New faces: U.S. national team coach Jill Ellis called up 11 uncapped players, eight from the National Women's Soccer League and three from the college ranks, to the current roster. Five of those players, Andi Sullivan, Casey Short, Lynn Williams, Abby Dahlkemper and Ashley Hatch, earned their first caps (international match appearances) Oct. 19 against Switzerland. Goalkeeper Jane Campbell returned to play with Stanford and is not in Minneapolis.
Fast start: Williams, a halftime substitute against Switzerland, scored just 49 seconds in against Switzerland — the fastest goal in a debut in U.S. history. She became the 20th U.S. women's national team player to score in her first cap.
Quote: "It's a piece of art. It's beautiful," coach Jill Ellis said of U.S. Bank Stadium, the $1.1 billion facility opened earlier this year.
Lloyd lights it up: Many of Carli Lloyd's Olympics teammates aren't on the current roster, but she remains a force. Against Thailand on Sept. 15, Lloyd was part of seven of the nine goals the U.S. scored. She recorded her seventh international hat trick and added four assists, the first player in U.S. history to post those numbers.
david la vaque
