USWNT: 2019 ID Camp Player Capsules – Defenders and Goalkeepers

For the USWNT’s December 2019 identification camp, head coach Vlatko Andonovski has called up nine defenders and two goalkeepers:

Defenders:

  • Maycee Bell (center back)
  • Malia Berkely (center back or outside back)
  • Imani Dorsey (outside back)
  • Emily Fox (outside back) – probably a scratch
  • Naomi Girma (center back)
  • Sarah Gorden (outside back or center back)
  • Kiara “Kiki” Pickett (outside back)
  • Margaret “Midge” Purce (outside back)

Goalkeepers:

  • Jane Campbell
  • Casey Murphy

This article includes basic summary capsules for each of these players, along with highlights and other useful videos, if available.

These capsules are just quick summaries, presenting basic facts and details about each player.  For additional details, such as accolades earned during college and as a professional, links to college team profiles and Wikipedia entries, if available, are provided.  Additionally, for the professional players, links to official NWSL statistics and FBref.com profiles are included.

Also included for each player are highlight videos, profile videos, and/or interview videos, if available.  Finally, links to profile articles for each player, if available, are included under “Further Reading.”

See Also:  USWNT: 2019 ID Camp Player Capsules – Forwards and Midfielders.

A comparative analysis of the players called into the identification camp and how they may fit into the USWNT, both in the short-term (i.e., CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying and the 2020 Olympics) and the long-term (2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup) should be published by or on December 9th.

Data Notes:

  • Age is as of the start of the identification camp (09-Dec-2019).
  • The “Notable USA Youth Experience” line is only included for players who made an official U-17 and/or U-20 USWNT roster, e.g., a CONCACAF Women’s U-17 or U-20 Championship roster, and/or a FIFA U-17 or U-20 Women’s World Cup roster for the United States.
  • Hometown, date of birth, and height information are pulled mostly from USWNT media guide player pool lists.  Otherwise, NWSL and/or college team profiles were used.
  • For additional player statistics and notes, see the “Overview” article on the identification camp.
  • For the defenders, the specific backline role(s), i.e., center back and/or outside back, that they are most likely being considered for, are noted.  These roles are “best guesses” based on how the player is being used by their current teams, how they were/are being used by USA youth teams, and/or specific comments in news articles.

MAYCEE BELL – Defender (Center Back)

Current Team:  North Carolina (UNC)
Hometown:  Wichita, Kansas
Date of Birth:  September 18, 2000  (age:  19.22)
Height:  5’11”
Notable USA Youth Experience:
College Team:  North Carolina (profile)
College Class Year:  Freshman

Notables:

  • A converted forward – switch made during 2015-16 youth club season
  • Kansas Gatorade High School Player of the Year as a freshman (while playing as a forward), in her only year playing high school soccer

Further Reading:

MALIA BERKELY – Defender (Center Back or Outside Back)

Current Team:  Florida State
Hometown:  Liberty Township, Ohio
Date of Birth:  February 13, 1998  (age:  21.82)
Height:  5’7″ (also reported as 5’8″)
College Team:  Florida State (profile), NCAA D1 National Champions
College Class Year:  Redshirt Junior (ACL injury in 2017)

Notables:

  • Outside back for Florida State as a freshman (2016)
  • switched to center back for 2018 season
  • had primarily been used as an outside back with USWNT youth teams

Notables:

IMANI DORSEY – Defender (Outside Back)

Current Team:  Sky Blue FC
Hometown:  Elkridge, Maryland
Date of Birth:  March 21, 1996  (age:  23.72)
Height:  5’6″ (also reported as 5’7″)
College Team:  Duke (profile)
NWSL Draft:  #5 Pick (2018)
Links:  NWSL Stats, FBref.com, Wikipedia

Notables:

  • Primarily an attacking player (forward/midfielder), so a conversion project
  • NWSL Rookie of the Year (2018)
  • Joined Sky Blue in May 2018 (did not graduate a semester early) (SkyBlueFC.com)
  • Missed most of her junior season in high school due to a concussion (GoDuke.com)
  • Played on the same high school team (Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Maryland) as Margaret Purce

Further Reading:

EMILY FOX – Defender (Outside Back)

(03-Dec-2019) Note:  Appears to be a scratch, due to the injury she suffered against USC in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals.

Current Team:  North Carolina (UNC)
Hometown:  Ashburn, Virginia
Date of Birth:  July 5, 1998  (age:  21.43)
Height:  5’5″
Notable USA Youth Experience: 2016 U-20 USWNT, 2018 U-20 USWNT
College Team:  North Carolina (profile)
College Class Year:  Junior
Links:  Wikipedia

Notables:

  • ACL injury in her freshman year at UNC (October 2017)
  • Scored her first collegiate goal as a junior, during the 2019 NCAA D1 tournament
  • Could also be used as a flank/wide midfielder

Further Reading:

NAOMI GIRMA – Defender (Center Back)

Current Team:  Stanford
Hometown:  San Jose, California
Date of Birth:  June 14, 2000  (age:  19.49)
Height:  5’6″
Notable USA Youth Experience:  2016 U-17 USWNT, 2018 U-20 USWNT
College Team:  Stanford (profile)
College Class Year:  Sophomore

Notables:

  • Started 20-plus matches in each of her seasons with Stanford
  • Parents were both born in Ethiopia

Further Reading:

SARAH GORDEN – Defender (Outside Back or Center Back)

Current Team:  Chicago Red Stars
Hometown:  Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Date of Birth:  September 13, 1992  (age:  27.24)
Height:  5’4″
College Team:  Depaul (profile)
NWSL Draft:  #22 Pick (2016)
Links:  NWSL Stats, FBref.com, Wikipedia

Notables:

  • The December 2019 USWNT identification camp is Gorden’s first call-up into a USA camp at any level
  • Played center back at Depaul
  • Has been used as both an outside back and center back by the Red Stars
  • High school state champion in the 100m high hurdles as a senior (2011)
  • Was also a member of DePaul’s track team for at least two seasons
  • Has a 5-year-old son, born during her third year at DePaul (redshirted her junior year)

Further Reading:

HAILIE MACE – Defender (Outside Back)

Current Team:  Rosengård FC (Sweden)
Hometown:  Ventura, California
Date of Birth:  March 24, 1997  (age:  22.71)
Height:  5’7″
College Team:  UCLA (profile)
NWSL Draft:  #2 Pick (2019)
Links:  SvFF Stats, FBref.com, Wikipedia

Notables:

  • Made the USWNT’s roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship (FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament)
  • Eschewed Sky Blue and signed with top Swedish side Rosengård FC (for background, see this VC Star article)

KIARA “KIKI” PICKETT – Defender (Outside Back)

Current Team:  Stanford
Hometown:  Santa Barbara, California
Date of Birth:  April 30, 1999  (age:  20.61)
Height:  5’0″
Notable USA Youth Experience:  2016 U-17 USWNT, 2018 U-20 USWNT
College Team:  Stanford (profile), 2017 NCAA D1 National Champions
College Class Year:  Junior

Notables:

  • Right outside back for Stanford
  • If capped, would not be the shortest player to appear for the USWNT.  That statistical honor belongs to ’91er Tracey (Bates) Leone, whose listed height is 4’11”.  (Leone also coached the 2002 U-19 USWNT squad that won the inaugural U-19 WWC)

MARGARET “MIDGE” PURCE – Defender (Outside Back)

Current Team:  Portland Thorns FC
Hometown:  Silver Spring, Maryland
Date of Birth:  September 18, 1995  (age:  24.22)
Height:  5’5″
Notable USA Youth Experience:  2012 U-17 USWNT, 2014 U-20 USWNT
College Team:  Harvard (profile)
NWSL Draft:  #9 Pick (2017)
Links:  NWSL Stats, FBref.com, Wikipedia

Notables:

  • Primarily a forward, so another conversion project
  • Earned her first cap in the USWNT’s last match, against Costa Rica
  • Purce started that match and played the full 90, netting a “fantasy assist” on a cross-shot that was deflected by a defender and looped into the far post
  • For 2019, in her third NWSL season, had a breakout year, scoring 8 goals for the Thorns, after just 1 career goal in the prior two seasons
  • Played on the same high school team (Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Maryland) as Imani Dorsey

Further Reading:

JANE CAMPBELL – Goalkeeper

Current Team:  Houston Dash
Hometown:  Kennesaw, Georgia
Date of Birth:  February 17, 1995  (age:  24.81)
Height:  5’9″
Notable USA Youth Experience:  2012 U-17 USWNT, 2014 U-20 USWNT
College Team:  Stanford (profile)
NWSL Draft:  #15 Pick (2017)
Links:  NWSL Stats, FBref.com, Wikipedia

Notables:

  • First called into the USWNT back in January 2013, by then-head coach Tom Sermanni

Further Reading:

CASEY MURPHY – Goalkeeper

Current Team:  Reign FC
Hometown:  Bridgewater, New Jersey
Date of Birth:  April 25, 1996  (age:  23.62)
Height:  6’0″ (also reported as 6’1″)
Notable USA Youth Experience:  2016 U-20 USWNT
College Team:  Rutgers (profile)
NWSL Draft:  #13 Pick (2018)
Links:  NWSL Stats, FBref.com, Wikipedia

Notables:

  • In January 2018, after graduating a semester early, signed with Montpellier HSC of France’s D1 Féminine, where she was named the league’s goalkeeper of the year as a rookie, and after just half a season.
  • Remained with Montpellier for the 2018-2019 season
  • Signed with Reign FC in May 2019
  • Started all three matches with the U-23 USWNT at the 2019 Nordic Cup, allowing just one goal in three matches

For more summary capsules of players chosen for the December 2019 USWNT identification camp, see:  USWNT: 2019 ID Camp Player Capsules – Forwards and Midfielders.

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