The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team announced the 23 players, including two Coloradans, who will represent the United States in the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer.
Vlatko Andonovski, head coach of the team, named the six forwards, seven midfielders, seven defenders and three goalkeepers.
Two of them call Colorado home.
Midfielder Lindsey Horan, 29, of Golden, will return to the World Cup for the second time. And forward Sophia Smith, 22, of Windsor, will make her first appearance.
In 2021, Horan was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. SHe made her debut in 2013 and has scored at least one goal for the United States every year since 2015, which is the longest streak by any player currently on the team, U.S. Soccer reported.
She is a two-time Olympian, having helped the USA to a bronze medal in 2021.
Smith earned the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year honor in 2017.
Smith is the first player born after the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup to earn a USWNT cap when she debuted for the U.S. in November 2020 against the Netherlands, U.S. Soccer reported. She is also one of the first four players born in the 2000s to be named to a Women's World Cup roster for the United States.
She scored a hat-trick in an April 2022 game against Uzbekistan when she was just 21 years and 242 days old — marking her the fifth-youngest athlete to score a hat-trick in USWNT history.
Also on Wednesday, well-known players Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Kelley O'Hara were named to their fourth World Cup team. For 14 of the players, this marks their first time playing on that stage.
The USA's opening match is set for July 21 against Vietnam. The team won the previous two tournaments in 2015 and 2019. The host countries this year are Australia and New Zealand.
