The Six New Faces on the USWNT and its Match Against Australia
The USWNT travels to Australia for two friendlies against the Matildas on November 26 in Sydney and November 30 in Newcastle. It will be the first time that the U.S. has traveled to Australia since 2000. In 32 matches against the Aussies, the USWNT holds a 27-1-4 record. The last meetings between these two teams came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In the group stage, they battled to a 0-0 tie, but the Americans got the best of Australia in the bronze medal match, winning 4-3.
This roster has quite a few new faces and some players that haven’t been in the mix for a while. However, players are reaping the benefits of good league play and getting a chance with the national team. Six of the 23 players called into camp are uncapped, while six more have less than ten caps (Jane Campbell, Alana Cook, Emily Fox, Sofia Huerta, Ashley Hatch, and Margaret Purce).
These two friendlies are a chance to see a glimpse of the future of the USWNT; getting these younger players in is important for the team’s development if they want to continue to be the best in the world. Australia is a great team with a strong attack led by Sam Kerr. It will be a tough test for this young team, but it will be a great way to end the year and gain some momentum going into 2022.
The New Faces
Casey Murphy – Murphy has been called into six different USWNT training camps but has yet to earn her first cap for the U.S. However, she made a big impact in her first year with the Courage after being traded last ahead of the 2021 season to North Carolina. The Rutgers alum had a terrific season for N.C.; she led the league in saves (109) and clean sheets (11).
Bella Bixby – Bixby is another young goalkeeper like Murphy that had a great NWSL season. She took over as Portland’s number one keeper and had an impressive season after suffering an ACL tear in 2020. Bixby played in 17 games for the Thorns and finished the season with nine clean sheets and 46 saves. The goalkeeper was named to the NWSL Best XI Second Team and was a finalist for NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year. This is her first call-up to the national team.
Ashley Sanchez – Sanchez was a massive part of a young Washington Spirit squad that defied the odds and won their first NWSL Championship this season. The chemistry that she and Trinity Rodman had with the team was so fun to watch. Sanchez proved to be a dangerous threat in the attack all season long. Although she finished the season with six goals in 25 appearances, it was her wonder goal against O.L. Reign that sent Washington into the 2021 NWSL Championship game. Sanchez has trained in camp with the USWNT but has yet to earn her first cap with the senior team.
Bethany Balcer – Balcer has been a star for O.L. Reign since joining the league in 2019. She earned a spot on the squad through open tryouts and hasn’t looked back since. During the 2021 season, she finished with a team-leading nine goals in 24 games, only two goals behind Ashley Hatch for the Golden Boot. The forward was also named to the NWSL Best XI Second Team. This is her third national team call-up, but she has yet to appear for the USWNT.
Morgan Weaver – This is Weaver’s first call-up into the national team, joining Thorn’s teammate Bixby. In her first regular season with the Thorns, she appeared in 20 games, registering one goal and three assists on the season. She was a dangerous option up top for Portland, combining well with the rest of the attack to create many chances.
Imani Dorsey – Dorsey was a late addition to this USWNT roster, but it was a much-deserved spot after her good season with NJ/NY Gotham FC. The former NWSL Rookie of the Year makes her return to national camp for the first time since 2019. Dorsey was a key piece of the Gotham defense that posted eight clean sheets on the season.
Featured image via @USWNT on Instagram
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