US' Rapinoe to miss football friendlies v NZ

Veteran forward Alex Morgan will head a fairly inexperienced squad as the US women's team kick off 2023 with two friendlies on the road against World Cup co-hosts New Zealand.

The United States are gunning for an unprecedented third straight World Cup title - and fifth overall - when the tournament kicks off in Australia less than 200 days after a frustrating end to 2022.

The 33-year-old Morgan, a two-time world champ who led the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) with 16 goals last year, is one of four players in the squad with more than 100 caps, along with defenders Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn, and midfielder Lindsey Horan.

But there's a green tinge to the overall squad with notable names including 20-year-old Trinity Rodman, daughter of former NBA great Dennis Rodman, and 22-year-old defender Naomi Girma. They are among 14 players with 25 or fewer caps.

It is a valuable road trip for the Americans, who will play all their Group E games in New Zealand, starting against Vietnam on July 22 in Auckland.

The visitors will play the Football Ferns on January 18 in Wellington and again three days later in Auckland.

"To get to bring the team to New Zealand in January and play in our World Cup venues has so many benefits so we are going to make sure we maximise our time together," said US coach Vlatko Andonovski.

The team will be without charismatic veteran Megan Rapinoe and reigning NWSL MVP Sophia Smith, as the two forwards recover from injury.

The four-time world champions face no easy path to hoisting the trophy again and were left licking their wounds late last year when they lost three games in a row - to England, Spain and Germany - for the first time since 1993.

They recovered to beat Germany 2-1 at home in their final match of the year.

Andonovski said he expects England to be one of their biggest rivals, after the fourth-ranked Lionesses won the European Championship for the first time in an unbeaten 2022.

"They're definitely one of the contenders for the biggest prize in the world. They've been on a very good streak," said Andonovski.

"I wouldn't mind facing them in the final because that means that we are in the final as well."

It will be the first time the Ferns play USA on home soil, with New Zealand naming an inexperienced squad to play in the series.

“This series takes place outside of an official FIFA window, meaning some squad members were not released by their clubs, some members will join later and others will need to depart the team early," New Zealand head coach Jitka Klimková said.

"It opens an opportunity to revisit players who are not with us regularly, look at a few new players as well as continue to make progress towards peaking in July."

"The games will be a great opportunity for the football community to see their Football Ferns and the current world champions just six months before the women’s world cup,” Klimková said.

Among the potential debutants are inaugural National League Championship winning duo Tayla O'Brien and Deven Jackson from Eastern Suburbs. As well as Canterbury veteran Rebecca Lake, Grace Neville and Junior Football Fern Murphy Sheaff.

(Name; Club or College/Country; Caps/Goals)

Lily Alfeld; Wellington Phoenix FC, NZ (0/0)

Elizabeth Anton; Perth Glory, Australia (15/0)

Mackenzie Barry; Wellington Phoenix FC, NZ (3/0)

Hannah Blake; University of Michigan, USA (6/0)

Olivia Chance; Celtic FC, Scotland (37/2)

Daisy Cleverley; HB Køge, Denmark (24/2)

Ava Collins; St John's University, USA (7/0)

Anna Green; Sydney FC, Australia (80/8)

Ally Green; Vålerenga, Norway (2/0)

Jacqui Hand; Åland United, Finland (10/1)

Betsy Hassett; Wellington Phoenix FC, NZ (137/14)^

Deven Jackson; Eastern Suburbs AFC, NZ (0/0)*

Grace Jale; Canberra United, Australia (10/2)

Aniela Jensen; University of the Pacific, USA (0/0)

Rebecca Lake; Canterbury United Pride, NZ (0/0)*

Erin Nayler; IFK Norrköping, Sweden (78/0)

Grace Neville; London City Lionesses, England (0/0)*^

Tayla O’Brien; Eastern Suburbs AFC, NZ (0/0)*

Jana Radosavljevic; DSC Arminia Bielefeld, Germany (3/0)

Gabi Rennie; Arizona State University, USA (18/2)

Ali Riley; Angel City FC, USA (147/2)

Emma Rolston; Wellington Phoenix FC, NZ (14/6)

Paige Satchell; Wellington Phoenix FC, NZ (35/2)

Murphy Sheaff; Jacksonville University, USA (0/0)*

Ashleigh Ward; Southampton FC, England (2/0)

Grace Wisnewski; Wellington Phoenix FC, NZ (0/0)

* Debut squad

^ Available only for the 18 January game