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
- The average age of tonight’s starting XI is 24.5 years old.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Defender Hailie Mace suits up for a senior WNT match for the first time tonight.
- Not dressing tonight are Lynn Williams, Sofia Huerta, Ashlyn Harris, Haley Hanson and Teagan McGrady.
Players
- 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.