WASHINGTON: Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd were among 18 players from last year’s US Women’s World Cup championship squad named Friday (Saturday in Manila) to the American squad trying to qualify for this year’s Tokyo Olympics. This will be the first major tournament for the US women under new coach Vlatko Andonovski, who was named last October after Jill Ellis stepped down following her second consecutive World Cup triumph. Rapinoe, who has 50 goals in 160 appearances for the US national team, won the Golden Boot as the top scorer at last year’s Women’s World Cup as well as the Golden Ball as the best overall player. There are 13 players returning from 2016 Olympic qualifying with Rapinoe, Lloyd, Tobin Heath, Ali Krieger, Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelley O’Hara back from the 2012 US Olympic team. Heath and Lloyd were also on the 2008 Olympic team.

Source: Manila Times January 18, 2020 20:15 UTC