Lineup Notes: 2018 Begins as WNT Takes on Denmark in San Diego
Facts and figures about tonight's U.S. WNT Starting XI.
USA vs. Denmark
Date: Jan. 21, 2018
Venue: SDCCU Stadium; San Diego
Broadcast: ESPN
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Tonight’s Starting XI vs. Denmark: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 22-Taylor Smith, 17-Tierna Davidson, 7-Abby Dahlkemper, 5-Kelley O’Hara; 8-Julie Ertz, 9-Lindsey Horan, 6-Andi Sullivan; 11-Mallory Pugh, 13-Alex Morgan (capt.), 15-Megan Rapinoe
Subs: 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lynn Williams, 16-Emily Sonnett, 19-Crystal Dunn, 23-Christen Press, 24-Ashlyn Harris, 26-Savannah McCaskill
- Alyssa Naeher will earn her 24th cap tonight. She has 12 career shutouts. She is the ninth goalkeeper in U.S. history to earn 20 or more caps.
- Tierna Davidson will earn her first cap for the USA today, becoming the 21st woman to make a WNT debut under Jill Ellis. On Monday, the 19-year-old Stanford sophomore, who was named to the roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, will depart to Trinidad & Tobago to join the U-20 WNT as the USA competes to earn a berth to the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Davidson helped lead Stanford to the NCAA Championship this past season. She is the third teenager since 2013 to earn a first cap for the U.S. WNT. Mallory Pugh (17 in 2016) and Lindsey Horan (19 in 2013) are the most recent teenagers to debut for the WNT.
- Taylor Smith will earn her eighth international cap tonight. She made her debut last July against Australia during the Tournament of Nations.
- Abby Dahlkemper will make her 14th career appearance today for the WNT in what will be her 10th career start. The 2017 NWSL Defender of the Year made her debut for the U.S. on Oct. 19, 2016, against Switzerland in Utah, and earned her first start against Norway on June 11, 2017 where she played all 90 minutes to help the U.S. defense claim a shutout in Sandefjord. Dahlkemper is a former captain of the U-17 Women's National Team.
- Kelley O'Hara earned her 100th cap with the USA on Sept. 15, 2017, becoming the 36th player in U.S. WNT history to play 100 or more times for her country. One of the most experienced players on the squad, O’Hara is set to make her 105th appearance today.
- Julie Ertz will earn her 58th cap tonight. Ertz, who began playing as defensive midfielder for the WNT during the Tournament of Nations, quickly excelled at the role and was later named the 2017 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. She finished 2017 six goals, second-most on the team. Ertz has 14 career goals for the WNT, with 13 of them coming directly from or originating from set pieces. Today, both she and her husband – Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz – will be playing almost concurrently, as Julie hopes to kick-start the USA’s year on a positive note, while Zach competes against the Minnesota Vikings for a berth to Super Bowl LII.
- Lindsey Horan enjoyed a fine 2017, helping the Portland Thorns win the NWSL title by scoring the game-winning goal in the championship. For the WNT, she finished strong, establishing herself in the lineup. She will earn her 44th WNT cap today.
- Andi Sullivan comes into the match after leading Stanford to the NCAA title as a senior and winning the MAC Hermann Trophy as the top player in college soccer in 2017. She will earn her eighth WNT cap.
- Mallory Pugh will start today at the stadium where she scored in her senior team debut (the 19th U.S. WNT player to score in her first cap) on Jan. 23, 2016, vs. Ireland at 17 years, 8 months and 25 days old, becoming the youngest player to debut for the U.S. in the last 11 years. It will be the 19-year-old’s 30th cap for the WNT.
- Alex Morgan comes into the match with 80 goals in 134 caps and at age 28 sits in sole possession of seventh place on the USA's all-time goal scoring list. She scored seven goals over her last seven WNT matches of 2017.
- Megan Rapinoe makes her 130th international appearance today. She has 34 career goals, pulling her to within one goal of tying April Heinrichs and Sydney Leroux for 15th on the all-time goals list.
- Tonight’s bench: M Carli Lloyd, F Lynn Williams, D Emily Sonnett, F Crystal Dunn, F Christen Press, GK Ashlyn Harris, F Savannah McCaskill.