Australia vs. USWNT - International Friendly
Date: November 30, 2021
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium; Newcastle, Australia
Broadcast: ESPN
Broadcast Time: 8:05 p.m. local/4:05 a.m. ET
Official Kickoff Time: 8:05 p.m. local/4:05 a.m. ET
Starting XI vs. Australia: 18-Casey Murphy, 3-Sofia Huerta; 5-Alana Cook, 6-Lynn Williams, 7-Ashley Hatch, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.), 11-Margaret Purce, 12-Tierna Davidson, 16-Rose Lavelle, 17-Andi Sullivan, 23-Emily Fox
Available Subs: 1- Jane Campbell, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 8-Ashley Sanchez, 13-Morgan Weaver, 14-Emily Sonnett, 19-Imani Dorsey 22-Kristie Mewis
GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW - AUSTRALIA
- U.S. WNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Horan (108), Lavelle (68), Davidson (45), Williams (45), Sullivan (22), Huerta (9), Purce (9), Fox (8), Cook (4), Hatch (4), Murphy (2)
- The lineup features just one change from the eleven that started against Australia in Sydney, with Sofia Huerta starting at right back in place of Emily Sonnett.
- The average age of the Starting XI is 26.1 years and is the second consecutive starting lineup deployed by the USA without a player over the age of 30.
- Today’s starting lineup averages 29 international appearances with Horan (108 caps) and Lavelle (68) by far the most experienced players on this roster. Six players – Purce (9), Huerta (9), Fox (8), Cook (4), Hatch (4) and Murphy (2) have fewer than 10 caps.
- Lindsey Horan will captain the USA once again as she earns her 108th career cap. Horan, who will now have appeared in 22 of the USWNT’s 24 games in 2021 and will have a team-high 18 starts, has goals in back-to-back games for the USWNT and is tied for second on the team with five assists in 2021.
- Casey Murphy will make second consecutive start for the USWNT in goal, in what is also her second career cap. Murphy made eight saves – the highest single-game total by any USWNT goalkeeper since at least 2015 – against the Matildas in her debut on Nov. 27 and also became just the seventh USWNT goalkeeper to record a shutout in her first cap.
- Sofia Huerta will make her third career start and first for the USWNT since June 12, 2018. This will be the ninth career cap for Huerta, who played the second half of the USWNT’s 3-0 win over Australia on Nov. 27 in her first action for the USA in over three years.
- Alana Cook will start her second consecutive match for the USWNT as she makes her third appearance of the year. This will be the fourth cap overall for Cook who, along with Purce, was the first player to debut under head coach Vlatko Andonovski in late 2019.
- Lynn Williams will make her 45th international appearance as she makes her 10th start of the year. Williams is the most experienced forward on the roster for the Australia games and registered her fourth assist of the year on Hatch’s opening goal in Sydney.
- Ashley Hatch will make her second consecutive start as she earns her fourth cap overall with the USWNT. Hatch scored just 24 seconds into the USWNT’s win over the Matildas in Sydney, recording the third-fastest goal in USWNT history. It was also her first international goal.
- Margaret “Midge” Purce is set to make her seventh appearance of the year for the USA, in what will be her fifth career start and ninth cap overall. Purce registered her first career assist on Nov. 27, setting up Lavelle’s 49th minute goal against the Matildas.
- Tierna Davidson will earn her 45th cap and make her eighth consecutive start for the USWNT, a streak that dates back to the Olympic semifinal. While one of the most capped players in this starting lineup, Davidson is also the youngest member of this Starting XI at 23 years of age.
- Andi Sullivan will make her third consecutive start in what will be her 22nd appearance overall for the USWNT. Sullivan, who captained the Washington Spirit to the 2021 NWSL Championship, has two goals and an assist in her six previous appearances for the USA this year.
- Rose Lavelle is set to earn her 68th career cap as she makes her 22nd appearance and 17th start of 2021. Lavelle has a career-high five goals on the year and has three goals and three assists in her last four showings for the USWNT.
- Emily Fox is set to earn her eighth career cap and start her third consecutive match for the USA. Fox in a row for the USA. This will be Fox’s fifth cap of the year, having helped the USA to a clean sheet in each over previous four appearances.
- Defender Imani Dorsey is the only uncapped player on the 18-player team sheet. Should she see action against the Matildas, Dorsey would become the 244th player to appear for the USWNT and the sixth to debut in 2021.
- Midfielder Catarina Macario (groin strain), forward Sophia Smith (concussion protocol) and defender Abby Dahlkemper (muscle tightness) are unavailable for selection.
