Angelina Anderson joins Angel City teammate Alyssa Thompson on USWNT roster
Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson was called up to the women’s senior national team for the first time Tuesday and will join club teammate Alyssa Thompson for a weeklong training camp in Carson next week.
Anderson, 23, started Angel City’s first three games last season, conceding six goals and making 17 saves, with her final appearance coming March 30. She played four NWSL games in 2023, including Angel City’s playoff loss to the Seattle Reign.
Anderson’s call-up comes after Alyssa Naeher, who last year became the first American named FIFA goalkeeper of the year, announced her retirement from international play. Anderson, who was the starting keeper on the under-17 World Cup team in 2018, will be competing with veteran Casey Murphy of the North Carolina Courage, Seattle’s Claudia Dickey and Mandy McGlynn of the Utah Royals to replace Naeher. Of the four, only Murphy, with 20 caps, has played more than one match with the USWNT.
The Galaxy have traded Jalen Neal to Montreal for $650,000 in general allocation money, a move that helps the club move below MLS’ payroll cap.
“I’m planning for the future. And as we know with Alyssa Naeher retiring, this is an opportunity to really see the entire goalkeeping playing pool,” said manager Emma Hayes, who is unbeaten in 15 games with the national team. “This is the beginning of the year, this is an opportunity to see Angelina among others.”
“We’ve got great goalkeepers in this country,” Hayes added. “We just have to recognize that there’s not a lot of caps between lots of them.”
The reigning Olympic champions play their first game of 2025 on Feb. 20 in Houston, facing Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup. The four-team tournament will conclude at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Feb. 26 with the U.S. facing Japan and Australia meeting Colombia.
Because the training camp takes place outside a FIFA international window, all 26 players called in are coming off NWSL rosters, although the forward line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, who combined for 10 of the 12 U.S. goals in last summer’s Paris Olympics, were not called up. That has created opportunities for three forwards with three or fewer caps — Racing Louisville’s Emma Sears, Gotham’s Ella Stevens and Portland’s Morgan Weaver — to get some time with the national team.
With midfielder Rose Lavelle out through the SheBelieves Cup following ankle surgery, just 11 of the 22 members of the Olympic team will be in camp while six women summoned will be looking for their first appearance with the senior team. Thirteen others have three or fewer caps and just three players — defenders Crystal Dunn and Emily Sonnett and forward Lynn Williams — are older than 30.
Thompson, a forward, and midfielders Ally Sentnor and Jaedyn Shaw, all 20, are the youngest players in camp. They will be joined on the training field by 24 players from a “futures camp” for players under the age of 23. That roster will be released Wednesday.
U.S. women’s national soccer team roster
Goalkeepers: Angelina Anderson (Angel City), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
Defenders: Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ryan Williams (North Carolina Courage)
Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit), Nealy Martin (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (North Carolina Courage), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royal), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave)
Forwards: Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ella Stevens (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Morgan Weaver (Portland Thorns), Lynn Williams (Seattle Reign)
