Regional Public Journalism
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

U.S. Women's World Cup Squad Includes Four Northwest Soccer Pros

bellyflopz
/
Flickr
The U.S. Women's National Team has called up Portland Thorns teammates Alex Morgan, left, and Tobin Heath for the FIFA Women's World Cup. Christine SInclar, far right, will play for Team Canada.

The U.S. Women's National Team coach has named four soccer pros from the Northwest to the World Cup roster Tuesday.

The Women's World Cup will be played just across the border in Canada this summer.

The Seattle Reign and Portland Thorns women's pro soccer teams each contribute two players. This will be the third World Cup for Seattle goalkeeper Hope Solo and the second trip to the world stage for Seattle midfielder Megan Rapinoe, Portland midfielder Tobin Heath and Portland forward Alex Morgan.

“It’s so exciting. The World Cup is everything," Rapinoe said in a statement released by U.S. Soccer. "To be able to say that in my career this will be the second one is really special. It definitely doesn’t get old by any means. I am thrilled and I can’t wait.”

The World Cup will be contested in six Canadian cities this June to early July. Tickets for the final at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver are already sold out, but there are still some seats available for an early round game between the USA and Nigeria in Vancouver on June 16.

The U.S. opens against Australia on June 8 in Winnipeg. The U.S women's team is currently ranked number two in the world by FIFA, soccer's international governing body. Germany holds the top ranking.

Further Pacific Northwest connections to the World Cup include Portland Thorns forward Christine Sinclair, a native of Burnaby, British Columbia and captain of the Canadian national team.

U.S. forward Sydney Leroux was raised in Surrey, BC by her Canadian mother and American father. She played for the Seattle Reign last year before being traded to the Western New York Flash in the off-season.

Now semi-retired, Tom Banse covered national news, business, science, public policy, Olympic sports and human interest stories from across the Northwest. He reported from well known and out–of–the–way places in the region where important, amusing, touching, or outrageous events unfolded. Tom's stories can be found online and were heard on-air during "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" on NPR stations in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.