U23 WNT head to Spain for three matches

by U.S. Soccer

April 1, 2019

The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team will head to La Manga, Spain for three matches at the 2019 Women’s International U-23 La Manga Tournament.

The USA will face the U-23 squads from Sweden on April 5, France on April 7 and Italy on April 9. England and Norway will also participate in the six-country friendly competition, where every team will play three matches.

The U.S. team will be coached by Mark Carr and will bring a mixed squad of U-23 and U-20 age players. The 20-player roster features 14 collegiate players, four players currently playing professionally in Europe and two youth club players in forwards Payton Linnehan and Jordan Canniff, both of whom were members of the USA’s 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup Team.

The U.S. U-23 WNT just finished its participation in the Thorns Spring Invitational in Portland, Ore., but the team traveling to Spain is an entirely different roster.

Players born on or after January 1, 1996 (the age cut-off for this year’s U.S. U-23 WNT) are age-eligible for this competition. The U.S. roster features two players born in 1996, four born in 1997, six born in 1998 and three born in 1999. The remaining five players – Canniff, Linnehan as well as forward Summer Yates, goalkeeper Meagan McClelland and defender Ella Shamburger -- all born in 2000 and 2001 – are members of the USA’s current U-20 Women’s National Team player pool.

Nine players on the roster have FIFA Youth World Cup experience, either at the U-17 or U-20 level. Goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who is playing for Montpellier in France, was the starter on the U.S. team that advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea while defender Tara McKeown and forward Abigail Kim played in the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France.

Two players on the roster have spent time with the senior U.S. WNT in Murphy and forward Hailie Mace. Mace was a member of the USA’s 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship squad as a defender and has earned three senior team caps.

The roster also includes three players who squared off in the 2018 NCAA Championship game in Florida State’s Malia Berkely and UNC’s Taylor Otto and Julia Ashley. Ashley now plays with Linkopings FC in Sweden.

U.S. U-23 WNT Roster – International Women’s U-23 La Manga Tournament
GOALKEEPERS (2): Meagan McClelland (Rutgers; Kearny, N.J.), Casey Murphy (Montpellier HSC/FRA; Bridgewater, N.J.)
DEFENDERS (7): Julia Ashley (Linkopings FC/SWE; Verona, N.J.), Malia Berkely (Florida State; Liberty Township, Ohio), Alana Cook (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA; Far Hills, N.J.), Alyssa Malonson (Auburn; Spring, Texas), Tara McKeown (USC; Newbury Park, Calif.), Yazmeen Ryan (TCU; Norman, Okla.), Ella Shamburger (Vanderbilt; Atlanta, Ga.)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Meg Brandt (Nebraska; Ankeny, Iowa), Samantha Coffey (Penn State; Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.), Brianne Folds (Auburn; Lakeland, Fla.), Kelcie Hedge (Santa Clara; Post Falls, Idaho), Taylor Otto (North Carolina; Apex, N.C.)

FORWARDS (6): Jordan Canniff (Washington Spirit Academy; California, Md.), Abigail Kim (California; Vashon, Wash.), Civana Kuhlmann (Stanford; Centennial, Colo.), Hailie Mace (Rosengard FC/SWE; Ventura, Calif.), Payton Linnehan (FC Stars; Douglas, Mass.), Summer Yates (Washington; Pasco, Wash.)