2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup USWNT roster: No Alex Morgan or Becky Sauerbrunn as Sophia Smith leads young squad

The U.S. women’s national team will kick off their first tournament of the year with the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. The national team has been drawn into Group A alongside Argentina and Mexico. A playoff between the Dominican Republic and Guyana will determine the fourth team to join the group, and the winner will face USA to begin group play. The group stage is set to begin on Feb. 17 with the final taking place on March 10 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. Fans can watch the entire event on Paramount+.

Interim head coach Twila Kilgore has named a 23-player roster for the upcoming event. Kilgore was initially named interim in August 2023 after the USWNT was eliminated from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the round of 16. The U.S. Soccer Federation eventually named Chelsea FC manager Emma Hayes as the next head coach and extended Kilgore’s role at the head of the team till Hayes concludes her club season. 

“Not only is there a trophy on the line, but this is a great opportunity to capitalize on meaningful match opportunities and experience the short turnarounds between games, which is a rhythm that closely mirrors the Olympic format,” said Kilgore. 

“We are going to take our next steps together as we continue to evolve our style of play and provide opportunities for players to grow into possible future roles and partnerships. There is something special about tournament play and what it can bring out of players. We are hopefully going to be together for a month and we are looking forward to both finding and enjoying that working rhythm required to be in tournament for long stretches while upholding and driving our standards forward. We can’t wait for the opportunity.”

The 23-person roster includes 21 players who were called into December camps to close out 2023 in friendlies against China. The USWNT camp will have 26 participants with Mallory Swanson, Savannah DeMelo, and Gisele Thompson as training players during the tournament. DeMelo was a starter in two 2023 World Cup games. Thompson, a U.S. U20 international recently signed with Angel City FC via the NWSL’s Under-18 mechanism. 

Swanson returns to the USWNT environment for the first time since suffering a torn patellar tendon last April that caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. Despite playing in only six games, Swanson led the national team in scoring in 2023 with seven goals.

Perhaps most notable, however, is who isn’t on this list. Longtime USWNT veterans Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn were both left on the outside looking in, despite both being available for selection. Their exclusion raises major questions about their future with the national team as the summer’s Olympics loom large on the horizon.

Take a look at the players who made the final cut:

USWNT roster 

Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders (8): Alana Cook (Seattle Reign FC), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC)

Midfielders (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

Forwards (6): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)