USA vs. Mexico
Date:
April 5, 2018
Venue:
EverBank Field; Jacksonville, Fla.
Broadcast:
FS1 & UDN
Kickoff:
7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Tonight’s Starting XI vs. Mexico:
1-Alyssa Naeher; 16-Emily Sonnett, 17-Tierna Davidson, 7-Abby
Dahlkemper,19-Crystal Dunn; 3-Andi Sullivan, 6-Morgan Brian, 9-Lindsey
Horan; 11-Mallory Pugh, 13-Alex Morgan (capt.), 15-Megan Rapinoe
Subs: 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 10-Carli Lloyd, 18-Jane Campbell, 20-Allie Long,
21-Savannah McCaskill, 22-Ashley Hatch, 25-Hailie Mace
Team
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The average age of tonight’s starting XI is 24.5 years old.
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Three players on tonight’s starting XI played every minute of the 2018
SheBelieves Cup: goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defender Abby Dahlkemper and
defender Tierna Davidson. Davidson is the only player on the U.S.
roster to play every minute so far in 2018.
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Just like in the first four USA matches of 2018, there are two
teenagers in the USA's starting XI today, 19-year-olds Mallory Pugh and
Davidson. The pair has so far combined for three goals and two assists
in 2018. Before the first match of the year in San Diego on January 21,
the last time two teenagers were in the WNT starting lineup was June
30, 2001 vs. Canada in Toronto. Aleisha Cramer (18) and Cat Whitehill
(19) both played the entire game.
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The USWNT is 3-0-1 so far in 2018 and has not allowed more than one
goal in any of their last 11 games, going 9-0-2 during that run, and
has scored at least three goals in seven of those 11 games.
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Defender Hailie Mace suits up for a senior WNT match for the first time
tonight.
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Not dressing tonight are Lynn Williams, Sofia Huerta, Ashlyn Harris,
Haley Hanson and Teagan McGrady.
Players
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Alyssa Naeher
will earn her 28th cap tonight. She has 14 career shutouts, most
recently against England on March 7, and is the seventh goalkeeper in
U.S. history to earn 25 or more caps.
- Emily Sonnett
will make her second consecutive start this year. Before her start
against England on March 7, Sonnett had not been in the starting XI
since Oct. 19, 2016 against Switzerland. She will earn her 16th cap
tonight.
- Abby
Dahlkemper
makes her 18th career appearance today. The 2017 NWSL Defender of the
Year made her debut for the U.S. on Oct. 19, 2016, against Switzerland
in Utah, and earned her first start against Norway on June 11, 2017,
where she played all 90 minutes to help the U.S. defense claim a
shutout in Sandefjord.
- Crystal Dunn
will earn her 60th career cap tonight and makes her second consecutive
start in 2018. Before her start on March 7 against England, Dunn hadn’t
started since July 30, 2017 against Brazil at the Tournament of
Nations. She will start tonight’s game as an outside back, a position
she played during the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and at the
beginning of her senior WNT career. She also played in the back line
against England during the SheBelieves Cup.
- Tierna Davidson
is making her fifth consecutive start in as many international
appearances. She became the 21st woman to make a WNT debut under Jill
Ellis on Jan. 21 in San Diego. She earned her first career assist on
that game. The 19-year-old Davidson helped lead Stanford to the NCAA
Championship this past season. She is the third teenager since 2013 to
earn a first cap for the U.S. WNT. Mallory Pugh (17 in 2016) and
Lindsey Horan (19 in 2013) are the most recent teenagers to debut for
the WNT.
- Andi Sullivan
will start her third game of 2018 after being in the starting lineup on
Jan. 21 against Denmark and again vs. France on March 4. This will be
her 10th cap. Sullivan was a key player for the USA in both the 2012
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
She was taken #1 overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft when she was selected
by her home area Washington Spirit on January 18.
- Lindsey Horan
enjoyed a fine 2017 for both country and club, helping the Portland
Thorns win the NWSL title by scoring the game-winning goal in the
championship. She will earn her 48th cap today.
- Morgan Brian
is making her second start of 2018 after starting against France and
playing all 90 minutes on March 4. Brian grew up in St. Simons Island,
Georgia, about 80 miles from EverBank Field and played youth club
soccer in Jacksonville. She will be playing in front of a large group
friends and family tonight. Only 25-years-old, Brian will learn her
70th cap.
- Mallory Pugh
earns her 34th cap tonight. She leads the WNT in scoring in 2018 after
tallying her first career brace against Denmark on Jan. 21 and a goal
against France on March 4. She is also making her 26th career start.
She is second all-time in starts before the age of 20 behind only
Tiffany Roberts (41).
- Alex Morgan
comes into the match with 81 goals and will earn her 139th cap tonight.
At age 28, she sits in sole possession of seventh place on the USA's
all-time goal scoring list. She’s scored eight goals over her last 11
WNT matches, with her most recent coming on Jan. 21 against Denmark.
- Megan Rapinoe
makes her 134th international appearance today. She has 35
career goals after scoring the game-winning goal against Germany on
March 1. She is tied with April Heinrichs and Sydney Leroux for 15th on
the all-time goals list.