This week we look at a number of nation's Olympic Games Finals rosters for their women's national teams, with particular focus on related players and coaching news from Australia and New Zealand. Note that we have divided most Olympic rosters into the 18 original picks and 4 alternates, as most teams originally announced them, although a late ruling this week by the IOC and confirmed by FIFA has allowed the expansion of the full rosters up to 22, though only 18 can dress for any one game.

This was a very good move but a shame that the decision could not have been made much earlier, which might have changed a few spots for positional purposes among the 22, as most teams had selected their 18 and 4 alternates by the time of the official rule change. U.S. women's national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski did say that he had heard that the change might be made and his four alternate selections were made with the idea that they could all see playing time in Japan. We also look at Mexico's roster and the two 4-0 friendly wins by the U.S. over their neighbor in Hartford, Connecticut this past week.

Note: The NWSL has sent 36 players in total to the Olympics, 17 for the U.S., 9 for Canada—as the NWSL is the effective professional domestic league for both countries—along with three to New Zealand, two each to Brazil and Japan, and one to Sweden, one to Australia and one to Great Britain. The Netherlands, Chile, China and Zambia had no players in the NWSL that they could call on.

Matildas Olympic Games roster is primarily European-based

Australian women's national football team head coach Tony Gustavsson named 18 players and four alternates to the Tokyo Olympic Games late last month—12 of whom played in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where they lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout at the quarterfinal stage—with six making their first ever Olympics Games Final side. The six debutants are: teenagers Cooney-Cross (who won the 2020/21 W-League Final for Melbourne Victory on a goal directly from a corner kick in the 120th minute) and Mary Fowler, along with Teagan Micah, Emily Gielnik, Hayley Raso and veteran Aivi Luik.

At just 18, Mary Fowler is the youngest on the team and she said, "It feels absolutely amazing to be selected for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As a kid, it's the one dream I had in sports so it feels amazing." Fowler was also on the 2019 Women's World Cup side in France.

Of the 18 players named, seven play in England, three in Sweden and two are in France, along with one each from the Westfield W-League in Australia, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the U.S., along with one unattached to a club—Emily Van Egmond, who played most recently with West Ham United in the WSL and is expected to stay in Europe.

Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham United of England), Laura Brock (EA Guingamp of France), Charlotte Grant (FC Rosengard of Sweden) and Courtney Nevin (Western Sydney Wanderers) have been named as the travelling reserves.

Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo—Women's Football

Australia announced that they will play a friendly against Japan in Kyoto ahead of the Olympic Games on July 14 at the Sanga Stadium, involving the top two ranked teams in the Asian Football Confederation. Gustavsson said, "This fixture demonstrates our willingness to do everything possible to ensure that the team has the best preparation for an important tournament. We are also grateful for the support of the Japanese Football Association for working collaboratively with us to ensure that both teams have a fantastic match to finalise their preparations." Before leaving for Japan, the Matildas held a long camp in Sweden after their international friendly there last month, in part to avoid player travel complications due to COVID-19.

Montemurro leaves Arsenal for Juventus

Australian native and former two time W-League champion head coach (at Melbourne City) Joe Montemurro (51) left Arsenal of the WSL after four years to take over as head coach of Juventus Women in Italy, as of July 1. Montemurro replaced Rita Guarino, who had managed the club for four seasons and brought a direct style of play to the club, whereas Montemurro's style is more possession play. Guarino guided Juventus to four consecutive league championships since joining the women's Serie A. They never advanced past the round of 32 in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Montemurro, whose name has come up in the past few years when the Matildas job has been open, will be expected to take Juve deep into the WCL as well as continue their dominance in the league, In 2017-18 at Arsenal, his club won the FA Women's League Cup before winning the league championship in 2018/19—the club's first title since 2012. Between then and 2020/21, Arsenal recorded the most victories (45 out of 57 fixtures) in the English Women's Super League as well as the highest number of goals (173). Significantly, he guided the Gunners to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League in the 2019/20 season—which hadn't happened in the previous seven seasons.

It will be interesting to see the roster turnover at Juventus and how Montemurro will construct his side. High-scoring Italian international midfielder Barbara Bonansea's (30) return is a strong positive as she has 42 goals in 70 games for Juve over the last four seasons. Montemurro will have a new starting goalkeeper after Italian international goalkeeper Laura Giuliani's departure last month (rumored to be joining Milan—she joined Juventus in 2017 after playing with four clubs in Germany). Montemurro signed France's Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (29), who has 15 caps for France after making her senior team debut in 2019. She played last season with Atletico Madrid but knows the new manager well from her time at Arsenal, where the two won the FA Women's Super League trophy in 2018. She also previously played for Lyon and was part of their Women's Champions League winning side in 2017. Peyraud-Magnin moved to Atletico Madrid in 2020; Atletico finished last season in fourth place but a massive 36 points behind champions Barcelona (63 points vs. 99 points) while Peyraud-Magnin appeared in 21 of their 34 games. As with her coach, expectations are high for Juventus' defense in 2021-22 as they allowed only 10 goals last season with a goal differential of +65 in 22 games.

Ella Mastrantonio Leaves England for Italy

Another Australian is leaving the English Women's Super League for Italy; midfielder Ella Mastrantonio (29) is leaving Bristol City to join Serie A club Lazio, who were promoted after the 2020-21 season from Serie B. Mastrantonio played in 15 games for Bristol City, with one goal. She first started playing in the W-League at home in the 2009/10 season for Perth Glory and was in the Matilda squad for the April friendlies against the Netherlands and Germany.

Other new signings for Lazio include Swedish goalkeeping veteran Stephanie Ohrstrom (Fiorentina), Danish international defender Maria Møller Thomsen (22 from Fortuna Hjorring, after time in Sweden with Vaxjo and Limhamn Bunkeflo), 23-year-old Julia Glaser—who was born in Germany but has been capped by Switzerland at the youth level and played collegiately at Fresno State University in California—Hungarian full

international during the 2020 Euro Qualifying Beatrix Fördös (19), and Finnish international midfielder Nora Heroum, who played with Brighton and Hove Albion in the WSL last season and played the three previous seasons with AC Milan/Brescia in Italy. Lazio is signing some strong talent that has been largely under the radar and they should not be written off in their promotion campaign in Serie A by their opponents.

New Zealand Olympic Team Final Roster and News

The Football Ferns have selected an experienced core for this summer's Olympic Games Final in Japan as the quartet of Abby Erceg, Ria Percival, Anna Green and Ali Riley will be playing at their fourth Olympic Games. Riley, Erceg, Percival and midfielders Betsy Hassett and Annalie Longo all have at least 100 full national team selections. The team also has talent from the bronze medal winning FIFA U-17 WWC in Uruguay in 2018 that is also starting to come through to the full side in the Olympics squad via striker Gabi Rennie (yet to be capped at the senior level) and goalkeeper Anna Leat. A third, defender Marisa van der Meer, is among the four reserves that will travel with the team to Japan at the start of July. Rennie has been a key figure for the Canterbury United Pride in their recent dominance of New Zealand's National Women's League, but is now based at Indiana University in the U.S., and Sermanni said he was excited by what she had to offer. "She's a game-changing player, with her pace and her strength and her power, and the fact that she's difficult for opposition to handle—those were a big factor in her selection. Particularly from an attacking perspective, she gives us a slightly different type of player than what we've got."

Long-time national team defender Rebekah Stott was ruled out of the frame earlier this year after announcing that she had Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, and would have to step back from playing in order to undergo treatment. Rosie White, with over 100 caps for New Zealand, similarly has recently been ruled out after a flare-up of a chronic health issue she has been managing for some time that resulted in her spending several days in hospital (see link to discussion last week: The Week in Women's Football: NWSL Regular Season review ahead of 2021 playoffs - Tribal Football). With the Tokyo Olympics being so different with COVID protocols, safety was the priority in leaving her with her club in the States. Two players in the Football Ferns pool, midfielder Jana Radosavljevic and defender Nicole Stratford, were also unavailable for selection, as a result of knee and ankle injuries respectively.

There is a return to the squad for midfielder Emma Rolston, who hasn't featured in a Ferns side since the Oceania Nations Cup in late 2018, as she has been battling injury and illness.

The Football Ferns play in Group G, and will come up against Sweden, USA and Australia.

Of the 18 selections to the Olympic Games, five are based in the U.S. (3 in the NWSL and 2 at colleges), three in Australia's W-League, and three are playing in New Zealand, two in England, one each in Norway and Iceland, and 3 unattached.

New Zealand 2020 Tokyo Olympic Finals Squad:

CJ Bott, Vålerenga, Norway

Katie Bowen, KC, USA

Claudia Bunge, Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

Olivia Chance, Brisbane Roar FC, Australia

Daisy Cleverley, Georgetown University, USA

Abby Erceg, North Carolina Courage, USA

Anna Green, Lower Hutt City AFC, NZ

Betsy Hassett, Stjarnan, Iceland

Anna Leat, Future Ferns Development Program, NZ

Annalie Longo, Melbourne Victory FC, Australia

Meikayla Moore, Liverpool FC, England

Erin Nayler, Unattached

Ria Percival, Tottenham Hotspur, England

Gabi Rennie, Indiana University, USA

Ali Riley, Orlando Pride, USA

Emma Rolston, Unattached

Paige Satchell, Future Ferns Development Program, NZ

Hannah Wilkinson, Unattached

Travelling reserves/alternates
Elizabeth Anton, Future Ferns Development Program, NZ

Victoria Esson, Avaldsnes IL, Norway

Michaela Robertson, Lower Hutt City AFC, NZ)

Marisa Van Der Meer, Future Ferns Development Program, NZ)

Sermanni to Step Down as Coach after the Japan Olympics

Football Ferns Head Coach Tom Sermanni announced that he will step down as head coach after the Tokyo Olympics. He first joined New Zealand on an initial 9-month contract in October 2018. Since then, the former USA Women and Australian Matildas head coach Sermanni led the Football Ferns at the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup 2019, Algarve Cup 2020, and to stand-out friendly wins against England and Norway over the last two and a half years. Sermanni, who lives in Australia full-time, explained that, "It has been an honour to coach the team and to get to know the fantastic group that make up the Ferns squad. I have very much enjoyed my time with the team but appreciate New Zealand Football's need to go to market to find a Head Coach for the long-term." It will be interesting to see who New Zealand selects for a position that will be of a much higher profile and in more demand than in past years since the nation is a Women's World Cup Finals co-host in 2023.

Ria Percival re-ups with Tottenham

Long-time Football Ferns defender Ria Percival has signed a new contract with English Super League side Tottenham Hotspur through June 2022, with the option of an additional year. Percival, the record New Zealand appearances holder (150 caps), has made a total of 38 appearances for the North London club since joining in July 2019. The childhood Spurs fan rates her top moment at the Spurs as scoring against traditional rival Arsenal back in November 2020 in the Continental Cup and Australian national team goalkeeper Lydia Williams in goal.

Football Fern Ria Percival has signed a new deal with FAWSL side Tottenham Hotspur (Photo Courtesy New Zealand Football Federation).

Percival (31) has played at FC Indiana and Ottawa Fury in the U.S. W-League, for FFC Frankfurt and FF USV Jena in Germany, FC Basel in Switzerland and three seasons in England, the first with West Ham in 2018-19. I first interviewed her as an 18-year-import at FC Indiana, at a time when it was more common for New Zealand's top players to move to the States to play collegiately, but she was clear that her goal was to be a professional footballer and she has certainly done that for some major clubs abroad.

Elsewhere in the Asian Football Confederation, Japan announced their Olympic Games squad

Head Coach Asako Takakura/s 18 player squad was primarily home-based with 13 playing in Japan, along with two from the U.S.'s NWSL, and one each from England, Germany and Italy. Of the four alternates, three are based with Japanese clubs and one plays in Sweden.

Japan's 2020 Olympic Games Finals Squad

Goalkeepers

1 IKEDA Sakiko (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
18 YAMASHITA Ayaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa)

Defenders

4 KUMAGAI Saki (FC Bayern Munich/Germany)
2 SHIMIZU Risa (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
16 MIYAGAWA Asato (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
5 MINAMI Moeka (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
17 KITAMURA Nanami (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
3 TAKARADA Saori (Washington Spirit/USA)

Midfielders

7 NAKAJIMA Emi (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
14 HASEGAWA Yui (AC Milan/Italy)
6 SUGITA Hina (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
8 MIURA Narumi (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
13 SHIOKOSHI Yuzuho (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
12 ENDO Jun (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)

Forwards
9 SUGASAWA Yuika (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
10 IWABUCHI Mana (Arsenal/England)
11 TANAKA Mina (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
15 MOMIKI Yuka (OL Reign/USA)

Backup (Alternate) Members
GK 22 HIRAO Chika (Albirex Niigata Ladies)
DF 19 MIYAKE Shiori (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
MF 20 HAYASHI Honoka (AIK Fotboll/Sweden)
MF 21 KINOSHITA Momoka (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza)

CONMEBOL'S Sides Brazil and Chile Final Olympic Rosters

Brazil

Brazil, coached by former U.S. and Sweden women's national team coach Pia Sundhage, has called in six players from clubs abroad, including three players from Spain, along with two U.S.-based players (with all-time Women's World Cup Final scoring leader Marta one of the two), one from Portugal—goalkeeper Leticia Izidoro da Silva, who played five seasons at Corinthians before joining Benfica of Portugal this season and appearing in 12 matches. The other 12 are playing in Brazil, which typically has a much lower number of domestic players for Brazilian national teams for major tournaments, but Sundhage is quite experienced and clearly has a plan up her sleeve with her selections and her side should be counted as one of the favorites to medal.

BRAZIL'S 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS TEAM

Goalkeepers: Barbara (Avai), Leticia Izidoro (Benfica, Portugal)
Defenders: Poliana (Corinthians), Erika (Corinthians), Tamires (Corinthians), Bruna Benites (Internacional), Rafaelle (Palmeiras), Jucinara (Levante, Spain)
Midfielders: Formiga (Sao Paulo), Duda (Sao Paulo), Julia Bianchi (Palmeiras), Marta (Orlando Pride, U.S.), Debinha (NC Courage, U.S.), Andressinha Corinthians), Adriana (Corinthians)
Forwards: Ludmila (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Bia Zaneratto (Palmeiras), Geyse (Madrid CFF, Spain).

Chile

Chile's women's national team head coach Jose Letelier announced his 22-player squad for this summer's tournament on July 2. Antonia Canales, Universidad Catolica's 18-year-old goalkeeper, is the only uncapped player in the team. The squad is entirely based at home except for three from the Spanish league, two with clubs in France and one in Sweden, along with one player currently without a club.

Goalkeepers

Christiane Endler – Olympique Lyonnais (Francia)

Natalia Campos – Universidad de Chile

Antonia Canales – Universidad Católica

Defenders

Valentina Díaz – Colo Colo

Camila Sáez – Rayo Vallecano (España)

Daniela Pardo – Santiago Morning

Javiera Toro – Sevilla (España)

Carla Guerrero – Universidad de Chile

Fernanda Ramírez – Universidad de Chile

Midfielders

Yastin Jiménez – Colo Colo

Francisca Lara – Havre AC (Francia)

Nayadet López Opazo – Unattached (she played the last two seasons

at St. Teresa in Spain)

Yanara Aedo – Rayo Vallecano (España)

Karen Araya – Santiago Morning

María F. Mardones – Santiago Morning

Yessenia López – Universidad de Chile

Forwards

María José Urrutia – Colo Colo

Javiera Grez – Colo Colo

Daniela Zamora – Djurgärden (Sweden)

Rosario Balmaceda – Santiago Morning

Yenny Acuña – Santiago Morning

Fernanda Pinilla – Universidad de Chile

Turning to Europe's Olympic Contenders—Netherlands and Sweden's Squads are Finalized

Netherlands

The Netherlands—reigning Women's EURO Champions in 2017 and runners-up at the Women's World Cup in 2019—are utilizing eight domestic-based players, along with four from England, four based in Germany and two in Spain, in an attempt to lift an Olympic Medal in their first ever Finals.

Goalkeepers: Sari van Veenendaal (PSV), Lize Kop (Ajax)
Defenders: Kika van Es (FC Twente), Stefanie van der Gragt (Ajax), Merel van Dongen (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea, England), Lynn Wilms (FC Twente)
Midfielders: Dominique Janssen (Wolfsburg, Germany), Danielle van de Donk (Arsenal, England), Jackie Groenen (Man. United, England), Sherida Spitse (Ajax), Jill Roord (Wolfsburg, Germany), Victoria Pelova (Ajax)
Forwards: Lieke Martens (Barcelona, Spain), Shanice van de Sanden (Wolfsburg, Germany), Sisca Folkertsma (FC Twente), Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal, England), Lineth Beerensteyn (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Sweden

Sweden's original 18 player squad included three players based in Spain, three based in Germany, two in England and one in Italy, with the other half (9) playing in Sweden's Damallsvenskan. For the four alternates—who now are considered part of the full team (see above)—they include one player from England, one in Germany, one based in the U.S. and one from Sweden.

Goalkeepers: Jennifer Falk (Hacken), Hedvig Lindahl (Atletico Madrid, Spain).
Defenders: Jonna Andersson (Chelsea, England), Nathalie Bjorn (Rosengard), Magdalena Eriksson (Chelsea, England), Hanna Glas (Bayern Munich, Germany), Amanda Ilestedt (Bayern Munich, Germany), Emma Kullberg (Hacken).
Midfielders: Filippa Angeldal (Hacken), Hanna Bennison (Rosengard), Olivia Schough (Rosengard), Caroline Seger (Rosengard).
Forwards: Kosovare Asllani (Real Madrid, Spain), Stina Blackstenius (Hacken), Lina Hurtig (Juventus, Italy), Sofia Jakobsson (Real Madrid, Spain), Madelen Janogy (Hammarby), Fridolina Rolfo (Wolfsburg, Germany).
Alternates: Zecira Musovic (Chelsea, England), Julia Roddar (Washington Spirit), Anna Anvegard (Rosengard), Rebecka Blomqvist (Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg, Germany).

For Great Britian's side, see: (The Week in Women's Football: Northern Ireland and Scotland clash; San Diego granted franchise; Matildas squad for Europe trip - Tribal Football).

For the U.S. and Canada rosters, see: (The Week in Women's Football: Review of FIFA survey; Canada, USWNT rosters for Tokyo - Tribal Football).

Zambia Finalizes their 22 Roster for Japan

Head Coach Bruce Mwape selected 22 players for Zambia's first ever appearance at the Olympic Games Final women's football tournament (and Africa's loan representative as second place Cameroon fell to Chile in the intercontinental playoffs). There are four Copper Queens that are based with clubs abroad: Captain Barbara Banda—the 2020 Chinese Women's Super League's top goal scorer at Shanghai Shengli in China—Hellen Mubanga (CFF Zaragoza of Spain), Rachael Kundananji (BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan) and Hazel Nali (Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Israel).

Zesco Girls' N'gambo Musole and Indeni Roses Catherine Musonda were selected after having strong performances in the Zambian league.

Four players narrowly missed out on the trip to Japan due to injury or illness: Rhoda Chileshe (23 with Indeni Roses), Misozi Zulu (26—ex-BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan after time at National Assembly FC and Green Buffalos at home), Mary Mwakapila (26—Bauleni Sports Academy) and Racheal Nachula, the latter sadly missing the chance to become a two-sport Olympian after competing in 400-metre event at the 2008 Summer Games. Nachula (35) played for years at Green Buffaloes but moved to second division side Zaragoza in Spain in 2020 and scored 3 goals in 6 matches at the club.

Just before leaving for Japan, the Copper Queens lost 2-0 to newly-promoted Lusaka Province FAZ Division One outfit Chilanga Stars in a practice match at Edwin Imboela Stadium.With most of the team's planned friendlies being cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the technical staff has been testing the team against some male opposition. Zambia has had international friendlies since late last year with Chile, a 2-1 win for the Southern African side, and South Africa, a 3-1 defeat. COVID-19 travel restrictions scuttled a match against Great Britain on July at Stoke. The Coppers Queens are drawn in Group F alongside Netherlands, Brazil and China and will play their opener on July 21 against the Dutch reigning European champions.

Zambia squad:

Goalkeepers; Hazel Nali (Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Israel), N'gambo Musole (ZESCO girls), and Catherine Musonda (Indeni Rose)

Defenders: Margaret Belemu (Red Arrows), Esther Siamfuko (Queens Academy), Agness Musesa, Anita Mulenga, Martha Tembo, Lushomo Mweemba (all Green Buffaloes), Vast Phiri (ZESCO Girls), and Fikile Khosa (Red Arrows)

Midfielders: Mary Wilombe (Red Arrows), Ireen Lungu (Green Buffaloes), Esther Namukwasa (Indeni Roses), Susan Katongo (ZISD Queens), Avell Chitundu (Zesco Girls), Hellen Chanda (Red Arrows)

Strikers: Barbara Banda (Shanghai Shengli, China), Grace Chanda (Red Arrows), Hellen Mubanga (CFF Zaragoza, Spain), Rachael Kundananji (BIIK Kazygurt, Kazakhstan), Ochumba Oseke (Red Arrows)

In addition to Hazel Nali, her Zambian international teammate Mary Mwakapila is also at Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C., while Zambian internationals Grace Chanda and Misozi Zulu moved to Maccabi Holon in Israel in December 2020. Holon is a six-time Israeli Ligat Al Women's League Champion and has won the Israeli State Cup nine times. Zulu previously played abroad with BIIK in Kazakhstan in the 2019 season, where she won a league title there and became the first Zambian to score in the UEFA WCL. Chanda, now back home with Red Arrows of the FAZ Women's Super League—which has been suspended until August as Red Arrows and Green Buffalos have 11 and 10 games respectively to make up in the league as so many of their players were called into national team camps—and are expected to then press current leaders ZESCO Ndola Girls on 39 points and Lusaka Dynamos Ladies in second with 36 points. Chanda is expected to be one of the chief scoring threats for Zambia in Japan, having scored 8 times in the CAF Qualifiers to win the Golden Boot. She also scored 86 times for Zesco United ladies in 2018 in just 26 games.

U.S. defeats Mexico in Final Two Pre-Olympic Game Finals Friendlies, both by 4-0 in the same venue

The U.S. won both of their final Olympic Games preparation matches by 4-0 scorelines over Mexico in Hartford, Connecticut. They won the first match on July 1 before a crowd 21,637 who sat through a driving rain for much of the match. Sam Mewis opened the scoring with an assist from her older sister Kristie (the first sister-to-sister scoring sequence in USWNT history), with Christen Press scoring twice and Tobin Heath scoring in her first game after a long injury layoff on a tremendous shot from over 30 meters as she stormed towards the Mexico draw. The USA out-shot Mexico, 29-9, with most of the U.S. attempts coming in the second half, with Mexico playing a very positive and attractive match.

On July 5, in front of 27,758 fans at the same venue on a much nicer day, all four U.S. goals came in the first half from Lindsey Horan, Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath and a Mexico own goal under pressure from Christen Press. The U.S. was more dominate in this match with 17 shots to 5 for Mexico (11 vs. 2 for shots on frame). The Americans have now been unbeaten for 44 games, second only to the 51 game unbeaten run from December 2004 to September 2007, and is now 39-1-1 (W-D-L) all-time against Mexico.

Mexico head coach Monica Vergara called in 21 players for the two-game set against the USA in Hartford. Captain Stephany Mayor (29) is the most-capped player in the side and is one of 15 players for the trip who plays their club soccer in Liga MX Femenil, the top-flight in Mexican women's soccer—eight with four-time overall and current champions Tigres UANL, three for Monterrey, two for Club America, one for Atlas and one for Xolos de Tijuana. Two squad members currently play in the United States in the NWSL, with Karina Rodriguez playing for the Washington Spirit and Jimena Lopez for OL Reign. Additionally, Maria Sanchez recently finished a short-term loan with the Houston Dash and returns to Tigres for the 2021-22 season. Three others play at U.S. universities and one is playing in Spain.

MEXICO WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Emily Alvarado (Texas Christian, USA), 12- Itzel González (Tijuana)
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Bianca Sierra (Tigres), 3-Karina Rodríguez (Washington Spirit, USA), 4-Jocelyn Orejel (América), 5-Jimena López (OL Reign, USA), 13-Reyna Reyes (University of Alabama, USA), 14-Cristina Ferral (Tigres), 15-Nicole Soto (Arizona State, USA)
MIDFIELDERS (8): 6-Rebeca Bernal (Monterrey), 7- Daniela Espinosa (América), 8-Belén Cruz (Tigres), 11-María Sánchez (Tigres), 16-Nancy Antonio (Tigres), 17-Lizbeth Ovalle (Tigres), 18-Dania Pérez (Monterrey), 21-Diana García (Monterrey)
FORWARDS (4): 9-Kiana Palacios (Real Sociedad, ESP), 10-Sandra Mayor (Tigres), 19-Katty Martínez (Tigres), 20-Alison González (Atlas)

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 yours copy today.

Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey