CHICAGO (Oct. 23, 2024) – U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team head coach Morgan Church has selected a 16-player roster for the team’s domestic training camp to be held Oct. 28-Nov. 3 in Oceanside, Calif. As part of U.S. Soccer’s continued mission to develop winning teams, the camp will serve as preparation for December’s BSWW Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup, where the Beach WNT will go for its second tournament title of 2024.
Eleven of the 12 players that led the team to the triumph at the El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup in March return for this month’s camp, and are joined by five uncapped players looking to make their case for December. Currently sitting No. 8 in the BSWW Women’s World Ranking, the Beach WNT gained even more motivation this month as FIFA announced its intention to launch a Women’s Beach Soccer World Cup in the coming years.
“Selecting these rosters is becoming increasingly competitive due to the growth of the game and the dedication players show in developing outside of camp,” Church said. “I’m excited to bring in some new faces alongside our veterans to help deepen our pool. We’re thrilled with FIFA’s most recent announcement of their intent to launch a Women’s Beach World Cup, and our focus is shifting toward preparation and growth to ensure we’re in the best possible position for qualifiers. This camp will also allow us to build from our most recent success in El Salvador and help us prepare for the upcoming Acapulco Cup in December.“
Featured on the roster are Samantha Martinez (Redondo Beach, Calif.), whose six goals in March paced the team in scoring during the El Salvador Cup triumph, as well as U.S. Soccer’s 2023 Female Beach Soccer Player of the Year Hannah Adler (Santa Barbara, Calif.), who claimed the award by tying for the team scoring lead with nine goals in as many matches during her first year playing with the Beach WNT. They’re joined on the squad by forward Kilee Quigley (Salt Lake City, Utah), whose 17 goals are the most in Beach WNT history, as well as veteran defender Jeané Sunseri-Warp (San Jose, Calif.), the only player to appear in all 27 matches since the team launched in 2019.
Of the five uncapped players, goalkeeper Jennifer Ramirez Araguas (Smithfield, Va.) and midfielder Braden Small have been in camp before. They are joined by first-time midfielders Malia Mariano (Norfolk, Va.) and Vivian Oray (Chula Vista, Calif.), and forward Leah Morales Nurnberg (Santa Cruz, Calif.).
GOALKEEPERS (3): Vanessa Amaral* (Union City, Calif.; 2/0), Gabriella Batmani* (San Jose, Calif.; 12/0), Jennifer Ramirez Araguas (Smithfield, Va.; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (3): Makenzie Chronopoulos* (Pasadena, Calif.; 15/2), Jeané Sunseri-Warp* (San Jose, Calif.; 27/6), Vanessa Valentine* (San Diego, Calif.; 12/2)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Nikki Haimes* (Miami, Fla.; 6/1), Ali Hall* (Chicago, Ill.; 21/11), Samantha Martinez* (Redondo Beach, Calif.; 12/14), Malia Mariano (Norfolk, Va.; 0/0), Tori Phillips* (San Clemente, Calif.; 3/1), Vivian Oray (Chula Vista, Calif.; 0/0), Braeden Small (???; 0/0)
FORWARDS (3): Hannah Adler* (Santa Barbara, Calif.; 12/10 ), Leah Morales Nunberg (Santa Cruz, Calif.; 0/0), Kilee Quigley* (Salt Lake City, Utah; 22/17)
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future amid an unprecedented moment of opportunity, we’ve aligned our efforts around five strategic pillars: Grow the game by increasing youth and adult participation and accessibility to the sport; Foster the best playing environments through quality of referees and coaches, increasing DEIB and participant safety; Develop winning teams through solidified pathways and success of professional leagues; Grow the soccer economy to fuel reinvestment by increasing membership, fandom and commercial success; and Create a world-class organization through revitalized structure and culture, best-in-class talent, progress in DEIB, and more. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.