Washington Spirit reveal 2019 NWSL roster

With the 2019 NWSL season kicking off in just 5 days, the Washington Spirit confirmed their roster this afternoon. After a dreadful 2018, change is the word around the Maryland SoccerPlex, with nine newcomers — including Australian internationals Chloe Logarzo and Amy Harrison — on the senior roster and four more on the supplemental roster.

The Spirit will begin the season with 20 players on their senior roster. NWSL clubs are permitted to carry up to 22 senior roster players, while the supplemental spots are a new development. Those players are signed to league minimum salary deals, but do not count against the salary cap.

In a World Cup season, those players will likely see plenty of time for the Spirit. Four players appear to be locks to make their respective national teams: Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh with the USWNT, Logarzo with Australia, and Cheyna Matthews with Jamaica. Andi Sullivan is still very much in the picture for the United States, while Amy Harrison is in a similar situation with the Matildas.

Two familiar players will not be featuring for the Spirit: Joanna Lohman announced her retirement hours before the roster came out, while Mallory Eubanks will miss the season due to pregnancy. She remains on the roster, but will not take up a roster spot or hit the team’s salary cap.

Roster turnover after two straight poor seasons and a coaching change was inevitable, and the result is a roster that doesn’t have a huge amount of NWSL experience. All five draft picks from 2019’s College Draft are in the squad, as is undrafted rookie goalkeeper Shae Yanez. Logarzo and Harrison are in the league for the first time (though both have several years of pro experience elsewhere), while four more players have only one season with an NWSL club under their belts.

The full roster is as follows: