Jill Ellis has called 26 players up for the United States women’s national team ahead of a January 21 friendly against Denmark. The USWNT will convene on January 6 for a two-week camp in Carson, CA, before heading to San Diego for the game against the Danes, who made a surprise run to the final of Euro 2017. Mallory Pugh is the only Washington Spirit player in the squad.
Pugh, coming off of her first pro season, pulled her hamstring just before halftime in the USWNT’s 3-1 win over South Korea on October 19. That kept her out of the final three national team games of 2017, but she has been cleared to play in the first camp of 2018. Tobin Heath (ankle) and Samantha Mewis (knee), will not be in camp due to injuries, while Rose Lavelle (hamstring) will only participate in light training and rehab exercises.
Other notable developments in the roster include a recall for veteran left back Meghan Klingenberg, who had been overlooked for six months despite posting 6 assists for the NWSL champion Portland Thorns. Meanwhile, Andi Sullivan — projected to be the #1 overall pick in the upcoming NWSL draft, which would mean the northern Virginia native going to her hometown club — is joined by three players currently not on a professional club. Defender Tierna Davidson, Sullivan’s teammate from Stanford, and South Carolina forward Savannah McCaskill are the other two, and both will be looking for their first senior caps.
The full roster is as follows:
22 earned a cap in 2017
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) January 3, 2018
⚪️ 21 come from @NWSL
18 will suit up vs.
Our first roster of the new year, by the numbers » https://t.co/XjZOgVmeQV pic.twitter.com/PyUL0QvvE4