Nov. 14, 2009
CHICAGO, ILL. -
U.S. Women's National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has called in 24 players, including six current and former North Carolina Tar Heels, for an 11-day training camp running from Dec. 5-15 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. This will be the last action of the year for the U.S. women, who have compiled a record of 7-0-1 in full international matches in 2009. Tar Heels attending the camp include Lori Chalupny, Cat Whitehill, Heather O'Reilly, Tobin Heath, Casey Nogeuira and Yael Averbuch.
Eighteen players on the roster come from WPS clubs, but Sundhage has also called in six of the nation's top college players who are finishing up their seasons this fall.
Sixteen of the 18 players that were a part of the USA's roster for the 1-0 victory over Germany in late October were named to this camp, including Abby Wambach, who scored the winning goal in that match in front of 30,000 fans in Augsburg, Germany. Wambach comes into camp as the most-capped player on the roster with 131 games played for the USA. Defender Cat Whitehill is right behind her at 130. The other players with more than 100 caps on the roster are midfielders Shannon Boxx (118) and Heather O'Reilly (116) and defender Heather Mitts (104). Defender Lori Chalupny looks to be the next U.S. player to hit 100 as she currently sits on 92 career caps.
Sundhage called up the USA's two most experienced collegians in UCLA forward Lauren Cheney (19 caps) and North Carolina midfielder Tobin Heath (19). Both were members of the USA's gold medal-winning 2008 Olympic Team.
Also getting the nod are midfielder Christine Nairn (Penn State), who was just named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (Penn State) who was just named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, forward Casey Nogueira (North Carolina), who was the MVP of the ACC Tournament, and forward Kelley O'Hara (Stanford), who scored 23 goals in 20 regular season matches. O'Hara was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year.
Nairn and Naeher were members of the USA's 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Team that took home the title in Chile while Nogueira and O'Hara played for the USA at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Russia.
If one or more of the college players on the roster makes it to the NCAA Women's College Cup being held at Texas A&M on Dec. 4 and 6, they will arrive a few days late into training camp. Sundhage will also be attending the semifinal matches of the College Cup on Dec. 4 in College Station, Tex.
U.S. WNT ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Penn State), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)
DEFENDERS (7): Brittany Bock (Los Angeles Sol), Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Meghan Schnur (Sky Blue FC), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Tobin Heath (North Carolina), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Christine Nairn (Penn State), Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars)
FORWARDS (6): Lauren Cheney (UCLA), Ella Masar (Chicago Red Stars), Casey Nogueira (North Carolina), Kelley O'Hara (Stanford), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)
