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NWSL North Carolina Courage

Five NC Courage Players Named to 26-Player Training Camp Roster for 2020 SheBelieves Cup

February 17, 2020 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
North Carolina Courage News Release


CHICAGO - U.S. Women's National Team head coach Vlatko Andonovski has named a 26-player training camp roster in preparation for the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, which features the top-ranked Americans, No. 6 England, No. 10 Japan and No. 13 Spain. Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, Jessica McDonald, Samantha Mewis, and Lynn Williams were all named to the training camp roster. All five players helped the United States qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games earlier this week. All of the matches will be shown on ESPN networks.

The U.S. team begins play in the SheBelieves Cup on Thursday, March 5 against England at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla. (7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and TUDN). Japan will kick off the tournament against Spain (4:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3) in the early game that day. All the teams will then travel to Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., where the USA will play Spain on Sunday, March 8 (5 p.m. ET on ESPN and TUDN), following Japan vs. England (2:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3). Crystal Dunn will be honored before the United States faces Spain for her 100th cap with the USWNT, a checkpoint she hit during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The tournament will finish on Wednesday, March 11, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, as England takes on Spain (4:15 p.m. CT on ESPN3) followed by the tournament finale, featuring the USA against Japan (7 p.m. CT on ESPNews and TUDN).

The training camp roster that will come together in Orlando for just over a week of training before the first game features all 20 players who helped the USA qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and win the 2020 Concacaf Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament last weekend, beating Mexico 4-0 in the semifinal and Canada 3-0 in the title game. Andonovski named six additional players, three of whom trained with the USA for a few days in advance of the Olympic qualifying tournament in defenders Margaret Purce and Casey Short and 2019 Women's World Cup champion forward Mallory Pugh. Andonovski also named a fourth goalkeeper to the roster in Jane Campbell, as well as 2019 Women's World Cup champion defender Tierna Davidson, and midfielder Jordan DiBiasi, who attended the USA's Identification Training Camp last December. That was DiBiasi's first senior USWNT call-up.

Andonovski will choose a final 23-player tournament roster for the SheBelieves Cup before the first game.

"As a team, we have lots of positive feelings coming out of Olympic Qualifying, but I think we all know that there's still a lot of room for growth for this group and there's no better way to continue that process than to play teams like England, Spain and Japan," said Andonovski. "Our end goal is the Olympics, but we're looking forward to a productive camp in Orlando and the challenge of playing three fantastic sides over the seven days. The rhythm of the SheBelieves Cup schedule directly matches what we will face in group play at the Olympics, and the value of getting a test run against this level of competition cannot be overstated."

All four teams contesting the 2020 SheBelieves Cup made the knockout rounds of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup last summer in France.

USWNT 2020 SheBelieves Cup Training Camp Roster Club; (Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (4): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 3), Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC; 3), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride; 25), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 61)

DEFENDERS (9): Abby Dahlkemper (North Carolina Courage; 58/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 25/1), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina Courage; 101/24), Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride; 107/1), Kelley O'Hara (Utah Royals FC; 129/2), Margaret Purce (Sky Blue FC; 1/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC; 174/0), Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars; 31/0), Emily Sonnett (Orlando Pride; 44/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Jordan DiBiasi (Washington Spirit), Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 99/19), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 83/18), Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit; 42/12), Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage; 64/18), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 16/0)

FORWARDS (7): Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC; 165;33), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC; 291/122), Jessica McDonald (North Carolina Courage; 17/4), Christen Press (Utah Royals FC; 134/56), Mallory Pugh (Sky Blue FC; 62/18), Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC; 165/51), Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage; 25/9)

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