Mallory Swanson returns to USWNT as a training player ahead of the W Gold Cup

U.S. national team coach Twila Kilgore has named her 23-player squad for the upcoming CONCACAF W Gold Cup, with three additional training players set to take part in the pre-tournament camp, including forward Mallory Swanson. This will be Swanson's official return to the national team following her recovery from a torn patellar tendon last April.

“Mal comes in and is Mal. We are thrilled to have her back in the camp environment,” Kilgore said. “We know she brings a very high level of professionalism and execution to everything Mal does. We believe she is absolutely ready to make the move, and she is just a very important leader on this team.”

The squad is largely unchanged from the 2023 team's final friendlies against China in December, with the notable returns of goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (who could earn her 100th cap during the Gold Cup) and defender Crystal Dunn. Veterans Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan, who were not on the December roster, are notable absentees from this camp.

“We have quite a few players who are not in camp who we are still watching and evaluating in terms of the build-up to the Olympics. No one is left out of the mix. That goes for some of our bigger names. That applies to smaller names we tracked. We want to do it right,” Kilgore said. “In terms of Alex – I think this applies to everyone who is not here – everything that happens in the Gold Cup will matter in terms of the future and everything that happens outside the Gold Cup will matter in the future doing.”

In a new twist, after a busy NWSL offseason, NJ/NY Gotham FC now leads the way in NWSL representation with seven players: defensemen Dunn, Tierna Davidson and Jenna Nighswonger; midfielders Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett; and forwards Midge Purce and Lynn Williams. Since the last USWNT selection, six players have signed with new clubs.

Midfielder Savannah DeMelo and defender Gisele Thompson are the two other non-rostered players who will train with the USWNT. Gisele Thompson, the younger sister of striker Alyssa Thompson, recently signed for Angel City FC and has earned her first call-up to the senior team. Although limited to the training environment, the nod is another positive sign for Gisele Thompson, building on her experience with the youth national team.

“This is just a good opportunity for Gisele to see firsthand what the area is actually like,” Kilgore said. “Obviously she's starting her career in the NWSL, so she has a lot of firsts, but I think this is an important piece for her to understand what she's working towards.”

Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders (8): Alana Cook (Seattle Reign FC), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn ((NY/NJ Gotham FC) Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC ) ), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC)

Midfielders (6): Korbin Albert (PSG), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

Forward (6): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

CALIFORNIA, HERE WE COME!

Your #USWNT 2024 @ConcacafW Gold Cup selection 🇺🇸⤵️

— US Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 7, 2024

How to watch the Gold Cup

The first W Gold Cup consists of twelve teams, eight from CONCACAF and four host countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Paraguay. In the US, CBS owns the rights to the tournament, with every match available on Paramount+.

The USWNT will play all three group stage matches at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. All matches start at 7:15 PM PT/10:15 PM ET:

• vs. Guyana/Dominican Republic (preliminary match winner), Tuesday, February 20
• vs. Argentina, Friday February 23
• vs. Mexico, Monday, February 26

The twelve teams are divided into three groups of four. The top two finishers from each group, plus the top two third-place teams (that's a total of eight teams) will advance to the quarterfinals at BMO Stadium in LA. The quarter-finals are divided based on results, with 1 against 8, 2 against 7, etc.

The four winners will head to San Diego and Snapdragon Stadium for the semifinals and finals, with the tournament concluding on March 10.

“Not only is there a trophy at stake, but this is a great opportunity to take advantage of meaningful competition opportunities and experience the short periods between matches, a rhythm that closely mirrors the Olympic format,” Kilgore said in the press release.

The games are meaningful, but they are also the first of the year. The team will likely look at this as an extended preseason and that should be the biggest takeaway; If they advance to the final, that means a lot of time together on training fields and earning playing minutes. It probably won't be the prettiest of games, but it will still be a lot of data for everyone, including new head coach Emma Hayes. The tricky balance Kilgore and the squad will have to find is recognizing the pressure of the looming selection for the Olympics while trying out new tactics and combinations.

Forward momentum

Everyone (myself included) was rightly excited about the schedules for the December friendlies. Seeing the continuity between the two camps isn't all that surprising, but what's most exciting is the chance to see players like Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel become expected names on a USWNT roster – as well as candidates to get some starts to get.

If there's one thing that will unite everyone in excitement, it's that Swanson is getting closer to a full return to the national team. Before her injury last April, Swanson was in electric form. Despite her extended absence, Swanson led the team with seven goals last year. There's no need to push her back before the Olympics, as everyone involved with the USWNT already knows exactly what she brings to the mix, so getting her back into shape through the NWSL is the right thing to do.

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I wrote after the friendlies in December that the team had achieved the victories not “in a perfect way, but in a way that told us something about the direction and immediate future of the project ahead of the Olympic Games.” Those matches were also relatively quiet, with smaller attendances and limited press coverage.

But we are now in an Olympic year. It's not quite the same as a World Cup year, and the players still have a few months to get out of the spotlight. If Emma Hayes gets here, all bets are off. For now, the Gold Cup could be important to get the little things in order.

(Photo: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)