USWNT vs. China Friendlies: Preview, Prediction, and a Look at the New Roster

The USWNT has a fresh, new look with a brand new manager entering the picture soon. New faces will get the opportunity to shine for the Stars and Stripes as they look to expand the player pool and see the other talent available. Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Frisco, TX, will host the two games, with all eyes eagerly waiting to see which future USWNT stars are up next. Here’s a preview of the USWNT’s roster and friendlies with China.

USWNT Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 7), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 16)

DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 29/1), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC; 79/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 50/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 37/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 24/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 41/0), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC; 1/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 0/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 5/0), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 6/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 137/30), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 91/24), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 0/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 81/2)

FORWARDS (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 21/5), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 24/4), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 26/6), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 2/1), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 36/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 8/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/17)

The New Look Team Faces Off against China

This roster might surprise some people because of the stars left off. Alex Morgan, Sofia Huerta, Alyssa Naeher, Andi Sullivan, Ashley Sanchez, and Becky Sauerbrunn were left off. Becky Sauerbrunn has had a slew of injuries, including one that kept her out of this year’s World Cup. We’ll only see her in a USWNT jersey again if it’s an absolute must and the team is desperate at the back. Abby Dahlkemper and Tierna Davidson are back, and one is sure to be her future replacement alongside Naomi Girma.

Casey Krueger comes in for Sofia Huerta. Krueger is a true defender who has always played the position, whereas Huerta was a midfielder being asked to play as a wing-back. The USWNT could look at Kruger and Emily Fox as the left and right back combo, depending on what Twila Kilgore and Emma Hayes are looking for. Alyssa Naeher could undoubtedly use some time off as she’s been the No. 1 keeper for quite some time. Jane Campbell’s inclusion in the team could either mean she’s breaking into the top three keepers for good or that this is simply a congratulations on winning NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year.

Regarding the attack, Alex Morgan is likely taking time off, which gives Ashley Hatch another opportunity to break into this team. The same goes for Midge Purce, who just won NWSL Final MVP and is likely taking Ashley Sanchez’s spot, who could be the odd person out if Purce plays well. In the midfield, Andi Sullivan has attempted to take on the No. 6 role, but there hasn’t been anyone better in that spot yet. Enter Korbin Albert, who was a superstar at Notre Dame and a top-three college player before signing with PSG. I am a huge fan of this move, and time will tell if Albert could take over. Hopefully, her time in Paris has served her well.

The biggest question mark surrounding these roster moves is Jenna Nighswonger. The NWSL Rookie of the Year is fresh off winning the NWSL Championship, but will she play at the position Gotham used her? Nighswonger was an attacker who converted to playing a defender at Florida State until her final season, where she finally played as an attacking midfielder. It was that stellar play that got her noticed and drafted by Gotham, only for them to move her back to playing as a defender. Could the USWNT actually decide to play her in attack? Or will it be the same cautionary tale as Sofia Huerta or Crystal Dunn playing as a defender? Keep an eye on Nighswonger to see if and where she enters the lineup.

The rest of the roster is unchanged from the Colombia friendlies in late October.

Match Times

• USWNT vs. China, Saturday, December 2nd, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST, TNT
• USWNT vs. China, Tuesday, December 5th, 8:00pm EST/5:00pm PST, truTV

China’s form has been decent coming into this matchup with the USWNT. They finished third in the Asian Games in September but have been 1-1-1 since then. They’re right in the middle of the road and aren’t the type to create a ton of chances in attack. The Steel Roses are known for their defense, and Wang Shuang of Racing Louisville doesn’t seem like she’s included in the roster.

#SteelRoses #Chinagirlsfootball@CHNWNT@HotpotFootball@PaulWilliams_85@karlyboy71

Name list of the friendly with the USA. pic.twitter.com/jFLsZNsEks

— Chinese Women Football Info (@ChinaWfootball) November 20, 2023

It’s tough to say they’ll be able to create chances against a tough USWNT team, but Zhang Linyan of Tottenham Hotspur is sure to be a factor for China. China might be the perfect team for the USWNT to experiment against because they don’t deviate much from what they do in terms of style and personnel. Because they’re relatively predictable in how they want to play, and they don’t play as well on the road when they leave China. Two wins in two games is always the expectation, but based on USWNT’s recent play and the newer players on the roster, it’s plausible for one of the games to end in a draw. The speed advantage in attack is huge for the USWNT, and China will have no choice but to sit back because any one of the USWNT’s strikers will embarrass them in a foot race.

Overall, these friendlies are meant to be low-pressure, and this is merely a transitional period for the United States. Now is the time to figure out what the team has, as planning for the Olympics will have to begin soon, with the competition coming this summer.

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