After the United States women’s national team endured a difficult 2023, suffering elimination from the Women’s World Cup at the last-16 stage, the four-time global champions have the opportunity to begin 2024 with silverware at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup. The Stars and Stripes are the major favourites to win the competition’s first ever edition, which kicks off this week.
W Gold Cup kicks off Olympic year
The US are the hosts for the 2024 W Gold Cup, with San Diego, Carson, Los Angeles and Houston the four cities chosen to stage the new tournament, which will be contested by 12 teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Although the W Gold Cup is the first trophy in the USWNT’s sights in 2024, their chief objective for the calendar year is victory at the Olympic Games in Paris, where the four-time gold medal winners will seek to reclaim their crown. Having never failed to reach the final in the first five editions of the Olympics’ women’s soccer tournament, the US have been restricted to a single bronze medal since 2012.
As they target W Gold Cup and Olympic success, the US come into the new year in the midst of a reshuffle in personnel both on and off the field.
Who is USWNT’s head coach for W Gold Cup?
After firing head coach Vlatko Andonovski in the wake of their earliest ever exit at a World Cup, the USWNT will be led by interim boss Twila Kilgore at the W Gold Cup. Kilgore, who was part of Andonovksi’s coaching team, will then revert to her previous role as assistant coach when Chelsea’s Emma Hayes takes over as head coach in May, at the end of the English Women’s Super League season.
USWNT greats absent as Kilgore looks to youth
On the pitch, meanwhile, a generational handover is underway. Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe have both retired, while Alex Morgan – another key figure in the USWNT’s successes in recent years – has been left out of Kilgore’s roster for the W Gold Cup. With team legends such as Ertz, Rapinoe and Morgan no longer there, the Americans will be looking to youngsters like Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Jaedyn Shaw, who are poised to form a dangerous attacking trio.
Kilgore will still have a number of long-serving USWNT stalwarts at her disposal, however. Notably, two-time World Cup-winning goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher will be a leader from the back, while Lindsey Horan – a veteran of the team’s most recent global title, in 2019 – will continue to pull the strings in midfield.
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USWNT roster for 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup:
Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Jane Campbell (Houston Dash).
Defenders: Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Emily Fox (Arsenal WFC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars).
Midfielders: Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC).
Forwards: Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC).
2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup: dates, how to watch
The 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup kicks off at 7:30pm ET on Tuesday 20 February, when Mexico meet Argentina in the opening game at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Later that day, the US will begin their campaign at the same stadium, taking on the Dominican Republic at 22:15pm ET. Kilgore’s team will then face the Argentinians and the Mexicans in Group A, on 23 and 26 February, respectively.
The W Gold Cup final will be at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday 10 March.
Viewers in the US will be able to watch English-language coverage of the tournament on CBS and Paramount+, while Spanish speakers will be able to tune in on ESPN.