On Monday, interim U.S. women’s national team head coach Twila Kilgore named an interesting 26-player training camp roster ahead of two December friendlies against China PR. Though many notable names were left out of the group —including Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn — Kilgore emphasized that none of them were out of the mix. Instead, the decision allowed room to call in some newer players and to bring back players who have been out of the mix for various reasons. It’s a roster with eyes toward the future.
This is the first roster following the announcement that Emma Hayes will take over the role of USWNT head coach after the conclusion of her season with Chelsea in May. While Hayes is an ocean away, Kilgore and U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker indicated her integration into the team has already begun, albeit incrementally.
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“We’re sharing information, knowledge sharing,” Kilgore said. “There’s a provisional roster that comes out first, which I prepared. I was able to share my ideas with Emma. Emma’s able to share her ideas with me and we picked this roster collaboratively, and we will do so moving forward. I will have opportunities to go to…
