International Friendly presented by Truly Hard Seltzer: USA vs. Republic of Ireland - Lineup, Schedule & TV Channels

Date: April 8, 2023
Venue: Q2 Stadium; Austin, Texas
Broadcast: TNT, Universo and Peacock
Broadcast Time: 2:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. Local (Pre-game coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT on TNT)
Official Kickoff Time: 2:37 p.m. ET / 1:37 p.m. Local

 

Starting XI vs. Republic of Ireland: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (Capt.), 9-Mallory Swanson, 10-Lindsey Horan, 11-Sophia Smith, 13-Alex Morgan, 16-Rose Lavelle, 17-Andi Sullivan, 19-Crystal Dunn, 23-Emily Fox, 27-Naomi Girma

Available Subs: 2-Ashley Sanchez, 3-Sofia Huerta, 6-Lynn Williams, 7-Ashley Hatch, 8-Julie Ertz, 14-Emily Sonnett, 15-Alana Cook, 18-Casey Murphy, 21-Adrianna Franch, 22-Kristie Mewis, 25- Trinity Rodman, 26-Taylor Kornieck

 

Not Dressing: Tierna Davidson, Kelley O’Hara, Casey Krueger

GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

USWNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (Including this match): Sauerbrunn (215), Morgan (205), Dunn (131), Horan (127), Naeher (90), Lavelle (88), Swanson (88), Sullivan (43), Fox (28), Smith (28), Girma (14)

• This Starting XI averages 95 caps per player with two players in today’s Starting XI – Sauerbrunn, and Morgan – with over 200 caps and two more – Dunn and Horan – with over 100 caps. Sullivan, Fox, Smith and Girma are the only players in this starting lineup with fewer than 50 caps and also the only starters who were not a part of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions.

• While it features just one change from the XI that started the USA’s final match at the 2023 SheBelieves Cup with Sophia Smith making her first start of the year in place of Trinity Rodman, Saturday’s lineup in Austin is the sixth different starting lineup for the USA in six games in 2023. It also marks the first time this specific XI has ever started a match together for the USWNT.  

• Only four players in today’s starting lineup started the USA’s inaugural match at Q2 Stadium in June of 2021 in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics: Naeher, Sauerbrunn, Dunn and Horan.

• Becky Sauerbrunn will captain the USA for the 41^st time as she makes 215^th international appearance and her fourth start of 2023. The oldest player on this roster at 37-years-old, Sauerbrunn ranks ninth all time in USWNT history in both caps and total minutes played (16,566).

• Alyssa Naeher is set to earn her 90^th cap for the USWNT as she makes her fourth start of 2023. Naeher, who ranks third all-time among all USWNT goalkeepers in both caps and shutouts (52 shutouts), has two clean sheets in three appearances this year.

• Mallory Swanson will make her team-leading sixth start of 2023 as she earns her 88^th cap for the USWNT. Swanson, who made her international debut at the age of 17 against Ireland on January 23, 2016 - and scored in that match -  leads the USA in scoring with seven goals in five games this year, already tied for the most goals she has ever scored in a calendar year for the USA. She enters this match in Austin on a six-game scoring streak, tied for the fourth longest streak by any player in USWNT history and the longest since Christen Press had a six-game scoring streak from November 2019 to February 2020. 

• Lindsey Horan will make her fifth start of the year and is set to earn her 127^th cap for the USA. Horan, who despite missing the USA’s January 21 game against New Zealand due to club commitments, ranks third on the team with 344 minutes played in 2023 and scored in the USA’s 2019 matchup against Ireland.

• After missing the USA’s January Camp and the 2023 SheBelieves Cup due to injury, Sophia Smith returns to the field for the USA for her first appearance of 2023 and her 28^th international appearance overall. Smith is coming off a trophy laden 2022 in which she was voted the 2022 BioSteel U.S. Soccer Female Player, 2022 NWSL MVP and NWSL Championship Game MVP. With 11 international goals in 2022, Smith became the youngest player to lead the WNT in scoring in a calendar year since a 21-year-old Mia Hamm led the USA with 10 goals in 1993, seven years before Smith was born.

• Alex Morgan will earn her 205^th cap as she makes her fifth start of 2023. Morgan has scored or assisted in each of her four appearances for the USA this year, scoring in the USA’s year-opening win over New Zealand on Jan. 18, assisting goals by Swanson on Feb. 16 against Canada and Feb. 19 against Japan and scoring in the USA’s Feb. 22 win over Brazil. With her assist against Japan, Morgan now has 49 career assists, moving into a tie with Carin Jennings Gabarra for 10^th on the USWNT’s all-time assist charts.

• Rose Lavelle is set to earn her 88^th career cap as she makes her fourth start of the year. After missing the first two games of the 2023 SheBelieves Cup with a minor injury, Lavelle returned to the field for the Feb. 22 match against Brazil and assisted Swanson’s game-winning goal. Lavelle is tied for the team lead with three assists in 2023 and has been directly involved in 15 goals in the USA’s last 20 matches, tallying six goals and adding nine assists.

• Midfielder Andi Sullivan will earn her 43^rd cap as she makes the 34^th start of her international career and her fourth of 2023. Sullivan, who made her USWNT debut in 2016, leads the USWNT in total minutes played following the 2021 Olympics, logging 1,852 minutes of action over 25 games.

• Crystal Dunn will make her fifth start of the year as she earns her 131^st cap for the USA, moving into a tie with Aly Wagner for 30^th on the USWNT’s all-time cap list. Dunn started the USA’s first three matches of the year before getting a well-deserved rest on Feb. 19 against Japan. She then returned to the Starting XI to play 60 minutes in the SheBelieves Cup finale against Brazil on Feb. 22.

• Emily Fox, who played every minute for the USA at the 2023 SheBelieves Cup, is set to make her fifth start of 2023 as she earns her 28^th cap overall. Fox currently leads the USA in minutes played in 2023 with 405 and has played in 23 of the USA’s 29 games following the Tokyo Olympics.

• Naomi Girma will make her third consecutive start and the 12^th of her young career as she earns her 15^th cap overall for the USA. Girma, who put in impressive 90-minute performances against Japan and Brazil and the SheBelieves Cup, has played the full 90 minutes in nine career games and will now have started nine of the USA’s last 11 games.

• After last appearing for the USA on August 5, 2021, in the bronze medal match of the Tokyo Olympics, Julie Ertz is available for selection today for the USA off the bench. Ertz will be honored prior to the match for her 100^th cap, which she earned on March 5, 2020, during the SheBelieves Cup against England. Should she see the field today against Ireland, it would be Ertz’s 117^th career cap and her first match – for club or country – in 611 days and her first since giving birth to her son, Madden, 240 days ago on August 11.