As the U.S. women’s national team approaches the SheBelieves Cup this month, the clock is ticking for players on the bubble to make an impact before head coach Vlatko Andonovski names his 23-player roster for the 2023 World Cup.
It’s difficult to predict both fitness and form before July, and there will be players who make their returns and others who will become unavailable in the upcoming months. But Andonovski has been honing a small group for months rather than casting a wide net.
The coach’s roster has remained mostly the same over the course of multiple international windows, which begs the question: Just how close is the SheBelieves roster to the group that will travel to New Zealand in July?
Goalkeepers
The SheBelieves roster includes the same three goalkeepers from both the November and January rosters: Alyssa Naeher, Casey Murphy and Adrianna Franch.
Naeher and Murphy have been alternating starting roles since the beginning of 2022, though Naeher has started in bigger matches like the Concacaf W Final against Canada. Andonovski has prioritized Murphy’s development, and she now has more appearances in a U.S. jersey than Franch despite only joining the team…
