Stars and Stripes FC - USWNT 2016 Olympic roster guideHome of Brian, Brandi and Beerhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/38285/StarsAndBars_Fav.png2016-07-20T11:00:03-07:00http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/rss/stream/119911832016-07-20T11:00:03-07:002016-07-20T11:00:03-07:00USWNT 2016 Olympic roster guide: forwards
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<figcaption>Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Four of the best forwards in the world and a lot of expectations</p> <p id="i0ixdQ">Our guide to the 2016 USWNT Olympic roster continues with the forwards.</p>
<p id="C2MFwK">You catch up on <a href="http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/7/18/12211772/get-to-know-uswnt-rio2016-olympic-roster-goalkeepers-defenders">goalkeepers and defenders here</a> and <a href="http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/7/19/12225288/uswnt-rio2016-olympic-roster-guide-midfielders">the midfielders here</a>.</p>
<p id="hrcVRf"><strong>Crystal Dunn</strong><br>Age: 24<br>Height: 5’1"<br>Club: Washington Spirit<br>Caps: 33<br>First cap: February 13, 2013 | USA vs <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/scotland" class="sbn-auto-link">Scotland</a><br>Goals/assists: 13 goals/7 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: none</p>
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<p id="sCOtNg">Crystal Dunn turned the ultimate heartbreak of being the last player left off of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/fifa-womens-world-cup" class="sbn-auto-link">2015 World Cup</a> roster into the best statistical season of her professional career. After being left off it’s like Dunn made it her personal mission to show Jill Ellis exactly what she was missing out on by leaving her at home. Ultimately the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/united-states" class="sbn-auto-link">United States</a> and Crystal Dunn were winners last summer as her Golden-Boot-winning NWSL season led to her recall to the national team. Since being brought back into the fold, Dunn hasn’t relinquished her hold on a roster spot.</p>
<p id="tLbEWN">While last season she was more of a center forward for the Washington Spirit, she’s more likely to play as a wide attacking midfielder for the national team. Known for her speed and confidence to dribble and take on defenders, she’ll be expected to score goals cutting in from out wide as well as setting up goals for her teammates. It should also be a comfort to Ellis to know that Dunn is comfortable playing any field position which gives her extra flexibility to make tactical changes without burning subs. Dunn will be looking to prove that leaving her off of the roster last summer was a mistake so look for her to score goals this tournament when she’s given playing time.</p>
<p id="b5yuo1"><strong>Christen Press</strong><br>Age: 27<br>Height: 5’7<br>Club: Chicago Red Stars<br>Caps: 68<br>First cap: February 9, 2013 | USA vs Scotland<br>Goals/assists: 33 goals/12 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup</p>
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<p id="OsqeXk">Mercurial, inventive, and absolutely deadly in front of goal, Christen Press is one of the preeminent strikers in the game today. Since joining the national team in 2013, she has been a prolific goal-scorer (notching a tally just about once per 90 minutes), but nevertheless been followed by a tinge of disappointment. For all Press’s obvious talents, Jill Ellis has struggled to find a stable place for her in the team, often deploying her on the wings where she finds it difficult to assert herself. More recently, Press has been given some chances to play centrally as a withdrawn striker or attacking midfielder. It’s a position she’s also taken more regularly with her club team this year, to varying degrees of success.</p>
<p id="L5nJX6">The common refrain about Press is ‘why can’t she replicate her club form?’ While her work with the national team hasn’t been terrible by any stretch, it is clearly true that she has had more success as the focal point of an attack. The problem is that her greatest strengths are her unconventionality and her creativity; she will make runs no one else would even consider, employ a Cruyff turn where anyone else would pass backward, and unleash shots from impossible angles. As the primary striking option, given space and attention in the center of the pitch, these qualities are a recipe for game-winning goals and flustered defenses.</p>
<p id="zSF3pi">But pushed out to the wings, or dropped further back, Press’s best qualities are at least partially muted. It may be that the best usage of all the team’s resources demands playing her out of position in this way (and she is a surprisingly solid defender – a useful skill for a team that’s often susceptible to attacking fullbacks). That’s a topic that Jill Ellis will certainly be pondering a great deal over the next few weeks.</p>
<p id="7bgBvp"><strong>Mallory Pugh</strong><br>Age: 18<br>Height: 5’4<br>Club: UCLA / Real Colorado<br>Caps: 13<br>First cap: January 23, 2016 | USA vs Ireland<br>Goals/assists: 2 goals/7 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: none</p>
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<p id="kOheEX">The youngest player in the squad, by a country mile, Mallory Pugh has burst onto the national team in 2016, moving from ‘experiment’ to ‘lock’ in the course of just a few months. This is the first of many tournaments at which she’ll be wearing the stars and stripes.</p>
<p id="sbODcb">With pace to burn and a silky smooth touch, she has been one of the most effective offensive forces for the team this year, scoring a pair of goals and assisting on seven more. Her skill on the ball and passing ability probably means she’s destined for the #10 role eventually, but this summer at least she is far more likely to play on the sides, either as a winger or as a flanking striker. That position allows her to capitalize on that pace—running onto balls over the top or through balls down the lines, and quickly outflanking her opposition. It also helps to minimize her greatest weakness: an underdeveloped sense of defensive positioning. On the wings, her attacking prowess itself becomes a defensive asset, pinning opposing backs deep in their own territory to minimize the danger of being caught out.</p>
<p id="ewouus">Pugh has started more than half of the US games so far this year, but the return of Megan Rapinoe might change that calculation. It’s clear that Jill Ellis trusts Pugh enormously, but it remains to be seen whether she’ll want to bench the likes of Dunn or Press in order to get Pugh on the pitch. It’s also worth noting that Pugh has shown a slight tendency to drift out of games a bit, when she’s been asked to go the full 90. Her best usage might then be as an impact sub, capable of ripping apart tired defenses and breaking open games on the counterattack.</p>
<p id="FMOfLV"><strong>Alex Morgan</strong><br>Age: 27<br>Height: 5’7"<br>Club: Orlando Pride<br>Caps: 111<br>First cap: March 31, 2010 | USA vs <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/mexico" class="sbn-auto-link">Mexico</a><br>Goals/assists: 67 goals/35 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2011 World Cup</p>
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<p id="s2B23F">It’s been a long time since Alex Morgan was the "baby horse" on the team, the young prodigy banging in goal after goal. She’s a veteran now and very much a leader and will be expected to headline this corps of forwards. But after a banner 2012, when she broke into the 20/20 club (over 20 goals/20 assists in one calendar year; she had 28 goals and 21 assists) she also began struggling with some long-term injuries that just would. not. go. away. Coming back from those injuries was a laborious process that had some people questioning <a href="http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/3/8/11180612/alex-morgan-myth-deconstructing-uswnt-best-forward">whether she’d simply peaked already</a>.</p>
<p id="57coia">Perhaps she has peaked. Perhaps not, though years like her 2012 don’t come around very often. But as we’ve seen of late, Alex Morgan on the gentle downslope of her career is still a better forward than a hell of lot of others out there, and someone almost any national team would be glad to have on their roster. She still has speed to burn and the ability to split defenders. She can still pull defenders’ attention, opening up the field for a threat like Christen Press or Crystal Dunn. And she has an underrated first touch in front of goal, the kind of calm savvy born of experience and confidence that keeps her from panicking and helps her get off clean shots. She’ll most definitely be in some, if not all starting XIs this August, either as a lone striker in perhaps a 4-2-3-1 or paired up with someone like Press and asked to fluidly interchange as necessary.</p>
<p id="VNR3V2">Tomorrow we’ll finish up our guide with a look at the alternates!</p>
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https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/7/20/12236526/uswnt-rio2016-olympic-roster-guide-forwardsStephanie YangCharles OlneyJessica Fletcher2016-07-19T10:00:03-07:002016-07-19T10:00:03-07:00USWNT 2016 Olympic roster guide: midfielders
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>These six players are expected to control the field for the United States in Brazil</p> <p id="RfEYaO">Our guide to the USWNT 2016 Olympic roster continues with the midfielders. Missed part 1? <a href="http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/7/18/12211772/get-to-know-uswnt-rio2016-olympic-roster-goalkeepers-defenders">Goalkeepers and defenders are here.</a></p>
<p id="dwsmU5"><strong>Morgan Brian</strong><br>Age: 23<br>Height: 5’7<br>Club: Houston Dash<br>Caps: 53<br>First cap: June 15, 2013 | USA vs South Korea<br>Goals/assists: 4 goals/9 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup</p>
<p id="HpqNAm">Brian’s introduction into the starting XI last summer in the quarterfinals of the World cup is widely regarded as a key turning point in the tournament. Slotting in at holding midfield, she provided the ballast for a more cohesive attacking formation, and contributed significantly to the strong US performance in the final stages.</p>
<p id="5zp11S">When she is at full strength, Brian is among the most elite players in the world—possessed of tremendous skill, good pace, superb vision on the ball, and an almost preternatural sense of positioning. Her heat maps cover virtually every inch of the pitch, making it seem as if her team is playing with an extra player or two. And she fulfills crucial roles in both the offense and defense. Going forward, her movement is often crucial to maintain possession and building play, as she provides key outlet passes for her teammates and is able to hold the ball under pressure. Defensively, she is a superb presser and an instinctive tackler, using her tenacious movement to close down angles and intercept passes all around the pitch.</p>
<p id="u1eiV3">Unfortunately for the US team, Brian hasn’t been fully healthy for much of 2016, nursing one hamstring injury for most of the spring, and recently coming down with a similar ailment in her other leg. Playing for the Dash this year, she has lacked the explosive acceleration and sharp angles that define her game. The US will certainly be hoping that those problems will be behind her by the start of August. That said, even at less than 100%, Brian is very likely to start. Her coolness both on and off the ball are crucial to stabilizing the US’s tendency to overbalance in the attack, and would be difficult to replicate with any other player on the roster.</p>
<p id="AS8chM"><strong>Tobin Heath</strong><br>Age: 28<br>Height: 5’6<br>Club: Portland Thorns<br>Caps: 118<br>First cap: January 18, 2008 | USA vs Finland<br>Goals/assists: 15 goals/25 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2011 World Cup, 2008 Olympics</p>
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<p id="D9pkjM">One year ago, Tobin Heath was widely considered to be an immensely talented but also extremely frustrating player. Her inclination toward dribbling and aggressive attacking moves made for some exciting moments, but also made for lots of giveaways and wasted opportunities. Over the past year, that narrative has changed dramatically. Heath still has all the technique and the skill, but has started using it more judiciously, and in doing has stepped up to the next level. She was NWSL player of the month for April for her exploits with the Thorns, and is as good a bet as anyone on the squad to come out as the player of the tournament.</p>
<p id="8DAvOl">Heath usually plays on the left, and is probably to start there initially. It’s possible that Megan Rapinoe might play her way back into the starting lineup and retake her spot on the left wing, which could force Heath to the other wing or into a more central location. But regardless of where she plays, the US will be depending heavily on her to inject creativity and inventiveness into their attack.</p>
<p id="FwDMiU"><strong>Lindsey Horan</strong><br>Age: 22<br>Height: 5’9<br>Club: Portland Thorns<br>Caps: 19<br>First cap: March 8, 2013 | USA vs China<br>Goals/assists: 3 goals/7 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: none</p>
<p id="QjdBzz">Horan made a name for herself as the first player to sign a professional contract immediately out of high school, eschewing college to play for Paris Saint-Germain. After three successful years in France, she has now returned to the US to play for the Portland Thorns. An extremely versatile player, she has usually played in a forward attacking role for club, but has been asked to drop further back and fill a holding role for the US team. While this experiment has not proved entirely successful as of yet, it is likely to be her position for the Olympics. Most likely, she and Morgan Brian will pair together in the central midfield behind Carli Lloyd, though it remains to be seen precisely how they will be set up there. Horan’s strengths in that role are her distributive capacity and her ability to make runs from deep. Her weaknesses are primarily defensive; she is not especially strong at pressing, nor does she close down space particularly well. She is, however, sometimes prone to rash challenges and will need to be wary about card accumulation.</p>
<p id="A4wf8G"><strong>Carli Lloyd</strong><br>Age: 34<br>Height: 5’8"<br>Club: Houston Dash<br>Caps: 222<br>First cap: July 10, 2005 | USA vs Ukraine<br>Goals/assists: 87 goals/49 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2011 World Cup, 2008 Olympics, 2007 World Cup</p>
<p id="YiCTX6"><a href="https://youtu.be/GufTwt8KJc4">Every Carli Lloyd goal from the 2015 World Cup</a></p>
<p id="CR2pvJ">Going into the London Olympics four years ago, then-coach Pia Sundhage benched Carli Lloyd in favor of Shannon Boxx. As history would have it Shannon Boxx injured her hamstring opening the door for Lloyd to earn her way back onto the pitch. She would go on to score two goals in the Olympic final against Japan and avenge the 2011 World Cup loss, winning her second gold medal. This wasn’t the first time that Lloyd came through big time in the knockout rounds of a major tournament and it wouldn’t be the last time. We all remember her transcendent hat trick in the World Cup final, an achievement that somehow pales in comparison in a year that saw her not only win a World Cup but her first FIFA World Player of the Year award.</p>
<p id="OJyOU7">The situation heading into Rio could not be more different than London. Now a co-captain along with Becky Sauerbrunn, Lloyd will be looked to as a leader by example on the field. Under Jill Ellis, she’s been given the creative and attacking freedom to drift in and out of position wherever she feels as though she might be most dangerous. At times Ellis has chosen to play Lloyd as a striker up top with Alex Morgan or as the attacking tip of a three woman midfield triangle. The ice water in her veins will certainly come in handy in the event the United States goes to penalties.</p>
<p id="SCwU0o">Crucial to Lloyd’s success will be catching fire and maintaining momentum, she has the tendency to start slow in major tournaments before lighting it up in the knockout stages. If she can recapture the form that’s made her Big Game Carli Lloyd, the United States will be in for Olympic success.</p>
<p id="eptkBK"><strong>Allie Long</strong><br>Age: 28<br>Height: 5’8"<br>Club: Portland Thorns<br>Caps: 8<br>First cap: May 8, 2014 | USA vs Canada<br>Goals/assists: 2 goals/2 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: None</p>
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<p id="Qwl6zt">The story of Allie Long’s selection to the Rio Olympic roster is one of timing as much as it is of skill and determination. A member of the women’s soccer generation in the United States largely failed by the collapse of the WPS, she is the first true success story of the NWSL. After signing with the Portland Thorns for the inaugural NWSL season, Long reintroduced herself to a national audience after playing overseas in France for PSG. Her consistent performances over her first NWSL season helped earned Long her first USWNT call up from Tom Sermanni. But when the managerial role shifted from Sermanni to Jill Ellis and she was left off the 2015 World Cup roster, it seemed Long’s national team career was over before it really began.</p>
<p id="G8wjML">The retirements of Shannon Boxx and Lauren Holiday opened up two slots in the midfield. The unexpected injuries to Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd made room for Long to get called up by Ellis and earn playing time. But in order to solidify her position she played the long-coveted number six role instead of her natural attacking midfield role. Because of this Long will be in competition with World Cup standout, Morgan Brian, for playing time in the tournament. When she gets time on the field look for her accurate flank switching balls to open up space and break pressure as well as her aerial ability on set pieces. If the United States finds themselves down late in a match, bringing Long on to mix it up and try to snag a goal would be a terrific option.</p>
<p id="KtDRaz"><strong>Megan Rapinoe</strong><br>Age: 31<br>Height: 5’7"<br>Club: Seattle Reign<br>Caps: 113<br>First cap: July 23, 2006 | USA vs Ireland<br>Goals/assists: 31 goals/39 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2011 World Cup</p>
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<p id="1rI3XB">Megan Rapinoe has as storied a history with the WNT as any player currently among its ranks, which perhaps played into the decision to bring her along despite having not quite recovered 100% from an ACL tear in December 2015. As of the roster announcement in early July, Rapinoe was just starting to play contact again, but head coach Jill Ellis said she would have been able available for an international friendly against South Africa but for a separate minor injury picked up in training. On the other hand, Ellis has also said she’ll have to work Rapinoe into her games at the Olympics, gradually stepping her up over time. Ellis’ faith in Rapinoe’s abilities trumped any thought of bringing someone who could possibly be 100% from the beginning, and it’s not necessarily a misplaced faith when you consider what Pinoe can do in any given game.</p>
<p id="W5IXrF">The most fabled of these accomplishments may still be her left-footed cross to Abby Wambach in the dying moments of the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup against Brazil. The things is, Rapinoe is certainly capable of pulling that off again and is also known to score on her own in a variety of ways, whether long range shot or tricky Olimpico. So 45 minutes of Rapinoe in a game may well be worth 90 minutes of another player, if she can still produce assists at her old going rate.</p>
<p id="w1UUte">Stay tuned for our guide to the USWNT’s forwards!</p>
https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/7/19/12225288/uswnt-rio2016-olympic-roster-guide-midfieldersStephanie YangCharles OlneyJessica Fletcher2016-07-18T08:15:02-07:002016-07-18T08:15:02-07:00USWNT 2016 Olympic roster guide: goalkeepers & defenders
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Your guide to the USWNT Olympic squad, position by position</p> <p id="jJtRd0">This is your guide to the USWNT 2016 Olympic roster, position by position. We’ll be posting this guide in parts all week so you can prepare yourself for kickoff on August 3.</p>
<h3 id="pKbbcu"><strong>GOALKEEPERS</strong></h3>
<p id="7QEOvn"><strong>Hope Solo</strong> <br>Age: 34 (35 by the time the tournament starts)<br>Height: 5’9"<br>Club: Seattle Reign<br>Caps: 197<br>First cap: April 5, 2000 | USA vs Iceland<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2011 World Cup, 2008 Olympics, 2007 World Cup</p>
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<p id="JfNJHL">Considered an automatic selection at this point, Hope Solo enters Rio as the most decorated goalkeeper in US Soccer history. A two-time World Cup Golden Glove recipient, Solo is looking to do something that no goalkeeper in US history has done: win an Olympic gold medal the year after winning the World Cup. Having earned her 100th shutout in a match against South Africa, the milestone chase is out of the way right in time for Rio.</p>
<p id="qJsv56">Obviously known for her dynamic shot stopping and positioning, it will be Solo’s distribution and communication with her back line that will make a difference in Rio. Look for Solo to use her pinpoint drop kicks and quick roll outs to launch counter attacks and catch the opposing team off guard. If she is able to do this consistently, that’ll be a key to victory throughout the tournament.</p>
<p id="a4rwrM"><strong>Alyssa Naeher</strong><br>Age: 28<br>Height: 5’9"<br>Club: Chicago Red Stars<br>Caps: 6<br>First cap: December 18, 2014 | USA vs Argentina<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 Women’s World Cup</p>
<p id="2Aak7W">Alyssa Naeher has quietly worked her way up to become the WNT’s second goalkeeper. She, like her counterpart Ashlyn Harris, has spent years chugging away for clubs across Women’s Professional Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League, with a stint overseas in Europe. Unlike Harris, Naeher spent a couple of seasons being one of the few points of light for her club team with the Boston Breakers. But if Naeher was forced to face significantly more shots than other NWSL goalkeepers, that meant she also made significantly more saves, highlighting both her shotstopping and her positioning in the box at the expense of the Breakers’ standings. Despite Boston’s struggles, Naeher was named NWSL’s 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year.</p>
<p id="RyGryP">Combine this with Harris needing knee surgery in 2015, and Naeher was able to put some distance between herself and her closest competition for the #2 spot. She still hasn’t gotten much time to really prove herself for the WNT, but she remains a steady presence for her current club, the Chicago Red Stars. If history is any indication Solo will play every minute of every game in the Olympics, but Naeher is certainly a more-than-solid choice as a backup should it come to that.</p>
<h3 id="uUsCS5"><strong>DEFENDERS</strong></h3>
<p id="udKOdi"><strong>Kelley O’Hara</strong><br>Age: 27<br>Height: 5’5"<br>Club: Sky Blue FC<br>Caps: 81<br>First cap: March 28, 2010 | USA vs Mexico<br>Goals/assists: 2 goals/10 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2011 World Cup</p>
<p id="kYWJ2n">Kelley O’Hara has followed a somewhat meandering path to her current position as the starting right back for the WNT. She was originally a forward, then converted to a defender by former head coach Pia Sundhage. It turned out to be a pretty brilliant stroke from Sundhage, whose experiments didn’t always turn out so hot. O’Hara is known for her endurance and speed, both qualities crucial to the style of wingback play desired from her. She just needed to strengthen herself on the defensive side of the ball - "just," as though being a good defender isn’t as much about positioning and cerebral anticipation as it is about raw athleticism. O’Hara still isn’t quite as defensively sound as her predecessor, Ali Krieger; Ellis is hoping the tradeoff in offensive capability will make up for that.</p>
<p id="70sZXB">O’Hara will be expected to get deep and whip in some crosses, or possibly cut in herself from time to time. She’s also capable of being put in almost anywhere on the field; that versatility is a huge part of why Ellis included her on the roster. O’Hara can switch from right to left back, or she can go in at forward, or even midfield at a pinch.</p>
<p id="G0cEYF"><strong>Becky Sauerbrunn</strong><br>Age: 31<br>Height: 5’7’<br>Club: FC Kansas City<br>Caps: 108<br>First cap: January 16, 2008 | USA vs Canada<br>Goals/assists: 0 goals/3 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2012 Olympics, 2011 World Cup</p>
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<p id="Lkc5qL">While often passed over for the major awards at the international level, many regard Becky Sauerbrunn as perhaps the best defender in world soccer today. After a number of years playing primarily as a reserve, she cemented her status as first-choice center back after the 2012 Olympics. In the World Cup last summer, she was the rock around which the defense was organized, and helped lead the US to victory. She has since been named co-captain of the team, along with Carli Lloyd.</p>
<p id="XuhfZ3">Her style of play isn’t flashy, but is grounded in relentless and precise application of the fundamentals. Where other center backs make highlight reels with desperate last-second clearances, the trademark Sauerbrunn move is a simple tackle which squelches a dangerous move long before it can manifest. Her positioning is pinpoint and her ability to read the game is second to none. Those qualities have earned her three consecutive Defender of the Year Awards in the NWSL, where she has captaining FC Kansas to consecutive titles, and are crucial to the US chances for winning Gold in Rio this summer. On a squad with many stars, there is arguably no single player more important to the team’s chances this summer than Sauerbrunn.</p>
<p id="oSfnDW"><strong>Julie Johnston</strong><br>Age: 24<br>Height: 5’7"<br>Club: Chicago Red Stars<br>Caps: 38<br>First cap: February 9, 2013 | USA vs Scotland<br>Goals/assists: 8 goals/2 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup</p>
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<p id="ad5fbo">Julie Johnston is one summer removed from her veritable skyrocket to stardom. A year and a half ago she was left off the World Cup qualifying roster and although she was later added after an injury, she did not see a minute in the tournament. After working with Carli Lloyd and her trainer, James Galanis, and a few key USWNT defensive injuries, Johnston suddenly solidified her role as preferred center back partner for Becky Sauerbrunn. A series of commanding performances in the World Cup made Johnston a household name.</p>
<p id="GnXZ0T">One year later Johnston’s World Cup performance can be put in perspective and in doing so it becomes clear she’s still got a lot to prove. If not for Hope Solo’s doctorate in mind games, we might be looking at Johnston’s conceded penalty in the semi-final as the straw that broke the camel’s back. Similarly if Carli Lloyd hadn’t ascended to another plane of existence during the final, we might remember that Johnston conceded an own goal during that match. Known for her crunching tackles and dangerous near post run on set pieces, Johnston will need to limit the crucial mistakes to capitalize on her effectiveness in the Olympics.</p>
<p id="LMGjuJ"><strong>Meghan Klingenberg</strong><br>Age: 27<br>Height: 5’2"<br>Club: Portland Thorns<br>Caps: 64<br>First cap: January 23, 2011 | USA vs Canada<br>Goals/assists: 3 goals/4 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup</p>
<p id="Dy0S5J">Klingenberg’s ascendance to her starting spot on the left seems to have happened fairly quickly. She went from two caps in 2011, none in 2012, and four in 2013, to 18 in 2014. She played in every single WNT match in 2015 and was an integral part of that solid core of defenders in the World Cup that kept the United States in it through group stage. Some of that was the team transitioning from its previous left-sided fullback, Steph Cox, who had a natural left foot. Part of it was also that Crystal Dunn was still being tested as a defender a few years ago. Now that things have settled down a bit, Klingenberg is the designated left back, pushing as high as she can go along the flank to deliver service into the box. Sometimes that can mean she meanders a little bit, but she’s been getting better about learning to go or stay and not getting caught out too high. Plus, her strong connection to Tobin Heath, developed through club play in Portland, is a vital offensive tool on the left side of the field.</p>
<p id="XPB5bl"><strong>Whitney Engen </strong><br>Age: 29<br>Height: 5’8"<br>Club: Boston Breakers<br>Caps: 36<br>First cap: March 4, 2011 | USA vs Norway<br>Goals/assists: 4 goals/1 assist<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup</p>
<p id="XJfH44">Whitney Engen saw her minutes peak in 2014 and then gradually taper off through 2015. As third center back, Engen might have one of the most thankless jobs on a squad that will almost certainly field Becky Sauerbrunn and Julie Johnston for the great majority of the Olympics, if not all of it. Engen is expected to act as a reserve in case either Sauerbrunn or Johnston is unavailable or needs to be moved in the formation, and she must fit in as seamlessly as possible with a defense she rarely plays with outside of practice. Still, Engen has enough caps not to come undone in a big tournament, and should she be required to step in, will probably be a fairly steady presence.</p>
<p id="aYChHJ"><strong>Ali Krieger</strong><br>Age: 31<br>Height: 5’6" <br>Club: Washington Spirit<br>Caps: 90<br>First cap: January 16, 2008 | USA vs Canada<br>Goals/assists: 1 goal/8 assists<br>Previous major tourneys with WNT: 2015 World Cup, 2011 World Cup</p>
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<p id="k4tqIx">Krieger was, for a very long time, the acknowledged starting right back for the WNT. She was derailed before the 2012 Olympics with an ACL injury during qualifying, but worked her way back to full healthiness and returned to her starting spot with a minor adjustment period. In 2015, she was an absolutely crucial part of the back line at the World Cup and seemed to be a lock to once again start in the Olympics, but as Jill Ellis looks for more attacking from her fullbacks, she’s placed Krieger on the sub list.</p>
<p id="YygZ4L">Krieger is more defensive-minded than her counterpart Kelley O’Hara but she does her fair share of overlapping runs as well, and is certainly capable of quick interchange to move the ball into the attacking third, where she can whip in a cross. Krieger is too valuable not to see some time during the Olympics and may even see a start here or there, especially as the high-energy game demanded of O’Hara will certainly require squad rotation.</p>
<p id="4PSE6s">Stay tuned for our next player guide on midfielders!</p>
https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/7/18/12211772/get-to-know-uswnt-rio2016-olympic-roster-goalkeepers-defendersStephanie YangCharles OlneyJessica Fletcher