US women’s roster announced for exhibitions against China
CHICAGO (AP) Midfielder Tobin Heath is back on the U.S. women's national team roster after spending the start of the year recovering from surgery.
Coach Jill Ellis named a 23-player roster Tuesday for a pair of exhibition matches against China next month.
Heath, who turned 30 on Tuesday, hasn't played with the national team since appearing as a substitute in a friendly against New Zealand last September. She had surgery to remove bone growth on her right ankle in early January.
Also returning to the national team is Julie Ertz, who missed a pair of April exhibition matches against Mexico because of a knee injury. Amy Rodriguez, who missed 2016 because of the birth of her son and 2017 with an ACL injury, was also included by Ellis.
Christen Press, left off the roster for Mexico because she was not on a club team at the time, also returned to the roster.
Press, who was traded to the Houston Dash in the offseason but never joined the National Women's Soccer League club, is currently playing in Sweden with Goteborg.
The U.S. roster including club team:
Goalkeepers: Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Casey Murphy (Montpellier), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Abby Smith (Utah Royals).
Defenders: Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage), Tierna Davidson (Stanford), Sofia Huerta (Chicago Red Stars), Merritt Mathias (NC Courage), Margaret Purce (Portland Thorns), Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC).
Midfielders: Morgan Brian (Lyon), Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue), Samantha Mewis (NC Courage), Allie Long (Seattle Reign), McCall Zerboni (NC Courage)
Forwards: Crystal Dunn (NC Courage), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah McCaskill (Sky Blue), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Kopparbergs/Goteborg), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign), Amy Rodriguez (Utah Royals).
