Here are the 18 players on the US women's soccer roster headed to Tokyo for the Olympics
- USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has selected his 18-player roster for the Olympics.
- Veteran stars Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Carli Lloyd will all make the trip to Tokyo.
- Some younger players were left off the roster, as Andonovski seemingly prioritized experience.
The US Women's National Team roster is here.
Head coach Vlatko Andonovski is bringing some of the best women's soccer players on the planet with him to represent Team USA at this summer's Olympics. And unlike the 2019 World Cup, where former head coach Jill Ellis had 23 athletes at her disposal, Andonovski has room for just 18 players on his roster.
Here's the group of players heading to Tokyo for the USWNT:
Andonovski appears to have prioritized experience over potential for this squad. His group of forwards - headlined by Carli Lloyd, who will turn 39 during the Olympics - does not feature a single player younger than 30 years old. Meanwhile, up-and-coming stars like defender Midge Purce, midfielder Catarina Macario, and striker Sophia Smith were all left off of the team this time around.
Notably, USWNT mainstays Tobin Heath and Julie Ertz were both named to the roster despite lingering injuries that looked to be threatening their chances of making the trip to Tokyo. Longtime fan-favorite Kristie Mewis will finally make her debut at a major international tournament after years of trying to break through. She'll join her younger sister, superstar Sam Mewis, in the midfield for the USWNT.
Aside from the younger stars mentioned above, a number of former regulars were cut from the final squad for this summer's Olympics. Goalkeepers Jane Campbell and Ashlyn Harris, defenders Ali Krieger, Casey Krueger, and Alana Cook, forwards Lynn Williams and Mallory Pugh, and midfielder Andi Sullivan all narrowly missed the roster after recent stints with the USWNT.
Campbell, Krueger, Macario, and Williams will serve as alternates in Tokyo. Should one of the 18 players on the main roster need a replacement, one of the four will fill their vacant position.
The USWNT embarks on its journey to becoming the first team to earn gold directly after winning the World Cup with a grudge match against Sweden July 21. The Swedish national team instantly became one of the USWNT's biggest rivals after booting the stars and stripes from contention early in the 2016 Olympics.
The US will round out the group stage with games against New Zealand on July 24 and Australia on July 27.