Klimkova names roster for U-20 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying

USWNT U-20 head coach Jitka Klimkova has named the 20-player roster for the CONCACAF U-20 championships/U-20 World Cup qualifying.

Players on the roster who did not play in December’s Nike International Friendlies are Tierna Davidson (Stanford), Kiara Pickett (Stanford) and Ashley Sanchez (UCLA). Understandable, considering Stanford and UCLA battled out a tough NCAA championship game just four days before the first friendly against England.

Players out from the Nike friendlies roster are Jordan Brewster, Jordan Harr, Julia Bingham, and Claudia Dickey. Brewster will be an alternate who travels with the team to Trinidad & Tobago to train, but will leave before the tournament unless called in to replace an injured player.

With three spots available to qualify for the 2018 U-20 World Cup in France, this should be relatively smooth sailing for the United States. Mexico could provide some stiffer competition in group, but if the US wins group, they’re likely to avoid Canada in the semifinals, which would give them a pretty direct path to finishing as one of the top two teams and cementing a WC spot.

All games will be played in Couva, Trinidad. Schedule and full roster below:

USA vs Nicaragua
January 19, 5:30 PM ET

USA vs Jamaica
January 21, 6:30 PM ET

USA vs Mexico
January 23, 3:00 PM ET

GOALKEEPERS (2): Laurel Ivory (Virginia; Surfside, Fla.; 5/0), Amanda McGlynn (Virginia Tech; Jacksonville, Fla.; 2/0)

DEFENDERS (7): Tierna Davidson (Stanford; Menlo Park, Calif.; 6/0), Naomi Girma (California Thorns FC; 6/0; San Jose, Calif.), Tara McKeown (USC; Mission Viejo, Calif.; 11/0), Zoe Morse (Virginia; East Lansing, Mich.; 9/0), Kiara Pickett (Stanford; Santa Barbara, Calif.; 2/0), Isabel Rodriguez (Ohio State; Canton, Mich.; 8/0), Karina Rodriguez (UCLA; Torrance, Calif.; 3/0)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Samantha Coffey (Boston College; Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.; 7/1), Savannah DeMelo (USC; Bellflower, Calif.; 23/4), Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.; 12/0), Brianna Pinto (NTH Tophat; Durham, N.C.; 9/0), Viviana Villacorta (UCLA; Lawndale, Calif.; 10/1)

FORWARDS (6): Abigail Kim (California; Vashon, Wash.; 11/3), Civana Kuhlmann (Stanford; Littleton, Colo.; 12/8), Ashley Sanchez (UCLA; Monrovia, Calif.; 20/6), Sophia Smith (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.; 11/8), Taryn Torres (Virginia; Frisco, Texas; 3/1), Kelsey Turnbow (Santa Clara; Scottsdale, Ariz.; 8/2)