Jun 11, 2019
Meet the U.S. women's national soccer team
This year's U.S. women's national team is loaded with experience.
By the numbers: 12 players from the victorious 2015 squad have returned, including eight of the 11 players who started the final match against Japan.
Top players:
- Tobin Heath: The crafty 31-year-old is one of the best dribblers in the world, ans and teammates call her the "Nutmeg Queen" because of how often she humiliates defenders by passing the ball through their legs.
- Lindsey Horan: When she was 18, Horan became the first American woman to skip college to play overseas, forgoing a scholarship at UNC to sign with Paris St. Germain. Back then, she played striker. Now, she's an all-around midfielder. Get to know her.
- Julie Ertz: The 27-year-old is an absolute wrecking ball who never shies away from contact. She'll be responsible for leading the counterattack out of the defensive midfield position.
Veteran leaders:
- Alex Morgan: The most famous member of the team is no longer the pure goal-scorer she was once, but she still gets buckets (28 goals in her last 36 USWNT games).
- Megan Rapinoe: The veteran winger has been outspoken off the field, calling herself a "walking protest." On the field, she's best known for her gorgeous deliveries into the box.
- Carli Lloyd: Lloyd, the hero of 2015, leads a group of super-subs that includes Mallory Pugh (also skipped college to turn pro), Samantha Mewis (tallest field player in USWNT history at 5-foot-11) and Christen Press (get to know her).