18 in search of Gold

Sunday, 29 June 08, 04:12 PM · Comments(0)

US head coach Pia Sundhage has named the 18 players that will compete in this year's Olympics, plus four alternates. She chose the final roster after the USA defeated Canada at the Peace Queen Cup.

The four alternates named were goalkeeper Briana Scurry, defender Ali Krieger, midfielder Kacey White, and forward Lauren Cheney.

Nine of the players on the roster were part of the team that won the gold in Athens, Greece four years ago. Two of them are playing in their third Olympics, team captains Christie Rampone and Kate Markgraf. The other seven players who played n Athens are Heather Mitts, Shannon Boxx, Angela Hucles, Aly Wagner, Heather O'Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, and Abby Wambach.

Six players are playing in their second world championshi with the first being the 2007 World Cup in China. They are Nicole Barnhart, Hope Solo, Lori Chalupny, Stephanie Cox, Carli Lloyd, and Natasha Kai, who is also the first Hawaiian to make an Olympic women's soccer team.

The last three players on the roster are the younger players who are still in college, and are playing in their first-ever world championship. They are defender Rachel Buehler, midfielder Tobin Heath, and forward Amy Rodriguez.

Two players made late runs to earn their spot on the roster. Aly Wagner came back after recovering from a in double-hernia surgery January. She has only played in four games, all at the Peace Queen Cup. Stephanie Cox was released at the end of the team's training camp in June, but after Cat Whitehill tore her ACL in South Korea, she was called up again to join the team, and played well at the Peace Queen Cup.

Heather Mitts also came back from a torn ACL. She was injured in May 2007 in a game against Canada. She came back in late April for the three-game domestic tour.

All 22 players will travel to Europe for two games, against Norway on July 2, and Sweden on July 5. Only the 18 players on the roster will play in the two Olympic send-off matches against Brazil, July 13 at Dick's Sporting Goods Stadium in Commerce City, CO and July 16 at Torero Stadium in San Diego, CA, before heading over to China.

US Women's Olympic Soccer Team:

Goalkeepers (2): Nicole Barnhart, Hope Solo

Defenders (6): Rachel Buehler, Lori Chalupny, Stephanie Cox, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone

Midfielders (7): Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Angela Hucles, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Aly Wagner

Forwards (3): Natasha Kai, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach

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