CHICAGO (Sept. 16, 2023) – NY/NJ Gotham FC forward Midge Purce and Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola will replace Rose Lavelle and Kelley O’Hara, respectively, on the U.S. Women’s National Team’s training camp roster for the upcoming friendly matches vs. South Africa in Cincinnati and Chicago.
O’Hara’s return to play has been slower than anticipated and she will remain with her club to continue her progression to full fitness while Lavelle is still recovering from a lower leg injury suffered while playing with OL Reign earlier this month. Lavelle will come into the U.S. camp in Cincinnati for evaluation.
Purce, who has three goals for Gotham FC this season, has 23 caps and four career goals for the USWNT and has played in three USWNT matches this year, most recently starting the 2023 SheBelieves Cup opener against Canada. While Lavelle, a Cincinnati native, will not be able to play in her hometown, this will be the first USWNT call-up for Vignola, who also hails from Cincinnati where she attended high school at Saint Ursula Academy, the same high school as U.S. goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. The 25-year-old Vignola is in her second full season in the National Women’s Soccer League and has enjoyed a fine campaign at left back for ACFC, playing in 15 matches with 12 starts while scoring two goals from the back.
Vignola is the third uncapped player on the 27-player roster, joining 22-year-old forward Mia Fishel, who will be in her second USWNT camp, and 18-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, who will be in her first. While Shaw and Fishel have extensive U.S. Youth WNT experience, this is Vignola’s first National Team call-up since being in camps at the U-14 and U-17s levels.
The match in Cincinnati on Sept. 21 will kick off from TQL Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT in English and Universo and Peacock in Spanish. The broadcast pre-game show on TNT will begin at 7 p.m. ET.
The teams will then travel to Chicago for a match presented by Allstate at Soldier Field with kickoff at 4:30 p.m. CT / 5:30 ET, also broadcast on TNT in English and Universo and Peacock in Spanish. TNT’s pre-game show will begin at 4 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. ET.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Unattached), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
FORWARDS (9): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)