USWNT roster news: Alex Morgan ruled out of England, Spain friendlies
By Laken Litman
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
The biggest news from the latest U.S. women's national team roster drop is that San Diego Wave star forward Alex Morgan has been ruled out of two upcoming friendlies against England and Spain due to a knee injury.
On Thursday, USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski released his latest 24-player roster for matches in Europe — on Oct. 7 at Wembley Stadium in London against reigning EURO Champion England, and then on Oct. 11 at El Sadar Stadium in Pamplona against Spain. Andonovski will name 23 players to suit up for each of the matches.
Like the U.S., both England and Spain have already qualified for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
"We're looking at this as an opportunity to play against some of the world's best teams," Andonovski said. "We've always said that we want to create adverse environments for our players. We want them to go through adversity and figure out a way to overcome it.
"And what better way to do this than playing in front of full stadiums of 90,000 people against England and Spain later on."
While Andonovski said he could not go into the severity of Morgan's knee injury, he did give some positive hints about her situation.
"What I can say is that if this was a World Cup final, Alex was going to be on this trip, and she was going to play this game, no question," Andonovski said.
Andonovski said that in speaking with Morgan, they agreed the best thing for her health is for her not to travel.
The other big news is that Portland Thorns defender Crystal Dunn, who trained with the USWNT during its September FIFA window but was not technically on the roster for those games against Nigeria, gets her first call-up since giving birth to her son in May.
"She looked sharp as ever," Andonovski said of Dunn's performance during the last camp. "She looked quick, her numbers were great in terms of physical output, and we're looking forward to having her back now and available for selection.
"I have no doubt that Crystal will integrate back on the team very quick and actually, part of the reason why she was in the previous camp was so this transition now and the moment she fights for a spot on the team is not right off the bat."
Dunn is listed as a defender, but Andonovski said she could play other positions in the future and even from game to game.
Additionally, due to Morgan's absence, 17-year-old Alyssa Thompson gets the opportunity to make her senior national team debut. Thompson played for the U.S. at this year's U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica where she scored a goal and had an assist. Thompson, who is a senior in high school, plays for the U-17 Total Futbol Academy boys' team in MLS NEXT.
"We're very excited about her potential," Andonovoski said of Thompson. "And we're looking forward to seeing how she's going to turn out in our environment."
The U.S. has plenty of strong forwards on this roster already, including Mallory Pugh, Sophia Smith, Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Megan Rapinoe. So how does Thompson fit in as the team continues to prepare for next year's World Cup?
"Alyssa is a very creative player with very good understanding of the game," Andonovski said. "We think that she has the ability to play as a winger 7 and 11, but not a classic winger, just on the side. She does have a very good understanding of how to come into the next channel on the inside and expose teams in those areas. I have no doubt that she will fit in well in our system.
"For Alyssa, I don't want to say this camp is make it or break it. You know, it's her first experience [with the senior national team]. It's just something that she shouldn't even worry about. I think it's a great experience, great exposure for her and it's a good experience for us to have an opportunity to work with her. What happens from there, we'll see."
The match against the Lionesses in Wembley Stadium will be played in front of a sold-out crowd — the maximum capacity fits more than 80,000 fans. U.S. Soccer expects this to be the second-largest crowd ever to watch the USWNT, coming in behind the 90,185 fans who witnessed the 1999 World Cup final at the Rose Bowl.
While the roster features plenty of young players, it also includes familiar faces like Rapinoe, Thorns defender Becky Sauerbrunn, Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan and OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle.
Gotham FC forward Midge Purce, who made multiple rosters over the summer, was left off due to a "dip in form," which Andonvoski iterated is normal and something that happens with lots of players who oftentimes come back stronger.
Overall, Andonovski says he's excited for the challenge this window brings and for the group he's taking with him.
"In the group of players that we have on this roster, it's obvious that it's very young," Andonovski said. "Players like Pinoe, Becky, Rose and Lindsey have been in environments like this. They know what it takes to win big games.
"But then we have the next generation, the younger ones that have to experience this which I believe [is similar] to playing in a World Cup game. So overall, I'm very excited for this opportunity for the team and for the group of young players."
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously covered college football, college basketball, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and the Olympics at Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. Her first book, written in partnership with Rizzoli and Sports Illustrated and titled "Strong Like a Woman," was published in spring 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX.
