We also give our prognosis for the final four at the Olympics. We also have a few roster updates and some friendly international results for the U.S. (against Mexico and Costa Rica, with their rosters) and Canada versus Australia.
2024 Olympic Games Finals Rosters
This column has previously presented the Olympic Games rosters for Australia (see: The Week in Women's Football: Hayes enjoys impressive start with USA; Australia do China double - TribalFootball.com), the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Japan . This week we look at the rosters for the other seven sides, Spain, Germany and France from UEFA, Zambia and Nigeria from Africa, New Zealand from Oceania and Colombia from CONMEBOL. We then provide our predictions for the tournament’s final four.
Spain’s Olympic Games Finals Roster
Spain, the reigning World Champions from the 2023 Women’s World Cup as well as at the U-20 and U-17 levels, will make their debut at the Olympic Games Finals in Paris. The roster as released by the Royal Spanish Football Federation includes:
ARSENAL FC (ENG)
Laia Codina Panedas
María Francesca Caldentey Oliver
CF MONTERREY FEMENIL (MEX)
Lucia Garcia Cordoba
CLUB ATLETICO DE MADRID SAD
Eva Maria Navarro Garcia
CLUB TIGRES FEMENIL (MEX)
Jennifer Hermoso Fuentes
FC BARCELONA
Ona Batlle Pascual
Aitana Bonmatí Conca
Catalina Tomas Coll Lluch
Patricia Guijarro Gutiérrez
Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono
Irene Paredes Hernández
Alexia Putellas Segura
MANCHESTER CITY FC (ENG)
Laia Aleixandri Lopez
REAL MADRID CF
Teresa Abelleira Dueñas
Olga Carmona García
Athenea Del Castillo Beivide
Oihane Hernández Zurbano
María Isabel Rodríguez Rivero
The four alternates are as follows:
FC BARCELONA
Victoria López Serrano Félix
LEVANTE UD
Maria Mendez Fernandez
REAL MADRID CF
Alba María Redondo Ferrer
REAL SOCIEDAD DE FUTBOL SAD
Elene Lete Para
Of the 18 players on the final roster, 13 are based in Spain with the top three finishers in the 2023-24 Liga F regular season—seven at Barcelona, five at Real Madrid and one with Atletico Madrid, while three play in England’s WSL, and two play in Liga MX Femenil in Mexico. Four alternates all play in Spain, one each from the top three clubs and one from fourth place Levante.
In the 2025 European Championship Qualifiers, Spain surprisingly lost to Czech Republic (2-1) away in Chomutov on July 12. Aitana Bonmati gave the visitors the lead by the 15 minute mark but Katerina Svitkova (28), who has been with Chelsea of the WSL for the past two seasons, tied up the match just before halftime. Czech Republic took the lead in the 51st minute from a penalty kick by Eva Bartonova (30) of Sparta Prague after Misa Rodriguez fouled Franny Cerna (26)—who was born in the States, played at DePaul University and will play for Sparta Prague this season after six years with Slavia Prague.
The Czech defense, backstopped by Olivie Lukasova (23), in only her third cap for the national team and is joining two-time Serie A champions Roma for the 2024-25 season from Slavia Prague, held off the potent Spanish attack to inflict Spain’s first away EURO qualifying defeat since June of 2012. Spain was hampered in the last 20 minutes as Irene Paredes was given a red card.
On July 16, Spain went home to La Coruna and defeated Belgium 2-0. Spain controlled the vast bulk of possession through virtually all of the game, except for a few minute stretch near the end when Belgium attacked more and forced Spain to drop back. Bonmati scored the first goal in the 38th minute close to goal after a pinpoint cross from the ever dangerous Olga Carmona on the wing. Belgium, who lost 7-0 to Spain in their home leg, kept Spain off the board again until just into injury time when Teresa Albelleira saw the Belgium goalkeeper way off her line as no defender closed her down and she popped a high shot from beyond 25 meters into the net for the final score.
Spain had 16 shots versus 3 for Belgium (10 versus 1 for shots on goal) and had three shots hit the goal but bounced away. Spain won Group A2 with 15 points from six matches, with Denmark finishing second on 12 points, while Belgium and Czech Republic finished tied for third with four points each. Note: We will review the 2025 EURO qualification process in an upcoming column.
France’s Olympic Games Finals Roster
Head Coach Herve Renard selected his Olympic Games Final Roster for host nation France of 18 players with 4 alternates. Thirteen of the 18 play in France—six each at Paris St. Germain and Olympique Lyonnaise with one with Montpellier—and two in Italy and one each in England, Spain and the U.S.A. Of the alternates, two play in France—one at Fleury and one at PSG—with one each in England and Italy.
Goalkeepers
Pauline Peyraud-Magnin
Constance Picaud
Defenders
Wendie Renard
Griedge Mbock Bathy
Sakina Karchaoui
Élisa De Almeida
Selma Bacha
Maëlle Lakrar
Estelle Cascarino
Midfielders
Amandine Henry
Grace Geyoro
Kenza Dali
Sandie Toletti
Sandy Baltimore
Forwards
Eugénie Le Sommer
Kadidiatou Diani
Delphine Cascarino
Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Alternate Players
Eve Perisset
Lea Le Garrec
Vicki Becho
Solene Durand
France surprisingly fell to the Republic of Ireland (3-1) in their last Group C EURO Qualifier on July 16. France had changed all eleven starters from their previous match, a 2-1 win in Dijon over Sweden four days previously, which seemed to affect the rhythm in their play. Denise O’Sullivan (30) of the North Carolina Courage and Julie-Ann Russell (33) of Galway United, who has played in Australia and in the U.S. in the W-League, scored in the second half to give the Irish a 2-1 lead by the 76th minute. Vicki Becho scored for France in the 79th minute, but Anna Patten (25) of Aston Villa of the WSL headed home a clinching third goal in the 90th minute to make the game safe. France topped Group A3 with 12 points, one more than England, as both teams qualified automatically for the 2025 Women’s EURO finals in Switzerland. Sweden was third on eight points while Ireland had three points from the shock win over France.
Germany’s Olympic Games Roster
Former German international striker Horst Hrubesch, in his second stint with the German WNT as head coach, selected 18 players, including Wolfsburg’s Alexandra Popp, who won a Gold Medal at the Maracanã during the Rio Olympics in 2016. In addition to Popp, six other Wolfsburg players feature in the final 18. These include defender Kathrin Hendrich, another of 2016’s victorious squad, as well as fellow defenders Marina Hegering and Sarai Linder.
Higher up the pitch, midfielder/wing Jule Brand and forward Vivien Endemann and goalkeeper Merle Frohms. Bayern Munich will have five players at the Olympics: defender Giulia Gwinn, midfielders Lena Oberdorf and Sydney Lohmann, and forwards Klara Bühl and Lea Schüller. Eintracht Frankfurt have three players in defender Sara Doorsoun, midfielder Elisa Senß and forward Laura Freigang. The remaining players all play outside of Germany. NY/NJ Gotham FC’s Ann-Katrin Berger is the team’s second goalkeeper, along with Athletic Bilbao’s (Spain) center back Bibiane Schulze Solano and Chelsea’s (England) midfielder/defender Sjoeke Nüsken. Olympique Lyonnais of France midfielder Sara Däbritz misses out, having not yet recovered from an ankle injury.
Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Stina Johannes and striker Nicole Anyomi are on standby duty, as well as Wolfsburg’s midfielder Janina Minge, and defender Felicitas Rauch of the North Carolina Courage of the NWSL. The latter will be with the squad throughout the tournament; Johannes and Anyomi will travel with the squad until the end of the group stage, while Minge will train at VfL Wolfsburg and join the team if she is called up.
Hrubesch’s side are also in European Championship qualifying action this summer, and faced Iceland and Austria on July 12 and 16, losing the first game surprisingly in Reykjavik by a 3-0 scoreline. Ingibjörg Sigurðardóttir (26) scored the first goal of the game with a header in the 14th minute; she played last season for now relegated Duisburg of Germany after years playing in Norway, Sweden and at home.
The two second half goals came after errors in the German defense involving their keeper as they tried to play out of the back deep in their half, first on a long shot from Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir (24), who will be starting her third season in Italy with Fiorentina this fall, and then with a goal from inside the penalty area from midfielder Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir (23), who also plays in Germany and will be starting her fourth season with powerhouse VFL Wolfsburg in the fall.
Hrubesch said after the game that he was not concerned about the Olympic matches coming, in part because the players had been on holiday before the match but that the team did perform poorly in chilly Reykjavik: “I think that was the right warning shot (ahead of the Olympics). I still have a good feeling, that’s not the problem. One thing is also clear: we have to take on these duels from the outset, and what we played was simply poor. You could also see that we helped them to score all three goals ourselves (particularly on the final two scores). We often made many, many wrong decisions going forward.”
Germany rebounded nicely four days later with a 4-0 defeat of Austria in Hannover, with Klara Bühl (23) of Bayern Munich scoring the first and final goals of the game. The squad for the Olympics was almost identical to the EUROs side with the addition of midfielder Pia-Sophie Wolter of Eintracht Frankfurt, who was included in the squad for the Women’s EURO Qualifiers. Iceland also won on July 16 (1-0) in Poland and had already qualified for the 2025 EURO Finals next year in Switzerland after the Germany match, finishing on 13 points in their group behind Germany with 15 points.
Zambia Olympics Games Finals Roster
Zambia’s second consecutive Olympic Games roster has controversy—of course—partly due to Bruce Mwape still being in charge of head coach, despite long standing allegations of sexual harassment of players and a long-running investigation by FIFA. In fact, Mwape was prevented from any “private conversations” with his team at the Olympics, since he is still being investigated. Furthermore, his visa to France was initially refused due to the country’s strict rules on sexual offenses but was then approved in a second attempt but with conditions.
We believe in due process but this situation has been going on for a year and the FAZ needs to move on from Mwape and find another coach to take an extremely talented generation on to future successes in Africa and at global tournaments.
When the squad was named, Elite Ladies goalkeeper Esther Chilete Munsaka and midfielder Evarine Katongo (21) were ruled out due to injury. The club argued that Chilete Munsaka was not injured but the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) used that as a reason for not selecting her. Mwape explained: “All the players were just okay until goalkeeper Chitete Munsaka sustained an injury in training. The report I got from the doctor was very discouraging and they indicated that she will not be able to travel with the team. We have therefore recalled Eunice Sakala. We had about 35 players (in previous camps) and we had a lot of competition, and we now have the final list of 22 players. We all know that any tournament has its own rules and regulations and that is what we followed.”
There seemingly is always drama from the leadership of the Copper Queens, but they have a talented squad and Barbra Banda has arguably been the best import to the NWSL in recent memory; she could continue her rich goal-scoring streak in the Olympics as she is tied for the league lead in goals scored on 12, with fellow African and Malawi international Temwa Chawinga.
(GOALKEEPERS)
Catherine Musonda (Hapoel Raanana Women FC-Israel), Ngambo Musole Petronella (Green Buffaloes), Eunice Sakala (INDENI Roses)
(DEFENDERS)
Martha Tembo, Lushomo Mweemba (both BIIK Kazygurt Shymkent-Kazakhstan), Esther Siamfuko, Diana Banda, (both Green Buffaloes), Pauline Zulu (Elite Ladies),Vast Phiri (ZESCO Ndola Girls), Esther Muchinga (ZANACO Ladies)
(MIDFIELDERS)
Grace Chanda (Orlando Pride-USA), Misozi Zulu, Hellen Chanda (both Hakkarigucu Spur-Turkey), Rhoda Chileshe (INDENI Roses), Avell Chitundu (ZESCO Ndola Girls), Mary Wilombe (Red Arrows), Prisca Chilufya (Club Juarez Femenil-Mexico),
(STRIKERS)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride-USA), Rachael Kundananji (Bay FC-USA), Kabange Mupopo,(Green Buffaloes), Rachael Nachula (Hapoel Jerusalem-Israel), Ochumba Oseke Lubanji (Red Arrows).
Three players are based in the U.S. in the NWSL, two each are based in Israel, Kazakhstan and Turkey and one is playing in Mexico while 12 play for clubs in Zambia. Alternates were not named by Zambia.
Nigeria Olympic Games Roster
Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum has named his 18 player roster for Nigeria’s first Olympic Games Finals tournament since 2008 in Beijing, China. Veteran forward Francisca Ordega (30) of CSKA Moscow and 41-year-old defender Onome Ebi (a six time WWC participant) of Naija Ratels FC of Abuja, Nigeria, were recently petitioning to be included in the squad but were not selected. Saudi-based defender (at Al-Ittihad) and 2023 WWC Finals revelation Ashleigh Plumptre (26), who grew up in England and played in the WSL, was not included on the roster due to her recovery from surgery. The 18 roster includes:
Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Tochukwu Oluehi (Shualat Alsharqia FC, Saudi Arabia)
Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachuca Club de Futbol, Mexico); Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade de Reims, France); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Nicole Payne (Portland Thorns FC, USA); Chidinma Okeke (Mynavi Sendai Ladies, Japan)
Midfielders: Deborah Abiodun (University of Pittsburgh, USA); Halimatu Ayinde (FC Rosengard, Sweden); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Jennifer Echegini (Juventus Ladies, Italy); Toni Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain)
Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid FC, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (Changchun FC, China); Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC, USA); Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville, USA); Chiwendu Ihezuo (Pachuca Club de Futbol, Mexico); Chinonyerem Macleans (Locomotiv Moscow, Russia)
Alternate Players: Jumoke Alani (Nasarawa Amazons); Ifeoma Onumonu (Utah Royals, USA); Gift Monday (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa, Spain); Morufa Ademola (Rivers Angels)
Rasheedat Ajibade has been named as captain of the side, which is always contentious and very important to the players of the national team.
For the 18, five play in the U.S.—four in the NWSL and one in college—two each are in France, Mexico and Spain and one each in China, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Russia, Saudia Arabia and Sweden. Two alternates play in Nigeria, with one each playing professionally in Spain and the U.S.
New Zealand Olympic Games Roster
The 18 players who will represent Aotearoa New Zealand in the women’s football tournament at Paris 2024 have been named.
The full squad is:
Mackenzie Barry* (16 caps) Wellington Phoenix FC, New Zealand
CJ Bott (46 caps) Leicester City, England
Katie Bowen (109 caps) Inter Milan, Italy
Milly Clegg* (8 caps) Racing Louisville FC, USA
Victoria Esson (23 caps) Rangers FC, Scotland
Macey Fraser* (5 caps) Utah Royals, USA
Ally Green* (14 caps) AGF, Denmark
Jacqui Hand* (27 caps) Unattached
Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached
Katie Kitching* (10 caps) Sunderland AFC, England
Anna Leat (18 caps) Aston Villa FC, England
Meikayla Moore (65 caps) Unattached
Gabi Rennie (37 caps) Åland United, Finland
Ali Riley (162 caps) Angel City FC, USA
Indiah-Paige Riley* (24 caps) PSV Vrouwen, Netherlands
Malia Steinmetz* (31 caps) FC Nordsjælland, Denmark
Rebekah Stott (102 caps) Melbourne City FC, Australia
Kate Taylor* (16 caps) Unattached
*First time Olympian—there were 10 debutants for this Olympic Games Finals.
Claudia Bunge (HB Koge, Denmark), Michaela Foster (Unattached), Annalie Longo (Wellington Phoenix FC, New Zealand), and Murphy Sheaff (Kansas State University, USA) were named as travelling reserves.
For the top 18, three are based in England, three play in the NWSL in the States, two play in the A-League women—one in Australia and one in New Zealdnd—two others play in Denmark, one each are based in Italy, Scotland, Denmark, and Netherlands and four are unattached and looking for clubs.
For the four alternates, one plays in Denmark, one is in the W-League Women with Wellington, one is in college in the States and one is unattached.
Captain Ali Riley (36) is on the roster despite playing only in five games this season with Angel City, coming back from an injury. An important leader for the side, this will be Riley’s fifth Olympic Games Finals with the Football Ferns. The real surprise is that veteran striker Hannah Wilkinson (32—who has played the last three seasons with Melbourne City but is now out of contract and looking for a club)—who scored the iconic first goal for New Zealand in last year’s WWC Finals opener in Auckland to give her side a 1-0 win over Norway—was not included at all in the 22 selections for a squad that is quite young.
Milly Clegg (18), Jacqui Hand (25), Grace Jale (25), Gabi Rennie (23) and Indiah-Paige Riley (22) will thus be interim head coach Michael Mayne’s forward options. Clearly Mayne is building for the future and the next WWC in Brazil in 2027 as Emma Hayes is doing with a young team for Paris (see: The Week in Women's Football: Hayes enjoys impressive start with USA; Australia do China double - TribalFootball.com).
As we discussed last month, Michael Mayne has been installed as interim head coach for the Olympic Games Finals (see more below). Mayne said: “It is great to be able to give over half the squad their Olympic debuts, and I know it will be a proud moment for all of the players and staff to wear the Fern in France."
This year Aotearoa New Zealand come into the tournament with a record of six wins, one draw and two defeats in 2024, scoring 37 goals and conceding eight.
Mayne has replaced Jitka Klimkova after a “tumultuous” few months according to Reuters (see more in our column last month: The Week in Women's Football: Argentina anger; T&T collapse; Japan impress ahead of Paris - TribalFootball.com).
Jitka was suspended/took a leave of absence—depending on the media outlet—during the last international window for two games versus Japan (both losses under Mayne) but was cleared after an independent workplace employment investigation by New Zealand Football. She was scheduled to again head the team last month but the NZF delayed that start, due to substantial player concerns, saying in a statement: “New Zealand Football has taken the view that due to concerns in relation to the team environment, her wellbeing, and a restorative process having not been completed, it would not be the right time for her to return.”
A number of senior players had requested that she not return to lead the side. Klimkova took over the Football Ferns in 2021 and was on a contract through the 2027 WWC cycle. She now has stepped aside for the Olympic Games Finals. Hopefully the NZF has learned its lesson and will not give such a long contract to future coaches—keeping it to four year cycles at the most—particularly for New Zealand which struggles outside of Oceania.
The NZF also needs to put an end to the turmoil around the WNT and move on from Klimkova, though part of the issue now is whether they have due cause to terminate her, which would save substantial funds in paying off the rest of her contract.
In 2012 at the London Olympics, New Zealand made the quarterfinals but that could be a tough ask this time in a difficult Group A with Colombia, France and Canada. They faced African qualifiers Zambia in a pre-Games friendly on July 13 in Vichy, France, ending in a 1-1 tie. Defender Katie Kitching (25) scored for the Football Ferns in the 67th minute, off-setting a goal by Zambia’s Rhoda Chilesh (26) in the 49th minute. New Zealand’s next game is the opener against Canada in the first Olympic group match in Saint-Etienne on July 25.
Colombia’s Olympic Games Roster
The technical director of the Colombian Senior Women's National Team, Angelo Marsiglia, announced the list of 18 players and four substitutes who will represent the country at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The National Team concentrated in Barranquilla from July 8 to 14 and had have a friendly match against the Ecuadorian National Team, on July 13 at the Jaime Morón stadium in Cartagena, which Colombia lost 2-1, with Colombia’s goal coming late in the match (86th minute) from Daniela Montoya, as Ecuador scored at the end of the first half and around the hour mark.
The Colombian Olympic Games roster is as follows:
ÁNGELA DANIELA BARÓN – Atlético Nacional
CAROLINA ARIAS VIDAL – América de Cali
CATALINA PÉREZ JARAMILLO – Werder Bremen (GER)
DANIELA ALEXANDRA ARIAS ROJAS – Corinthians (BRA)
DANIELA CARACAS GONZÁLEZ – RCD Espanyol (ESP)
DANIELA MONTOYA QUIROZ – Atlético Nacional
ILANA IZQUIERDO ZANGER – Mississippi State Univ. (USA)
JORELYN DANIELA CARABALÍ MARTINEZ – Brighton (ENG)
LADY PATRICIA ANDRADE RODRIGUEZ – Real Brasilia (BRA) *
LEICY MARIA SANTOS HERRERA – Washington Spirit (USA)
LIANA MILENA SALAZAR VERGARA – Millonarios F.C.
LINDA LIZETH CAICEDO ALEGRIA – Real Madrid (ESP)
LUZ KATHERINE TAPIA RAMIREZ – Palmeiras (BRA)
MANUELA PAVI SEPÚLVEDA – Deportivo Cali
MANUELA VANEGAS CATAÑO – Real Sociedad (ESP)
MARIA CAMILA REYES CALDERÓN – Independiente Santa Fe *
MARIA CATALINA USME PINEDA – Pachuca (MEX)
MARCELA RESTREPO VALENCIA – Atlético Nacional
MAYRA TATIANA RAMIREZ RAMÍREZ – Chelsea (ENG)
SANDRA MILENA SEPÚLVEDA LOPERA – Llaneros F.C *
WENDY KATERINE BONILLA CANDELO – América de Cali *
YIRLEIDIS QUEJADA MINOTA – Pachuca (MEX)
Six of the 18 players going to Paris are based with Colombian clubs, three play in England, and two each are based in the States—one in the NWSL and one in college—Mexico, Spain, and Brazil and one in Germany. With the alternates, three play in Colombia and one is playing currently in Brazil.
TribalFootball.com’s Prognosis for the Last Four at the Olympics
This column has previously said that we think the three UEFA representatives—Spain, France and Germany—will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games semifinals (see: The Week in Women's Football: Mexico celebrate USA shock; Spain win Nations League - Tribal Football). We believe that Spain and France could be in the Gold Medal game, with Germany qualifying for the Bronze Medal match against a team from the Americas—either the U.S., Canada or Brazil.
Herve Renard has been wonderful since taking charge just ahead of the 2023 WWC in his first work with a women’s side (his contract ends with the Paris Games) and France could reach the last four at the Olympics for the second time (after 2012). With a passionate fan base at home, France could win their first ever world title, but would have to defeat Spain, which they couldn’t do in the first UEFA Women’s Nations League Final earlier this year (2-0). This reporter watched the Spain-Belgium match (see above) followed shortly after by the U.S.-Costa Rica match (see below).
Spain is simply at a different level in terms of calmness on the ball, innovation and attacking seams at high speeds, while the U.S. does not play at that rate of speed or panache. We are very high on Emma Hayes—since her days of coaching in UPS with the Chicago Red Stars—but her team is young and if they make the semifinals, that should be considered a success.
U.S. Roster updates and Friendly Result versus Mexico and Costa Rica, with their CONCACAF opponents’ rosters
Forward Catarina Macario, who missed the 2023 WWC Finals roster because of injury, will miss her second consecutive tournament after being ruled out with a knee injury. The Chelsea FC forward was selected by her former club and current U.S. WNT head coach Emma Hayes for the original 18, and missed last year’s Women’s World Cup Finals through an ACL injury.
Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams, who did make the 2023 WWC Finals with the U.S., was promoted from the alternate list for Paris. This will also be Williams second consecutive Olympic Games Finals. Orlando Pride’s defender Emily Sams was added to the alternate list to replace her. She is in her second NWSL season after playing at Florida State University. She has been key to the Orlando Pride’s defense that is the best in the league by allowing only 12 goals in their first 16 matches and is undefeated thus far (11-0-5 record) in 2024.
On July 13, the U.S. WNT defeated Mexico 1-0 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey in front of a sellout crowd of 26,376 fans, on a day that also celebrated the 1999 U.S. Women’s World Cup winners, who were all present for events over the weekend. Sophia Smith scored the winning goal with an assist from Mallory Swanson in the 64th minute.
Mexico particularly stifled the U.S. in the first half and were trying for their second consecutive win over the Americans, after their group stage win in the first round of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup (2-0) in February in Carson (Los Angeles), California. The U.S. outshot Mexico 17 versus 3, with six shots on goal compared with only one for Mexico. Croix Bethune, who is on the Paris Games Olympic team as an alternate, came on in the second half for her first cap. The game was the third consecutive win and shutout for the U.S. (all with Alyssa Naeher in goal) since Emma Hayes started officially as head coach on June 1 for a two game series against Korea Republic.
Mexico’s roster was as follows:
Goalkeepers (2):
1-Celeste Espino (Guadalajara), 12-Blanca Felix (Guadalajara), 21-Esthefanny Barreras (Pachuca)
Defenders (10):
2-Jocelyn Orejel (Club America), 3-Karla Martinez (Guadalajara), 4-Rebeca Bernal (Rayados de Monterrey), 5-Karen Luna (Club America), 6-Nicki Hernandez (Club America), 14-Greta Espinoza (Tigres UANL), 15-Cristina Ferral (Tigres UANL), 18-Reyna Reyes (Portland Thorns FC, USA), 23-Kimberly Rodriguez (Club America)
Midfielders (4):
7-Maria Sanchez (San Diego Wave FC, USA), 8-Alexia Delgado (Tigres UANL), 16-Karla Nieto (Pachuca), 19-Nicole Perez (Rayados de Monterrey)
Forwards (7):
9-Kiana Palacios (Club America), 10-Diana Ordoñez (Houston Dash, USA),11-Lizbeth Ovalle (Tigres UANL), 13-Mayra Pelayo (Tijuana), 17-Myra Delgadillo (Rayados de Monterrey), 20-Scarlett Camberos (Bay FC, USA), 22-Maricarmen Reyes (Tigres UNAL)
Nineteen members of the Mexico squad play in Liga MX Femenil, with five each playing with Tigres UANL of Monterrey and Club America of Mexico City. Four play in the NWSL. A few of the players are U.S.-raised diaspora, including their starting goalkeeper Esthefanny Barreras, who plays with Pachuca but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and played at Phoenix Community College and the University of West Florida.
On Tuesday, July 18, the U.S. played its last friendly before the Paris Olympics at Audi Field in Washington D.C., but came away with a goalless draw against CONCACAF rival Costa Rica, which Soccer America the next day described as: “A send-off game to forget.” A crowd of 18,972 saw Costa Rica post their first positive result ever against the U.S. after losing all 17 of their previous matches against the Americans.
The U.S. dominated the match throughout, including in possession (80% vs. 20%), shots (26 vs. 2), shots on goal (12 vs. 0) and corner kicks (16 vs. 0)—even more so than against Mexico—but could not score against a resolute Costa Rica defense, which at times had ten players in the last third of their end of the field. Las Ticas goalkeeper Noelia Bermúdez was stellar with 12 saves. Bermúdez was a former Goalkeeper of the Year in Spain’s Liga F in 2016-17 with Levante. Midfielder Lindsey Horan played in her 150th game for the U.S.
For Costa Rica, midfielder Raquel Rodriguez is the only squad member who plays in the States, with Angel City in the NWSL. Sixteen players compete domestically in the Costa Rican Women’s Premier Division, including nine players from 2023 Clausura champions Alajuelense. Of the remaining five players, three compete in Mexico with one player each based in Russia and Colombia.
The full roster is as follows:
Goalkeepers (2): 1-Noelia Bermúdez (Alajuelense), 23-Daniela Solera (Atlas, MEX)
Defenders (7): 2-Gabriela Guillén (Alajuelense), 3-María Paula Coto (Alajuelense), 4-Mariana Benavides (Millonarios, COL), 6-Jimena González (Sporting FC), 12-María Paula Elizondo (Saprissa FF), 15-María José Morales (Dimas Escazú), 20-Fabiola Villalobos (Alajuelense)
Midfielders (6): 6-Yaniela Arias (Dimas Escazú), 8-Priscila Rodríguez (Saprissa FF), 10-Gloriana Villalobos (Saprissa FF), 11-Raquel Rodríguez (Angel City FC, USA), 13-Emilie Valenciano (Alajuelense), 19-Alexandra Pinell (Alajuelense)
Forwards (7): 7-Melissa Herrera (Xolos Tijuana, MEX), 9-María Paula Salas (Atlas, MEX), 14-Priscila Chinchilla (Zenit de San Petersburgo, RUS), 16-Ángela Mesén (Alajuelense), 17-Alexa Herrera (Alajuelense), 21-Tanisha Fonseca (Sporting FC), 22-Sianyf Aguero (Alajuelense)
Priscila Chinchilla (23) left Pachuca of Liga MX Femenil in January, where she had four goals in eleven matches in the 2023-24 Apertura, and signed with the Russian league’s Zenit St. Petersburg in March. She scored a brace as Costa Rica defeated El Salvador 2-0 in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup Finals in February and was a goalscoring revelation when she played at Glasgow City in Scotland for three seasons.
Canada defeats Australia 2-1 in Olympic Tune-up Friendly in Spain
Canada defeated Australia 2-1 in a Spain Olympic Games preparation friendly in Marbella, Spain on July 13. Sharn Freier (22) of Brisbane Roar—with an assist from Mary Fowler (21) of Manchester City of England—gave the Matildas the lead in the 24th minute but Nichelle Prince (29) of the Kansas City Current tied up the match four minutes before halftime.
Evelyne Viens (27) of Roma of Italy scored from Gabrielle Carle’s (25—of the NWSL’s Washington Spirit and in her second season after playing with Kristianstad of Sweden) assist five minutes from full time, for an important confidence-building win for the reigning Olympic Gold Medalists.
- Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women’s football. Get your copy today. Follow Tim on X: @TimGrainey