Sam Kerr will lead Australia into the Algarve Cup next month. (Getty Images)
Just a day after the Australian W-League crowned Melbourne City as the Grand Final Champions, the Australia women’s national team released its roster for the upcoming Algarve Cup tournament camp. The roster currently consists of 25 players who will participate in a three-day camp at the AIS in Canberra that begins on Wednesday, February 15. Following that camp, the roster will be reduced to just 20 players who will then participate in another three-day camp in Sydney’s west starting on February 20.
NWSL fans will notice the omission of Laura Alleway, defender for Orlando Pride who just won a W-League championship with Melbourne City, from the roster while Hayley Raso of the Portland Thorns was named to it after not making the team’s 2016 Olympic roster. Larissa Crummer, who recently signed with Seattle Reign, was excluded from the roster after fracturing her foot while with Melbourne City although Michelle Heyman, who missed the last couple games with Canberra United with an ankle injury, is on it.
Head coach Alen Stajcic also included three uncapped and two capped teenagers on the roster after evaluating their performance during the recently-ended W-League season and in the underage national level. The five teens are Ellie Carpenter (16) who currently has five appearances for the Matildas, Alex Chidiac (18) who has one appearance, and Grace Maher (17), Jacynta Galabadaarachchi (15) and Jada Mathyssen-Whyman (17) who are all uncapped.
“We are now heading into a new four year cycle…so we’re looking at what kind of team we can take to qualify for the major tournaments, starting with the Asian Cup next year,” Stajcic said about the infusion of youth into the roster. “The biggest objective of this camp and one of the major factors in the squad we’ve selected is building the depth of the team and increasing competition within the team and giving more players the experience of being in a Matildas camp and playing senior international football.”
Not only are their new faces on the roster, but on the coaching staff as well. Former Matilda and current Sydney University head coach Heather Garriock will be joining assistant coach Gary von Egmond for the team’s two training camps and the Algarve Cup, the first of a rotation of aspiring female coaches to the national team coaching staff.
The Australian roster:
Goalkeepers (4): Mackenzie Arnold, Casey Dumont, Jada Mathyssen-Whyman, Lydia Williams
Defenders (8): Teigen Allen, Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter, Emma Checker, Caitlin Cooper, Amy Harrison, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Polkinghorne
Midfielders (6): Alex Chidiac, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Chloe Logarzo, Grace Maher, Gema Simon
Forwards (7): Lisa De Vanna, Jacynta Galabadaarachichi, Emily Gielnik, Michelle Heyman, Sam Kerr, , Hayley Raso Kyah Simon
Germany won’t be full strength at SheBelieves
Olympic champion Germany will have some roster issues to deal with at the SheBelieves Cup
Olympic champion Germany will be missing several key players for the trip to the United States for the SheBelieves Cup. The Germans first tournament of the Steffi Jones era will not include Lena Goeßling Simone Laudehr or Melanie Leupolz. However Jones will have Sara Däbritz who is recovered from a knee injury. Jones is in her first full season coaching Germany after ascending to the top position on the retirement of Sylvia Neid following the Olympics.
Germany’s SheBelieves Cup opponents are United States (March 1; Chester, PA); France (March 4; Harrison, NJ); and England (March 7; Washington, D.C.)
The German roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Laura Benkarth, Almuth Schult, Lisa Weiß
Defenders (9): Anna Blässe, Pauline Bremer, Kristin DeMann, Kathrin Hendrich, Josephine Henning, Tabea Kemme, Isabel Kerschowski, Babett Peter, Felicitas Rauch
Midfielders/Forwards (11): Sara Däbritz, Linda Dallmann, Sara Doorsoun, Svenja Huth, Mandy Islacker, Lina Magull, Leonie Maier, Dzsenifer Marozsan, Anja Mittag, Lena Petermann, Alexandra Popp
Fishlock leads Wales contingent for Cyprus
Jess Fishlock
Fresh off winning the W-League as player/coach for Melbourne City FC, Jeff Fishlock leads Jayne Ludlow’s side that will represent Wales in the Cyprus Cup next month. The full roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Emma Gibbon, Laura O’Sullivan, Claire Skinner
Defenders (7): Loren Dykes, Gemma Evans, Sophie Ingle, Shaunna Jenkins, Hayley Ladd, Rhiannon Roberts, Amina Vine
Midfielders (8): Emma Beynon, Charlie Estcourt, Georgia Evans, Jessica Fishlock, Melissa Fletcher, Angharad James, Hannah Miles, Bronwen Thomas
Forwards (5): Kayleigh Green, Natasha Harding, Nadia Lawrence, Rachel Rowe, Helen Ward
Norway look to build on strong start
After opening 2017 by defeating Sweden and England in friendly matches, Norway will look to take momentum to Portugal for the Algarve Cup. Here is the roster Martin Sjögren will take to the annual tournament:
Goalkeepers (3): Cecilie Fiskerstrand, Ingrid Hjelmseth, Kristine Nøstmo
Defenders (6): Nota Berge, Maren Mjelde, Stine Reinas, Anja Sønstevold, Maria Thorisdottir, Ingrid Wold
Midfielders (10): Caroline Graham Hansen, Andrine Hegerberg, Ingvild Isaksen, Kristine Minde, Guro Reiten, Vilde Boe Risam, Ingrid Schjelderup, Ingrid Marie Spord, Andrine Tomter
Forwards (5): Synne Jensen, Elise Thorsnes, Hege Hansen, Andrine Hegerberg, Lisa-Marie Utland
Colin Bell names first team as Ireland coach
New Ireland coach Colin Bell will make his bench debut at the Cyprus Cup (photo: Football Association of Ireland)
New Ireland boss Colin Bell has called 20 players in for the Cyprus Cup. It is Bell’s first team since taking over as head coach for Sue Ronan. The team:
Gokeepers (2): Emma Byrne, Amanda McQuillan
Defenders (6): Jett Berrill, Diane Caldwell, Megan Campbell, Savannah McCarthy, Sophie Perry, Louise Quinn
Midfielders (7): Megan Connolly, Karen Duggan, Ruesha Littlejohn, Katie McCabe, Roma McLaughlin, Denise O’Sullivan, Julie-Ann Russell
Forwards (5): Leanne Kiernan, Noelle Murray, Aine O’Gorman, Stephanie Roche, Clare Shine