USA vs. Iceland: Starting XI and lineup notes

USWNT vs. Iceland presented by AT&T
Date: October 27, 2024
Venue: GEODIS Park; Nashville, Tennessee.
Transmitted: TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, Peacock
Official kick-off time: 4:37 p.m. CT / 5:37 p.m. ET

Starting XI against Iceland: 18-Casey Murphy; 3-Korbin Albert, 5-Jenna Nighswonger, 9-Mallory Swanson (Capt.), 12-Emily Sams, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 14-Emily Sonnett, 15-Jaedyn Shaw, 17-Sam Coffey, 20-Casey Krueger, 24 -Yazmeen Ryan

Available subs: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 4-Naomi Girma, 6-Lynn Williams, 7-Alyssa Thompson, 10-Lindsey Horan, 11-Sophia Smith, 16-Rose Lavelle, 19-Hal Hershfelt, 22-Eva Gaetino, 23-Emily Fox, 25-Alyssa Malonson, 26-Emma Sears

Don't dress: Mandy Haught, Hailie Mace, Ashley Sanchez

GAME NOTES | FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• USWNT Starting XI Cap Numbers (including this game): Swanson (102), Sonnet (101), Krueger (58), Coffey (26), Murphy (20), Albert (19), Shaw (18), Nighswonger (17), Moultrie (5), Ryan (2), Sam's (1)
• Today's starting lineup in Nashville features seven changes from the lineup that began Thursday night in Austin, with Swanson, Sonnett, Coffey and Nighswonger the only players to start in both games.
• This starting lineup includes nine players from the 2024 Olympic squad, although three of the Olympians – Murphy, Shaw and Sams – did not play during the tournament.
• The starting lineup averages 39 caps per player, with only three starters – Swanson, Sonnett and Krueger – having over 30 caps.
• Today's squad averages 25.5 years old and includes two teenagers, 19-year-olds Olivia Moultrie and Jaedyn Shaw. This is the first time in over six years that two teenagers have appeared in the same starting lineup for the USWNT. On April 8, 2018, Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson – then both 19 years old – started for the USA in a friendly against Mexico.
• Mallory Swanson will captain the USWNT for the first time in her career as she will be honored before the game for her 100th cap, which she achieved in the gold medal game against Brazil on August 10. Swanson, who scored in her USWNT debut in January 2016 at age 17, became the 44th player in USWNT history to reach 100 international appearances, and at 26, she was the youngest to do so since 25 -year-old Amy Rodriguez achieved the feat in 2012. Swanson led the United States with four goals at Paris 2024 and her 38 career international goals rank 16th all-time in USWNT history.
• Casey Murphy will make her 20th cap for the USWNT as she makes her third start in 2023. Murphy started in the USA's victories over Argentina (February 23) and South Korea (June 4) earlier in the year and kept a clean sheet in eight straight appearances for the USWNT, a streak that dates back to the USA's victory over New Zealand on January 21, 2023. Murphy has kept 15 clean sheets in his career, which is tied for sixth all-time in USWNT history.
• Korbin Albert will be making her 19th cap as she makes her 10th career start and first since starting in the Olympic final against Brazil, where she assisted Swanson's game-winning goal. Albert played five games for the USA at Paris 2024, starting twice in the quarterfinal against Japan and the gold medal game, and also scored her first international goal in the group stage final against Australia. Albert is the first player in USWNT history to score her first career goal in the Olympics.
• Jenna Nighswonger will make her second consecutive start and 10th start overall in her USWNT career and will earn her 17th cap. Nighswonger started and played the entire 90 minutes in Thursday's win over Iceland in Austin, marking the sixth 90-minute appearance of her USWNT career.
• Emily Samswho had the rare honor of winning an Olympic gold medal before earning her first USWNT international, will make her international debut, becoming the 264th player ever to compete for the USWNT and the sixth player to do so under Emma Hayes debuted. Sams received her first USWNT call-up as a practice player for the July friendlies against Mexico and Costa Rica after a standout season with the 2024 NWSL Shield winners Orlando Pride and was added to the Olympic squad as a substitute following Catarina Macario's injury. She was then included in the 18-man squad for the games against Australia and Japan, making her eligible for a medal.
• The youngest player in today's starting eleven, Olivia Moultrie will earn her fifth cap as she makes her second career start for the USWNT. Now 19, Moultrie made her USWNT debut on December 2, 2023 at the age of 18 and scored a brace against the Dominican Gold Cup in her first career start on February 20, 2024, the USA's opening match at the 2024 Concacaf W Republic. At 18 years, 156 days, Moultrie became the third-youngest player to score a brace in USWNT history, behind only Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow Cone.
• After earning her 100th cap in Thursday's win in Austin, Emily Sonnet will make her second consecutive start and the 50th start of her international career. A World Champion and Olympic gold medalist, Sonnett became the 45th player in USWNT history to reach the 100 cap milestone and led the USA to 87 wins in her first 100 caps, tying Carli Lloyd and Lindsey Horan for the most 100 cap wins in program history .
• Jaedyn Shawwho scored the game-winning goal in Thursday's win in Austin, will earn her 18th cap, making her eighth career start for the USWNT. Shaw, who turns 20 in November, has scored six goals this year – tied for second on the team – and eight goals in her international career, placing her fifth all-time in USWNT history for goals by a teenager takes. Shaw's six goals so far in 2024 are tied with Cindy Parlow Cone (6 goals in 1997) for the fourth-most by any teenager in a calendar year for the USWNT and the most since Christie Welsh scored the record 11 goals for the USWNT in 2000 in his teens.
• Sam Coffey will make her 17th start and 19th appearance of the year, earning her 26th career cap. Coffey assisted on Alyssa Thompson's goal against Iceland on Thursday night, marking the second assist of his career, both this year.
• After assisting Jaedyn Shaw's game-winning goal on Thursday night, Casey Krueger will make her 58th international appearance and third start in 2024. Krueger, the only mother on this squad, started the USA's game against Korea Republic on June 4 and also started – and added an assist – in the USA's win on February 23 against Argentina in the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup . Krueger will make her 16th appearance of the year for the USWNT, her most ever in a calendar year in her international career.
• Three days after their international debut Yazmeen Ryan will make her first career start as she earns her second cap for the USWNT. Ryan, who was called up to the USWNT for the first time for these games in October, played in the 66th minute of the USA's win over Iceland on October 24 in Austin, Texas, becoming the 262nd player ever to do so USWNT international reached fourth player to debut under Emma Hayes.