Orlando Pride stars Alex Morgan, Emily Sonnett called up for USWNT match

Orlando Pride stars Alex Morgan and Emily Sonnett will join the U.S. women’s national time for the first time since the pandemic, traveling to the Netherlands this week for the team’s training camp.

The U.S. will face the Netherlands on Nov. 27 in the team’s first match since the SheBelieves Cup.

It will be Morgan’s first return to the national team since she announced her pregnancy in October 2019. Although Morgan trained lightly with the team during a February camp in California, she hasn’t been formally called up to the national team in more than a year.

After the birth of her daughter Charlie in May, Morgan signed a short-term contract with Tottenham in the English FA Women’s Super League. She debuted for the club on Nov. 7 and made her first start for the Spurs this weekend.

The long-time American star previously hoped to return to the national team in time for the Tokyo Olympics. The postponement of the Games to 2021 will offer Morgan more time to return to full speed.

Sonnett also spent the latter half of the year playing abroad, signing a short-term contract with G 1/4 u00f6teborg FC in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. She made 10 appearances for the club, helping the team win its first league title on Nov. 7.

As a younger addition to the backline, Sonnett will be fighting for a spot on the streamlined Olympic roster, which will include five fewer players than the 2019 World Cup roster.

“I love the challenge of bringing this group together, getting about a week of training and then playing the European champions on their home ground,” coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “We have a lot of experience on this roster, but also a few players who have never been through a match like this before, so the best thing is that we will learn. We’ll learn about individuals and about the team. Consistent high performance is the most important factor in making rosters and starting lineups, and this trip will give our players the chance to show themselves in high level training and match environments.”

Pride captains Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger were two of the U.S.-based players from the 2019 World Cup roster who did not receive call-ups to the national team.

Both players attended the team’s camp in October, which was limited to players based in the U.S. The November camp, however, offered Andonovski an opportunity to select players competing around the globe.

The decision could have a significant impact for Harris. The U.S. can only take two keepers to the Olympics, and Alyssa Naeher is firmly positioned as the No. 1 choice. Although Harris has previously been second on the depth chart, Jane Campbell and Aubrey Bledsoe made an impact throughout the NWSL Challenge Cup.

This camp will offer Andonovski his first opportunity in months to test the in-game performance of the talent pool as he narrows down his choices for the Olympic roster.

“We have a few players who will be in the mix in 2021 who are not coming with us on this trip, but that helps us increase the depth and competition for spots in our player pool,” said Andonovski. “The environment in which we are preparing for this Olympic Games has been and will continue to be unlike anything this team has ever experienced, so to expand the number of players who can contribute in world championship tournament becomes even more important.”

Full training camp roster:

Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Bledsoe, Jane Campbell, Alyssa Naeher

Defenders (8): Alana Cook, Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Kelley O’Hara, Margaret Purce, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett

Midfielders (6): Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, Kristie Mewis, Samantha Mewis

Forwards (6): Ashley Hatch, Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Sophia Smith, Lynn Williams

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