Bailey Holiver-Imagn Images
Twenty-four players are about to get a quasi-tryout for the United States women’s national team.
U.S. head coach Emma Hayes named her developmental roster that will train alongside the senior team next week in Southern California. Sixteen players are already confirmed professionals (with the subsequent Wednesday announcements of two Seattle Reign signings) with birth years for the entire group ranging from 2002 to 2007.
The “Futures Camp,” as U.S. Soccer is calling it, will allow Hayes to evaluate young, promising players up close and in the national team environment to see if they could be part of her plans on the road to the 2027 World Cup and beyond.
“I always like to do things like, I don’t just zoom in or get into the weeds of things,” Hayes said on Tuesday. “Let’s create high-level strategy in and around what we want to see for our program, and that starts in January with combining the futures and the WNT side by side.”
Kansas City Current forward Michelle Cooper, teammate and midfielder Claire Hutton, and Angel City FC fullback Gisele Thompson are among the call-ups for the camp, which will take place from Jan. 14-21.
College players who have been invited to camp include University of North Carolina forward Kate Faasse, who won the MAC Herman Trophy as the best player in college soccer after leading the Tar Heels to their first national championship since 2012. University of Texas midfielder Lexi Missimo was also among the college players who earned a call-up.
Every player on the roster except for University of Georgia goalkeeper Jordan Brown has prior experience playing and/or training with the U.S. youth national teams, according to U.S. Soccer.
Thirteen of the 14 pros on the roster come from 11 different NWSL teams, with Brooklyn FC goalkeeper Neeku Purcell being the lone representative from the new USL Super League.
The “Futures Camp” is officially designated a youth national team call-up, per a U.S. Soccer spokesperson, although Hayes was clear on Tuesday about the opportunity ahead for players. She is “desperate” to deepen the U.S. player pool, and she sees more U-23 programming as the way to do that. This camp is the start of that concept.
Players on this roster will be coached by Hayes and her staff and train adjacent to a senior team roster that is already experimental given the absence of European players and several injured stars.
“It took a lot of coordination,” Hayes said of putting together the two camps of 50 players combined.
“I am going to be extremely busy, probably significantly more busy than every camp, because I’m going to be coaching two teams. But like I said, I’ve got a great group of staff. I’ve been working with Tracy Kevins, who’s moved from the Under-20 position, and we’ve been working with Lisa Cole and Denise Reddy to put together a program over 10 days that we know hasn’t been done this way before, but one that we expect to happen every January.”
The U.S. last hosted a developmental identification camp in December 2019, shortly after former head coach Vlatko Andonovski took over.
U.S. Roster by Position – 2025 Futures Camp
GOALKEEPERS (3):Jordan Brown (Georgia; Las Vegas, Nev.), Mia Justus (Utah Royals; Lakewood, Ohio), Neeku Purcell (Brooklyn FC; Seattle, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (7): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; El Cajon, Calif.), Heather Gilchrist (Florida State; Boulder, Colo.), Savy King (Bay FC; West Hills, Calif.), Emily Mason (Seattle Reign FC; Flemington, N.J.), Makenna Morris (Washington Spirit; Germantown, Md.), Lilly Reale (NJ/NY Gotham FC; Hingham, Mass.), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; Studio City, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Taylor Huff (Florida State; Mansfield, Ohio), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; Bethlehem, N.Y.), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; Roswell, Ga.), Ainsley McCammon (Seattle Reign FC; Bedford, Texas), Yuna McCormack (Florida State; Mill Valley, Calif.), Lexi Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas)
FORWARDS (8): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; Clarkston, Mich.), Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; Edina, Minn.), Jordynn Dudley (Florida State; Milton, Ga.), Kate Faasse (UNC; Phoenix, Ariz.), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars; Beltsville, Md.), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; Jacksonville, Fla.), Pietra Tordin (Princeton; Miami, Fla.), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC; Aliso Viejo, Calif.)
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