Photo Copyright Jon Durr for USA TODAY Sports.
When was the last time the U.S. women’s national team’s starting XI was a true tabula rasa heading into a competitive tournament? Interim head coach Twila Kilgore, in consultation with head coach-elect Emma Hayes, has named a 23-player side for the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup where two, possibly three starting spots are guaranteed. The rest of the lineup is up for grabs.
What’s more, this is the youngest U.S. roster in more than a decade. The ratio of 25-and-under players to 30-and-over players hasn’t been this large since the 2011 World Cup, and had Alana Cook not been injured, that ratio would have inched up further. The average age of 26.6 is also the lowest for a tournament squad in more than a decade. What had been suspected for months has now been confirmed: the U.S. is undertaking a massive generational transition.
This is the perfect time to do it, too. The Concacaf W Gold Cup was developed to give sides in the confederation more competitive games. Placing the…
