USWNT vs. Colombia: What to Expect
The USWNT continues to assess the next generation as they prepare to face Colombia in two upcoming friendlies. Colombia had an incredible World Cup and advanced to the Quarterfinals. Twila Kilgore is the interim manager for the USWNT and has an opportunity to stake her claim on the job with no one else having been considered yet. Let’s break down the roster and preview the USWNT vs. Colombia friendlies.
The two matches are on Thursday, October 26, and Sunday, October 29. The first game will be live on TBS or streaming on Peacock at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT. The second game will be live on TNT and streaming on Peacock at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT.
Here are the 27 players that received call-ups into camp:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 15), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 96)
DEFENDERS (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 27/1), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC; 138/24), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 35/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 22/0), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign; 31/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 40/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 216/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 79/2), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC; 1/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 4/0), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 4/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 135/29), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 26/3), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 51/3)
FORWARDS (9): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG; 1/0), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 20/5), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC; 213/121), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 24/4), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 24/6), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 0/0), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 34/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 7/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 57/17)
Breaking Down the USWNT Roster
Most of the roster comprises players who were at the World Cup, but adding some familiar faces and young talent is what’s most exciting. Becky Sauerbrunn is back after missing out on the World Cup, and Sophia Smith is back after injuring her knee. There are four new players to keep an eye on. Two debuted in the last set of friendlies against South Africa, M.A. Vignola and Mia Fishel.
Vignola’s rise is a great story, as she was added after the expansion draft for Angel City. Her decision to skip the NWSL Draft to go overseas has definitely paid off. Fishel took the same route as Vignola and has a ton of upside. The striker is already making her mark at Chelsea. Being surrounded by an elite group of players there will only help her improve exponentially.
Two brand new players who could make their debuts are Jaedyn Shaw and Olivia Moultrie, both phenoms who have risen to the highest level of women’s soccer at just 18 years old. The international game is a different beast, but getting the young starlets a taste of what it’s like to put on the stars and stripes is important for their development.
It’s great to see Midge Purce included again, as she didn’t make the World Cup roster. The Gotham winger adds a different dimension to the USWNT attack with her pace and dribbling abilities. Sam Coffey is an NWSL MVP nominee who could be the future No. 6 that the national team has been missing. Hopefully, she gets more time to prove herself in either of these friendlies.
The Games
For Colombia, the game plan is simple. Remain compact in defense, absorb the pressure that the USWNT brings, and look to strike on the counterattack. The Colombians managed to upset Germany and South Korea with this strategy. They’ve got the perfect player to run the show in Linda Caicedo, one of the best young players in the world. The game-winner she scored against Germany was one of the biggest moments of the World Cup. If the USWNT doesn’t make her a priority, Caicedo can do the same to them.
The United States has a record of nine wins and one draw against Colombia and has never lost a match when playing in Utah. The USWNT should get two wins in two games, but this is the best Colombia team they’ve ever faced. If the USA coaching staff decides to experiment a bit too much with their lineup and tactics, the Colombians can take full advantage. So, these friendlies are worth the watch because of what the future holds for this group of USWNT players.
Featured image via @uswnt on X
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