Ashley Sanchez has matched her goal tally from the past five seasons, scoring 20 goals this year and tying the National Women’s Soccer League’s single-season record, with more games left to play.
As a result, the 27-year-old winger for the North Carolina Courage is set to return to the U.S. national team.
After nearly two years away, Sanchez accepted an invitation to join the 26-player roster for two friendlies against the top-ranked Spanish team, the reigning world champions.
Sanchez was part of the 2023 World Cup squad but had not been called up since January 2025, with her last game for the U.S. team on October 30, 2024. While she had performed well in the NWSL, her scoring was limited last season, with only two goals for the Courage.
Her exceptional 2026 season—featuring five multi-goal games and nine scores in her last seven matches—has revitalized her position in the national team ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
Before joining the U.S. camp, Sanchez could potentially break the overall scoring record of 20 goals, set by Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga in 2024, during a match in Seattle on Friday. The U.S. team will hold its training camp starting Monday near Atlanta and will face Spain on October 10 in Washington and October 13 in Chester, Pennsylvania, marking their 18th and 19th matches against the world’s top teams.
U.S. coach Emma Hayes expressed enthusiasm about facing the world champions, emphasizing the need to reconnect with the squad after a long break and to evaluate new players in preparation for the upcoming World Cup qualifying tournament later this year in Texas.
Returning to the squad are key players, including Mallory Swanson, who is part of the celebrated “Triple Espresso” attacking trio alongside Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson. Swanson, having returned from maternity leave, last played in the Olympic gold medal match in Paris in 2024.
In addition, regular starters Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey, who missed the trip to Brazil, will also be back.
Other familiar faces on the roster include Rodman, Wilson, Lindsey Heaps, Rose Lavelle, Emily Fox, Tierna Davidson, and Alyssa Thompson. Unfortunately, injuries have sidelined some players, including defender Emily Sonnett and forward Catarina Macario.
Hayes has also included four players looking for their first international appearances: goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz, midfielder Evelyn Shores, and forwards Trinity Byars and Pietra Tordin—who have contributed significantly to their teams this season.
The three goalkeepers on the roster—Claudia Dickey, Jordan Silkowitz, and Phallon Tullis-Joyce—together have only 18 appearances, with Dickey being the only returnee from the match in Brazil. There are nine players in total on the roster with 11 or fewer international caps, indicating a mix of experience and new talent.
Among the call-ups, five players are competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League: Girma, Coffey, Thompson, Fox, and young Lily Yohannes, the youngest player on the U.S. team at just 19.
U.S. Roster:
Goalkeepers: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign, 11 caps), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC, 0), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, 7).
Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC, 70), Emily Fox (Arsenal, 78), Naomi Girma (Chelsea, 54), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash, 14), Lilly Reale (Boston Legacy, 9), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit, 12), Gisele Thompson (Angel City, 11), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave, 7).
Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Manchester City, 46), Lindsey Heaps (Denver Summit, 178), Claire Hutton (Bay FC, 20), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC, 122), Evelyn Shores (Angel City, 0), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Stars, 103), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, 20).
Forwards: Trinity Byars (San Diego Wave, 0), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current, 14), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit, 57), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville, 21), Ashley Sanchez (North Carolina Courage, 28), Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns, 0), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea, 32), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns, 63).
Fan Take: Sanchez’s return to the national team is a thrilling development for soccer fans, as it signals her re-emergence as a key player just ahead of the World Cup. With her record-breaking season and the impending friendlies against Spain, it sets the stage for a competitive buildup to the global tournament, crucial for inspiring a new generation of players and fans.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
