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USWNT roster: Meet the team that will go for first gold since 2012

The United States women’s soccer team had a rather disappointing showing at the Tokyo Olympics when it took home a bronze medal. The roster is set for the squad that is looking for its first Olympic gold since 2012.

Emma Hayes hasn’t been the head coach for very long, but she has her first major test at the helm of the USWNT with the 2024 Paris Olympics opener Thursday against Zambia (3 p.m. ET).

The big news coming from the roster selection was the omission of Alex Morgan, who had appeared in the past three Olympics for the national team. Still, there are other veterans on the roster with plenty of Olympic experience, including Alyssa Naeher, Lindsey Horan and Crystal Dunn.

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USWNT Olympic roster

There is a blend of seasoned and new Olympians on the roster chosen by Hayes. Ten players have played in the Games before, while eight will be making their Olympic debut. The team also gets four alternates that will travel with the team and could be added to the roster should someone sustain an injury.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

*Each asterisk represents an Olympic appearance, including 2024 Paris.

***Alyssa Naeher, goalkeeper
*Casey Murphy, goalkeeper
*Naomi Girma, defender
**Tierna Davidson, defender
*Emily Fox, defender
*Jenna Nighswonger, defender
**Casey Krueger, defender
**Emily Sonnett, defender
*Sam Coffey, midfielder
***Lindsey Horan, midfielder
**Rose Lavelle, midfielder
*Korbin Albert, midfielder
**Catarina Macario, forward
***Crystal Dunn, forward
*Trinity Rodman, forward
*Jaedyn Shaw, forward
 *Sophia Smith, forward
**Mallory Swanson, forward
Alternates: Jane Campbell (goalkeeper), Hal Hershfelt (midfielder), Croix Bethune (midfielder) and Lynn Williams (forward)

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Who is the head coach of USWNT?

U.S. Soccer hired Hayes in November, but she didn’t coach her first match until June 1 due to her job as head coach of Chelsea. She’s an accomplished coach, as she recently led Chelsea to its fifth consecutive, and seventh overall, Super League title. Hayes also led Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2021, she’s a six-time WSL manager of the year and was FIFA’s coach of the year in 2021.

When U.S. Soccer announced the hiring of Emma Hayes, it announced she would become the highest-paid coach in women’s soccer.

USWNT schedule at 2024 Paris Olympics

The USWNT will begin group play of the 2024 Paris Olympics in Nice. The team is in Group B. Here is the schedule for the USWNT group stage matches:

Thursday, July 25: USA vs. Zambia (3 p.m. ET)
Sunday, July 28: USA vs. Germany (3 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, July 31: USA vs. Australia (1 p.m. ET)

USWNT Olympic history

It’s been more than a decade since the USWNT won a gold medal at the Olympics, the last coming in the 2012 London Games. The national team has participated in every Olympics since 1996, and it’s won a medal in every tournament except in 2016. Here is the history of the USWNT in the Olympics:

2020, Tokyo: Bronze (defeated Australia 4-3 in bronze medal game)
2016, Rio: None (lost to Sweden 2-1 in penalties in quarterfinals)
2012, London: Gold (defeated Japan 2-1)
2008, Beijing: Gold (defeated Brazil 1-0 in extra time)
2004, Athens: Gold (defeated Brazil 2-1 in extra time)
2000, Sydney: Silver (lost to Norway 3-2 in penalties)
1996, Atlanta: Gold (defeated China 2-1)

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