United Spirits Women’s National Team: 7 Washington players called up

By now we’ve grown accustomed to it, nevertheless it’s fairly unimaginable than on a 23-player USWNT roster Washington Spirit gamers nab seven spots. The next Spirit gamers can be in USWNT camp to face Colombia on June 25 & 28, then to Monterrey, Mexico for the CONCACAF W Championship match in July:

GK – Aubrey Kingsbury

CB– Emily Sonnett

RB – Kelley O’Hara

DCM/CM – Andi Sullivan

CAM/FWD – Ashley Sanchez

FWD – Trinity Rodman

ST/FWD – Ashley Hatch

The meteoric rises of Ashley Sanchez and Trinity Rodman, together with regular high-level performances from Aubrey Kingsbury and Andi Sullivan plus the signings of Emily Sonnett and Kelley O’Hara imply the Spirit can be well-represented on the U.S. nationwide stage for some time.

Sanchez will get an opportunity to construct on her distinctive performances within the SheBelieves Cup, whereas Rodman can proceed to settle into the group, notably now that she’s scored her first senior nationwide group objective.

Sullivan and O’Hara, in the meantime, have struggled with harm this common season and will have to have their minutes managed within the two upcoming friendlies with Colombia, a minimum of. Nevertheless, for Sullivan, with Sam Mewis off the roster as she continues to wrestle to get well from knee surgical procedure, and Lindsey Horan incomes the nickname ‘Potato’ from her Lyon teammates as a result of her knee swells and apparently resembles a potato, it could be a giant profit to her personally but additionally the group general if she might discover full health.

Emily Sonnett didn’t begin within the Spirit’s first common season match as she was nonetheless recovering from struggling a damaged rib within the Problem Cup, however has began each common season match since. Regardless of getting caught in unhealthy 1v1 positions and giving up comparable targets to Christen Press and Kerolin, Sonnett has been strong. Her vary on the again and adventurous ahead passing typically assist the Spirit progress the ball with out requiring a midfielder to drop deeper towards the backline.

The flipside of getting so many gamers referred to as up is {that a} very gifted chunk of the participant pool will miss a not-insignificant variety of matches. With a prolonged record of gamers dominated out of the final common season match, together with Dorian Bailey, Jordan Baggett, Tara McKeown, Alia Martin and Gaby Vincent, the Spirit might have a fair thinner squad heading into matches if a bit of those gamers stay unavailable.

Forward of the match with North Carolina Braveness, head coach Kris Ward gave optimistic updates on Gaby Vincent, Tara McKeown and Jordan Baggett, nevertheless they’re all beginning or nonetheless inside their preliminary levels of on-pitch restoration.

Whereas that could be a downside for Ward and future Spirits, it’s no much less excited for the gamers referred to as up, notably for younger abilities already performing nicely sufficient to embed themselves throughout the nationwide group.

Congratulations Spirits!