a fail.

 

Oyster started all 15 of the 15 games she played last season... not what I'd call a sub. (It was never announced she was injured, but it was speculated that she was. I don't know if it's true or if she just had a falling out with Gabarra near the end of the season, but if she had then why would she have started in the Final?)

 

leroux is playing preseason games for fckc.

is she still not cleared to play with the nt?

or is jill done with her? she's still allocated. no?

 

Another midfielder out. My worst fears have been realized.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...ruled-out-of-april-wnt-matches-against-russia



I hope I don't regret traveling 1108 miles [mostly] for the game next Thursday.

The conspiracy theorist in me is wondering whether players might be sitting out to increase the odds of Russia staging an upset or two and getting Ellis fired.

 

I'm okay with some of these players sitting out due to minor injuries (as long as they heal up soon!). These games were a great chance to rest veterans anyway. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded to see the European-based players stay with their clubs.

Looking at the roster, I think we'll see Long playing in the midfield...I hope. And the chances of seeing Rapinoe and where she's at just increased significantly as well as good chances of seeing Ohai out on the wing.

 

U.S. U-23 WNT Defeats Portland Thorns 2-1

Forward Sophia Smith scored the game-winner on the stroke of 90 minutes

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...land-thorns-2-1-at-thorns-spring-invitational

Full game:

 

doesn't mean much as we know, but still impressive win for a young u23 team.
sophia smith looked good for 16, but...

Rose could suddenly have a lot of responsibility in the midfield..which is also a great opportunity for her. I wonder how long Jill's love affair with Long will last and where she will play against Russia.

 

I'm not sure why some have Miller ahead of Murphy for next year's draft. The latter is clearly better in my opinion. Miller had a great defense in front of her at FSU.

 

Meanwhile in Chicago...