Another USWNT roster arrived on Tuesday, with head coach Emma Hayes tapping 24 players for the world No. 1 team’s upcoming early summer friendlies against No. 17 China PR and No. 40 Jamaica.
Featuring both mainstays and prospects, the lineup showcases Hayes’s interest in developing young standouts while also highlighting returning regulars — and one unexpected favorite.
USWNT staples like Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Heaps, and Lynn Biyendolo are back, balancing out less experienced players like forwards Michelle Cooper and Emma Sears, midfielder Claire Hutton, and defender and first-time call-up Kerry Abello.
One uncapped invitee doesn’t fit the US’s ongoing youth movement mold, with 32-year-old Kansas City captain and celly queen Lo’eau LaBonta earning her first national team nod.
“First of all, she’s deserving of the call-up,” Hayes told reporters on Tuesday morning, praising the midfielder’s NWSL play. “She’s being consistent in everything that she has done. And with the volume of young players or less experienced players we’re bringing in, I think we have to get that balance right.”
Angel City sister…
