Australia vs. USWNT - International Friendly
Date: November 27, 2021
Venue: Stadium Australia; Sydney, Australia
Broadcast: FS2
Broadcast Time: 11 p.m. ET
Official Kickoff Time: 11:02 p.m. ET
Starting XI vs. Australia: 18-Casey Murphy; 14-Emily Sonnett; 12-Tierna Davidson, 5-Alana Cook, 23- Emily Fox; 17-Andi Sullivan, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.), 16-Rose Lavelle; 11-Margaret Purce, 8-Ashley Hatch; 6-Lynn Williams
Available Subs: 1- Jane Campbell, 3-Sofia Huerta, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 8-Ashley Sanchez, 13-Morgan Weaver, 15-Bethany Balcer, 22-Kristie Mewis
GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW - AUSTRALIA
- U.S. WNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this match): Horan (107), Lavelle (67), Sonnett (62), Davidson (45), Williams (44), Sullivan (21), Purce (8), Fox (7), Cook (3), Hatch (3), Murphy (1)
- The average age of the Starting XI is 26 years, making it youngest starting lineup to take the field for the USWNT since April 5, 2018.
- This will be the first time since April 9, 2013, that the USA has deployed a Starting XI with every player under the age of 30.
- Lindsey Horan and Tierna Davidson are the only players in this Starting XI who started in the most recent matchup with the Matildas in the Olympic Bronze Medal Match on Aug. 5, 2021. Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett also saw action in that match against the Matildas as second-half substitutes.
- Today’s starting lineup averages 34 international appearances with Horan (107 caps) the only player with 100+ caps. After Horan, Lavelle (67 caps) and Sonnett (62) are the most experienced players in this lineup while five players – Purce (8), Fox (7), Cook (3), Hatch (3) and Murphy (1) have fewer than 10 caps.
- Lindsey Horan will earn her 107th career cap as she captains the USWNT for the second time, the first coming on Oct. 21, 2021, in her 100th cap celebration match. Horan, who will be wearing the No. 10 jersey for the first time in her career, is the only player on this roster who has scored against the Matildas, tallying the game-tying goal against Australia during the 2018 Tournament of Nations.
- Goalkeeper Casey Murphy will make her international debut, becoming the 240th player overall and 25th goalkeeper to earn a cap with the U.S. Women’s National Team. The 25-year-old Murphy is the fourth different goalkeeper to start for the USWNT in 2021.
- Murphy becomes the sixth player to earn their first cap under head coach Vlatko Andonovski, joining Cook, Purce, Sophia Smith, Jaelin Howell and Macario.
- Bethany Bacler, Ashley Sanchez and Morgan Weaver could also join that group should they see the field against the Matildas.
- Emily Sonnett will make her 16th appearance and seventh start of the year as she earns her 62nd cap overall for the USWNT. Sonnett, who celebrated her 28th birthday on Thursday, Nov. 25, has two assists on the year and has played the full 90 minutes in each of her last three appearances for the USA.
- Tierna Davidson will be making her seventh consecutive appearance for the UWNT as she earns her 45th cap overall. Davidson played the full 90 minutes in both the USA’s games against the Matildas at the Tokyo Olympics. At 23-years-old, Davidson is the fourth-youngest player on this roster but ranks sixth in overall caps.
- Alana Cook is set to make her third start in what will be her third cap overall for the USWNT. Cook made her USWNT debut in November of 2019 vs. Costa Rica and also started and played the full 90 minutes in the USA’s 6-0 win over Colombia earlier this year on January 22.
- Emily Fox will make her third consecutive appearance and second start in a row for the USA. This will be Fox’s fourth cap of the year and seventh international appearance overall for the senior national team.
- Andi Sullivan will make her second consecutive start in what will be her 21st appearance overall for the USWNT. Sullivan, who captained the Washington Spirit to the 2021 NWSL Championship, has two goals and an assist in her five previous appearances for the USA in 2021.
- Rose Lavelle is slated to make her 21st appearance of the year for the USWNT as she earns her 67th cap. Lavelle has 17 goals and 11 assists in her international career and will be making her fifth career appearance against the Matildas.
- Margaret “Midge” Purce is set to make her sixth appearance of the year for the USA, in what will be her fourth career start and eight cap overall. Purce has two international goals, both of which have been scored this year. Her most recent goal for the USA came on June 13 against Jamaica, in what was also her most recent appearance. Purce started the match at right wing, scored in the 22nd minute and the played outside back for the entirety of the second half.
- Reigning NWSL Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch is set to make her first career start in what will be her third cap overall with the USWNT and first since 2018. Hatch made her international debut in October of 2016 with a substitute appearance against Switzerland and earned her second cap against Mexico on April 5, 2018, when she subbed on in the 80th minute.
- Lynn Williams will make her 44th international appearance as she makes her ninth start of the year and first since September 16 against Paraguay. Williams is the most experienced forward on the roster for the Australia games with 43 international appearances. The other five forwards on the roster have combined for 19 caps.
- Midfielder Catarina Macario is unavailable for today’s match due to a minor groin strain. Forward Sophia Smith is in concussion protocol and will also be unavailable.
