USA vs. Zambia: Starting XI & Lineup Notes

USWNT vs. Zambia – Paris 2024 Olympics – Group B
Date: July 25, 2024
Venue: Stade de Nice; Nice, France
Broadcast: USA Network, Universo, Peacock
Official Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET

Starting XI vs. Zambia: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 2-Emily Fox, 4-Naomi Girma, 5-Trinity Rodman, 7-Crystal Dunn, 9-Mallory Swanson, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.), 11-Sophia Smith, 12-Tierna Davidson, 16-Rose Lavelle, 17-Sam Coffey

Available Subs: 3-Korbin Albert, 6-Casey Krueger, 8-Lynn Williams, 13-Jenna Nighswonger, 14-Emily Sonnett, 18-Casey Murphy, 20-Croix Bethune

GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

• USWNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (Including this match): Horan (151), Dunn (150), Naeher (107), Lavelle (102), Swanson (95), Davidson (61), Fox (52), Smith (51), Rodman (41), Girma (35), Coffey (20)
• Tonight’s starting lineup averages 27.4 years of age and 78 caps per player, making it the youngest lineup to start for the USWNT at any world championship event – Olympics or World Cup – since the 2008 Summer Games.
• This starting lineup features three three-time Olympians (Dunn, Horan, Naeher), three two-time Olympians (Davidson, Lavelle, Swanson) and five first-time Olympians playing in their first-ever Olympic match (Coffey, Fox, Girma, Rodman, Smith).
• Lindsey Horan will captain the team for the 29th time in career and her fifth time ever at a world championship event, having captained the team in all four games at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This will be Horan’s 11th appearance in an Olympic match and her seventh start, most recently starting and tallying an assist against Australia in the bronze medal match of the delayed Tokyo Olympics.
• A three-time Olympian, Alyssa Naeher is set to earn her 107th cap as she makes her sixth career start at the Olympics. Naeher started the USA’s first five matches of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before suffering an injury in the first half of the semifinal against Canada, which sidelined her for the remainder of the tournament. Naeher had one shutout in Tokyo and heads into the Olympics with back-to-back clean sheets in the USA’s Send-Off Matches against Mexico and Costa Rica.
• Emily Fox is set to make her Olympic debut as she earns her 52nd cap for the USWNT. Fox, who ranks fourth among all-field players in total minutes played this year, started all four matches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which marked her first senior-level world championship.
• Naomi Girma is set to make her 35th international appearance as she plays in her first-ever match at the Olympic Games. One of three field players to play every minute at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Girma helped lead a U.S. backline that allowed only two shots on goal and one goal all tournament and has gone the distance in 26 of 34 matches so far in her USWNT career.
• Trinity Rodman will make her Olympic debut as she makes her 31st consecutive appearance for the USWNT. Rodman, the only player to appear in every match for the USWNT since the start of 2023, led the U.S. with 10 total goal involvements in 2023 (five goals, five assists) and made four appearances – three of them starts – at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She is tied for the team lead with three assists in 2024.
• Crystal Dunn will become the 26th player in USWNT history to reach 150 caps as she makes her seventh start of 2024 and 11th appearance all-time at the Olympics. Dunn appeared in all four matches at the 2016 Olympics and was the only U.S. player to start all six matches at the delayed Tokyo 2020 games, where she also led the team in minutes played.
• Mallory Swanson will make her first Olympic appearance in 2,904 days as she earns her 95th cap for the USWNT. Swanson was the youngest player on the U.S. roster for the 2016 Olympics where she played in three matches – and made two starts – and scored against Colombia at the age of 18 to become the youngest U.S. player ever to score in the Olympics. Swanson has two goals and two assists in six appearances so far this year, returning to action for the USWNT in April after missing the 2023 World Cup due to injury.
• Sophia Smith enters her first Olympics tied for the team lead in scoring with five goals this year. Smith, who is set to make her 51st international appearance, started all four matches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and tallied a brace against Vietnam in the opening match. Smith heads into this tournament with five goal contributions in her last five matches for the USWNT (four goals, one assist).
• A two-time Olympian, Tierna Davidson will make her 10th appearance of 2024 – all of them starts – as she earns her 61st cap for the USWNT. This will be Davidson’s sixth career appearance and fifth start at the Olympics, playing in all but one match at the delayed Tokyo 2020 games and playing every minute of the semifinal and bronze medal matches to close out the tournament.
• Rose Lavelle will make her seventh appearance and fifth start all-time at the Olympics as she earns her 102nd cap for the USWNT. Lavelle appeared in all six of the USA’s matches at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and scored her first Olympic goal in the USA’s group stage win over New Zealand.
• The 2024 Olympics marks the first world championship roster at any level for Sam Coffey, who is set to make her 20th international appearance. Coffey will be making her 11th start of 2024 – second on the team to only Lindsey Horan – and enters the match third on the team in total minutes played.
• Forward Jaedyn Shaw (leg injury) is unavailable for the match against Zambia and will be replaced on today's 18-player roster by alternate Croix Bethune.