USWNT Closes Out April Window In Chester

Following a 9-1 victory over Uzbekistan on Saturday night in Columbus, the U.S. Women’s National Team will play its second and final match of this April FIFA international window on Tuesday, April 12, squaring off against Uzbekistan at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET with broadcast coverage on ESPN2 and ViX.

The U.S. is coming off a 9-1 victory in the first ever meeting between the two nations on Saturday evening in Columbus, Ohio. Seven different players scored for the USA in the win, highlighted by a hat trick from 21-year-old forward Sophia Smith. Overall, seven of the USWNT’s nine goals against Uzbekistan were scored by players under the age of 25 as the USA put together its highest-scoring performance since Sept. of 2021 vs. Paraguay.

Tuesday night’s game will be the third-to-last match for the USWNT before kicking off FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying in July. Exactly one week after the game in Chester, the USA will learn its path for qualifying when the Official Draw for the 2022 Concacaf W Championship is held on April 19 in Miami (7 p.m. ET). The event will place the eight competing nations – the USA, Canada and the six qualifying group winners – into two groups of four teams each. The USA, which will head Group A, and Canada, which will head Group B, have received byes straight to the final tournament as the highest-ranked teams in the region. The top two finishers in each group will qualify directly for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

 

Fans will also be able to follow the action via Twitter (@USWNT), Instagram (@USWNT), Facebook and the official U.S. Soccer App.

USWNT DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS)

 

GOALKEEPERS (3): Bella Bixby (Portland Thorns FC; 0), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 0), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 80)

 

DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 8/0), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC; 78/0), Imani Dorsey (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 1/0), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC; 12/0), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign; 11/0), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 0/0), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit; 151/2)

 

MIDFIELDERS (7): Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais, FRA; 109/25), Jaelin Howell (Racing Louisville FC; 5/1), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 70/18), Catarina Macario (Olympique Lyonnais, FRA; 16/6), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 37/5), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit; 6/1), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 26/3)

 

FORWARDS (5): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 7/4), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars; 71/22), Margaret Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 13/2), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 2/0), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 14/4)

 

The 22-player U.S. roster for these matches against Uzbekistan features 17 players who helped the U.S. win the SheBelieves Cup in February. Veterans and World Cup champions Abby Dahlkemper and Lindsey Horan returned to the roster after missing the SheBelieves Cup due to injury while goalkeeper Bella Bixby and defenders Imani Dorsey and Naomi Girma are the other new additions from February. Midfielder Samantha Mewis was initially named to this roster when it was announced on March 29 but was ruled out on April 1 as she continues to recover from a knee issue and was not replaced.  

 

2022 USWNT Media Guide

The 2022 U.S. Women’s National Team Media Guide is available for download. The Media Guide features all the history and statistic for the USWNT, as well as full bios on technical staff and the current top players, information on the USA’s Youth Women’s National Teams and general important information on U.S. Soccer.

INSIDE THE SERIES: USA vs. UZBEKISTAN

The matchup in Columbus was the first meeting ever between the USA and Uzbekistan and made Uzbekistan the 55th different country the USWNT has faced in its nearly 37-year history. Uzbekistan is the eighth different opponent from Asia the USWNT has faced and was the first new AFC opponent for the USWNT since Thailand in 2016.

 

SMITH SCORES HAT TRICK

With goals in the 33^rd, 35^th and 56th minutes, Smith netted the 63^rd hat-trick all-time in USWNT history and the first since Alex Morgan’s three-goal outpouring against Paraguay on September 21, 2021, in Cincinnati, Ohio. At 21 years and 242 days old, Smith became the fifth-youngest player in USWNT history to record a hat-trick and the youngest since 19-year-old Christie Welsh scored three times against Iceland on April 5, 2000. Danielle Fotopoulos (19 years), Sarah Rafanelli (21 years, 33 days) and Mia Hamm (21 years, 112 days) are the only players younger than Smith to ever score a hat trick for the USWNT. The hat trick came in Smith’s 14^th career cap and marked the first multi-goal game of her young international career.

 

PUGH, PUGH, PUGH

Forward Mallory Pugh continued her strong run of form for the USWNT with a goal and three assists on Saturday against Uzbekistan. Pugh scored the USA’s second goal of the evening – which proved to be the game-winner – in the 26^th minute, just 46 seconds after the USA opened the scoring with a goal by Andi Sullivan. Pugh’s strike was her team-leading fourth goal of 2022 and gives her goals in three consecutive games for the USWNT, the longest scoring streak of her international career.

Pugh also dished out three assists on the day, setting up Smith’s first and third goals of the game and Ashley Sanchez’s first career goal in the 90^th minute. Pugh’s three-assist outing was the second of her USWNT career, the other coming in the USA’s 9-0 win over Paraguay on Sep. 16, 2021. The 23-year-old Pugh now has 24 career assists, tied with Shannon Boxx for 20^th all-time in USWNT history. With 22 international goals, she is also just eighth player in USWNT history to record 20+ goals and 20+ assists before the age of 25. The others are Mia Hamm, Alex Morgan, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, Tiffeny Milbrett, Cindy Parlow Cone and Heather O’Reilly.

HOME SWEET HOME

The USA carries a 66-game home unbeaten streak into Tuesday’s game in Chester, which includes 59 wins and seven draws. During this unbeaten streak, the USA has outscored its opponents 246-28, including a 116-4 margin during its last 28 matches at home, all but two of which have been wins except for a 0-0 draw with Korea Republic on Oct. 21 and a scoreless draw vs Czech Republic on Feb. 17. The match against South Korea ended the USA’s home winning streak at 22 consecutive games, the second-longest such streak in USWNT history. The USA's longest home winning streak was 23 games and spanned from April 1993 to February 1996.

 

Tuesday’s game in Chester will be the USA’s 21^st game all-time in Pennsylvania and the 12^th in the Philadelphia area. Four of the USWNT’s previous matches in the region were at Lincoln Financial Field and seven at what is now Subaru Park. The first match at Subaru Park came in 2010 against China PR -- a 1-1 tie -- and the most recent was in February of 2019 vs. Japan -- a 2-2 tie.

 

Prior to Uzbekistan’s goal in the 70^th minute on Saturday, the USA had not allowed a goal on home soil in over two years, last conceding at home on March 11, 2020, in a 3-1 win over Japan in the final match of the 2020 SheBelieves Cup. The home shutout streak ended at 17 consecutive home clean sheets, the longest such streak in program, and totaled 1,632 minutes.

ROAD TO DOWN UNDER

A new cycle is well underway with less than three months until the start of qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand beginning in July of 2023. The Concacaf qualifying tournament is scheduled to take place in Monterrey, Mexico from July 4-18, 2022, with the top four teams guaranteeing their spot in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Two more Concacaf representatives will advance to a 10-team intercontinental playoff tournament to determine the final teams in the expand 32-team field for 2023.

The six teams that will join the USA and Canada in the final eight-team field at the Concacaf W Championship will also be determined on Tuesday, with every group still to be decided on the final match day of play. In each of the six qualifying groups – A through F – the team currently in first will play the team in second to determine who will advance to the championship field. Should those matches go to form, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Panama, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago would all go through.

 

The eight team Concacaf W Championship will consist of group play, followed by semifinal and championship rounds. Along with qualifying for the World Cup, at conclusion of the Concacaf W Championship, the winning nation will also guarantee its place in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament and the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup. The runner-up and the third-place nations will progress to a Concacaf Olympic play-in to be played in September of 2023. The winner of the play-in will also guarantee their place in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games and the 2024 W Gold Cup.

 

The USA is looking to qualify for its ninth consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup, having played in every tournament since the competition’s inception in 1991 and winning a record four titles. The USA will also have the opportunity to qualify for an eighth consecutive Summer Olympics.

 

USA ROSTER NOTES

• The most capped player on the roster is Kelley O’Hara (151) while the least capped players are Aubrey Kingsbury (0), Bella Bixby (0), Naomi Girma (0), Imani Dorsey (1) and Trinity Rodman (2).

• Just two players have 100+ caps: Kelley O’Hara and Lindsey Horan (109).

• Alyssa Naeher is the oldest player on the roster (33.9 years old) while O’Hara is the oldest field player (33.6 years). Rodman is the youngest (19.8 years old) and was eight years old when O’Hara made her USWNT debut.

• Nine players on the roster are 25 years of age or younger: Alana Cook, Mallory Pugh, Emily Fox, Ashley Sanchez, Catarina Macario, Jaelin Howell, Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma and Trinity Rodman.

• Through four games in 2022, the USWNT has had 12 goals scored by players under the age of 24. Over the course of 2019, 2020 and 2021 —a total of 57 games —the USWNT had a combined total of 10 goals scored by players under the age of 24.

• Lindsey Horan is the top scorer on the roster with 25 goals. Mallory Pugh has 22 goals for the USWNT while Rose Lavelle has 18. No one else on the roster has more than six international goals.

• Eight different players have scored for the USWNT so far in 2022 – Mallory Pugh (4), Catarina Macario (3), Sophia Smith (3), Ashley Hatch (2), Jaelin Howell (1), Kristie Mewis (1), Andi Sullivan (1) and Ashley Sanchez (1). The USA’s other three goals this year came via own goals.

• Ten different players have registered an assist for the USWNT this year. Pugh leads the way with four assists while Sanchez, Rose Lavelle and Alana Cook have two each. Macario, Hatch, Sullivan, Margaret Purce, Kelley O’Hara and Sofia Huerta each have one assist.

• In total, 13 different players have been directly involved in goals for the USWNT this year, tallying either a goal or an assist. Pugh leads the way with eight total goal involvements (four goals and four assists), followed by Macario with three goals and one assist.

• Cook leads the USA in total minutes played so far in 2022 with 356 minutes of action, followed by fellow defender Emily Fox (294) and midfielders Macario (278) and Sullivan (277).

• Head coach Vlatko Andonovski is 31-2-6 in 39 games and with 137 goals for and 16 goals against, he boasts the best goal differential (+121) by any coach in USWNT history through 39 games. Andonovski went unbeaten (22-0-1) in his first 23 matches in charge of the USWNT, setting a record for the best start for a head coach in USWNT history.

• Of Andonovski’s first 39 games, 28 have been at home and 17 have been against teams ranked in the top-13 in the world.

• Eleven different players have earned their first cap under Andonovski, seven of whom are on this roster – Rodman, Dorsey, Sanchez, Howell, Smith, Purce and Cook.

• Seven of the 12 NWSL clubs have players on the roster with the Washington Spirit having six and OL Reign and NJ/NY Gotham FC having three each.

IN FOCUS: UZBEKISTAN | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

Current FIFA World Ranking: 48

AFC Ranking: 10

FIFA Country Code: UZB

2023 World Cup Qualifying: N/A

World Cup appearances: None

Best World Cup Finish: N/A

Record vs. USA: 0-1-0

Last Meeting vs. USA: April 9, 2022, a 9-1 defeat in Columbus, Ohio

Coach: Midori Honda (JPN)

Championship Honors: None

UZBEKISTAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION

 

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Tilovova Laylo (PFK Sevinch), 12-Saidova Zarina (FC Bunyodkor), 13-Uzganova Nigora (FC Sogdiana)

 

DEFENDERS (7): 2-Nabieva Yulduz (FC Bunyodkor), 3-Kuchkarova Ugiloy (FC Sogdiana), 9-Irisboeva Ziyoda (FC Bunyodkor), 11-Mirzayorova Mukhlisa (FC Metallurg), 17-Zarbieva Tanzilya (FC Sogdiana), 21-Tojiddinova Shokhida (FC AGMK), 22-Khusniddinova Solikha (Kocaeli Bayan FK, TUR)

 

MIDFIELDERS (7): 4-Zaynitdinova Shakhrizoda (Trabzonspor, TUR), 5-Panjieva Maftuna (FC Sogdiana), 6-Turdalieva Irodahon (FC Sogdiana), 10-Ablyakimova Ilvina (FC Bunyodkor), 14-Takaboeva Setora (Trabzonspor, TUR), 15-Vokhidova Madina (FC Qizilkum), 19-Kamoltoeva Nozima (FC Sogdiana)  

 

FORWARDS (6): 7-Kudratova Nilufar (PFK Sevinch), 8-Ergasheva Dildora (FC Sogdiana), 16-Juraboeva Diyora (FC Metallurg), 18-Norboeva Aziza (FC Bunyodkor), 20-Zaripova Kamila (Trabzonspor, TUR), 23-Khabibullaeva Diyorakhon (FC Sogdiana)

 

UZBEKISTAN ROSTER NOTES

• Aziz Norboeva’s goal against the USA in the 70^th minute on April 9 was the first goal the USWNT had allowed on home soil in over two years and marked the Uzbeks’ second goal scored in 2022.

• Uzbekistan utilized a total of four substitutes in Saturday’s game vs the USA in Columbus.

• Uzbekistan gained its independence and became a country in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

• Uzbekistan played in the Turkish Women’s Cup during the February FIFA window, defeating Lithuania 1-0, falling to Ukraine 2-0 and drawing with Venezuela, 0-0.

• In 2021 in friendly games, Uzbekistan defeated India, 1-0, lost to Belarus, 3-1, drew Belarus 1-1, and defeated Iran 5-0. In Asian Cup qualifying, the Uzbeks downed Mongolia 12-0 and lost to South Korea, 4-0.

• All of Uzbekistan’s players play domestically (19 players) or in Turkey, where three players play for Trabzonspor and one for Kocaeli Byana.

• Two players compete for PFK Sevenich, which won 11 First Division titles in a row from 2006-2016, before the streak was broken by FC Metallurg, which has two players on the roster.

• Reigning champions FC Bunyodkor have five players on the roster while FC Sogdiana eight players on the roster.

• This summer, the Uzbekistan will play the qualifying rounds for the 2023 Asian Women’s Cup in China PR and was drawn into Group C with Thailand, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The group winners and the top five second place teams in the 24-team pre-qualifying tournament will advance to the final tournament.

• Uzbekistan’s head coach is famed Japanese player Midori Honda. In 1991, she played for Japan in the first-ever Women’s World Cup. Now 56, she debuted for Japan at the age of 17 in 1983 and played 44 times for her country.

• She has been coaching in Japan’s top league since 2001 and was also an assistant coach for the Japan U-20s at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan, a tournament that the USA won and at which Japan finished third.