Andi Sullivan, who played youth soccer for the Bethesda Soccer Club, is one of four Washington Spirit players who have been named to the U.S. Women’s National Team’s (USWNT) 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup roster. Goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, forward Trinity Rodman and midfielders Ashley Sanchez and Andi Sullivan will all take part in their first World Cup this summer in Australia and New Zealand.
Sullivan is the most experienced USWNT call-up from the Spirit with 44 senior team appearances (caps). Sullivan, Sanchez and Rodman have combined for eight goals and 12 assists across 95 total appearances. Kingsbury returns to the USWNT for the first time since last summer’s Concacaf W Championship in Mexico. In her lone appearance for the U.S., Kingsbury earned a clean sheet against Uzbekistan in April 2022.
The team was announced by President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden with some help from some celebrities. Sullivan was introduced by a former star of the TV show, The Office.
𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄!
We asked a few friends to help with this year’s World Cup roster announcement 🤩
Visit https://t.co/sLCJ8RhiOx for full details 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TckXmhgQyy
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 21, 2023
The USWNT will play one final friendly against Wales at PayPal Park in San Jose, California July 9 before making the trip to Oceania to begin its World Cup campaign.
As part of Group E, the U.S. will take on Vietnam, Netherlands and Portugal in the group stage of this summer’s World Cup. The two-time defending world champions will open another title defense campaign in New Zealand, playing two group stage matches in Auckland and one in Wellington:
- vs Vietnam, Friday, July 21 at 9 p.m. EDT (Eden Park, Auckland)
- vs Netherlands, Wednesday, July 26 at 9 p.m. EDT (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
- vs Portugal, Tuesday, August 1 at 12 a.m. EDT (Eden Park, Auckland)
Should the U.S. place in the top two of Group E, the team will advance to the knockout stage, which features a 16-team single elimination bracket, with hopes of making its fourth consecutive appearance in the World Cup final on Sunday, August 20.
