Lineup Notes: USA Looks for Two-Game Sweep of Mexico

USA vs. Mexico
Date: April 8, 2018
Venue: BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, Texas
Broadcast: FOX 
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. CT / 1:30 p.m. ET

Today’s Starting XI vs. Mexico: 18-Jane Campbell; 16-Emily Sonnett, 17-Tierna Davidson,4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 19-Crystal Dunn; 6-Morgan Brian, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.), 9-Lindsey Horan; 11-Mallory Pugh, 13-Alex Morgan, 15-Megan Rapinoe

Subs: 14-Sofia Huerta, 20-Allie Long, 21-Savannah McCaskill, 24-Ashlyn Harris, 25-Hailie Mace, 26-Haley Hanson, 27-Teagan McGrady

Team

• Tierna Davidson is the only player on the U.S. roster to play every minute so far in 2018 (450 minutes).
• Just like in the first five USA matches of 2018, there are two teenagers in the USA's starting XI today, 19-year-olds Mallory Pugh and Davidson. Pugh has four goals and one assist in 2018 while Davidson has one assist. 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 4-0-1 so far in 2018 and has not allowed more than one goal in any of their last 12 games, going 10-0-2 during that run, and has scored at least three goals in eight of those 12 games.
• Hailie Mace (21-years-old) suits up for a senior WNT match for the second time today, while Haley Hanson (22) and Tegan McGrady (20) dress for the first time. All three players could earn their first caps today.
• Not dressing tonight are Lynn Williams, Abby Dahlkemper, Andi Sullivan, Alyssa Naeher and Ashley Hatch.

Players

• Jane Campbell will make her first start today in her third cap. She previously had played the second 45 minutes of two games, first on April 6, 2017 against Russia, and again on Oct. 22, 2017 against Korea Republic. Her first cap last April also took place at BBVA Compass Stadium, where she plays for the Houston Dash.
• Campbell is the first new GK to start for the WNT since Alyssa Naeher on Dec. 18, 2014.
• Emily Sonnett will make her third 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 17th cap tonight.
• Becky Sauerbrunn returns to the starting XI for the first time since Nov. 12, 2017 against Canada. She came off the bench against Mexico on April 5, the first time she had come on as a substitute since March 10, 2014 vs. Denmark. Sauerbrunn was sidelined for the WNT’s January Camp and SheBelieves Cup due to a foot injury.
• Crystal Dunn will earn her 61st cap tonight and makes her third 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 today’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 and vs. Mexico on April 5 and spent considerable minutes at wing back while playing for Chelsea.
• Tierna Davidson is making her sixth consecutive start in as many international appearances. On Jan. 21 in San Diego, she became the 21st woman to make a WNT debut under Jill Ellis. 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.
• Carli Lloyd is the all-time active caps leader with 251, and will earn her 252nd cap today. She scored just 29 seconds after coming into the match against Mexico on April 5 and is sitting on 99 goals, one away from becoming the sixth player to score 100 or more for the USA, and the first since 2009 when Abby Wambach scored her 100th. Lloyd is in sixth place on the all-time caps list and is four away from tying Abby Wambach for fifth place.
• Lloyd scored 36 international goals between the time she debuted six days before her 23rd birthday, and her 30th birthday. Since turning 30, she has scored 63 goals in 116 games in just under six years. The 116 games after the age of 30 rank her seventh all-time in U.S. history that category. Christie Rampone is far and away the leader with 175.
• Lindsey Horan earns her 49th cap today. She had two assists against Mexico on April 5, her first two of the year. It was her third career multi-assists game.
• Morgan Brian is making her third start of 2018 after starting against France and playing all 90 minutes on March 4. Only 25-years-old, Brian will learn her 71st cap.
• Mallory Pugh earns her 35th 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 and against Mexico on April 5. She is also making her 27th career start. She is second all-time in starts before the age of 20 behind only Tiffany Roberts (41). This afternoon, Pugh will play her final WNT game as a teenager. She will turn 20 on April 29.
• Alex Morgan comes into the match with 83 goals and will earn her 140th 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 10 goals over her last 12 WNT matches, with her most recent against Mexico on April 5. The brace was the 18th of her career, and her 21st multi-goal game.
• Megan Rapinoe makes her 135th 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.