CHICAGO (May 14, 2007) - U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team head coach Bill Irwin will take 18 players to Dortmund, Germany for three matches against top women’s club teams on a trip from May 18-27.

The U-21s are coming off a second place finish at the 2007 Futbol Internacional Tournament in Alabama, where they fell in penalty kicks to Canada in the championship game.

The U-21s will face Gutersloh on May 22, followed by a match against SG Essen-Schönebeck on May 24 and finish with a game against 07 Bad Neuenahr on May 26. The German women’s Bundesliga is widely hailed as one of the top two women’s leagues in the world, along with Sweden’s top division.

Irwin will bring a strong squad to Germany as 11 of the 18 players named have played in one or more youth world championships for the USA. Midfielder Angie Woznuk has one cap for the full National Team, the only player on the roster with senior team caps. Defender Rachel Buehler is currently in Residency Training Camp with the Women’s National Team, but will leave camp to play with the U-21s.

The U-21s will return home and the squad will have just a week before re-grouping in Portland, Ore., from June 6-13 for a training camp that will be the last preparation for the 2007 Nordic Cup to be held in Finland from July 18-24.

U.S. U-21 WNT Schedule
Date         Opponent
May 22     Gutersloh
May 24     Essen-Schonebeck
May 26     07 Bad Neuenahr

U.S. U-21 WNT Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Cori Alexander (Portland), Kelsey Davis (Portland);
DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler (Stanford), Kendall Fletcher (UNC), Nikki Krzysik (Virginia), Stephanie Logterman (Texas), Manya Makoski (Arizona State), Becky Sauerbrunn (Virginia);
MIDFIELDERS (6): Natalie Capuano (Penn), Tina DiMartino (UCLA), Kara Karellis (Wisconsin), Ali Krieger (Penn State), Lisa Sari (Portland), Angie Woznuk (Portland);
FORWARDS (4): Natalie Budge (Portland), Kerri Hanks (Notre Dame), Ella Masar (Illinois), Jessica Rostedt (Virginia).