February 2025 – Page 2 – Women's Soccer Express

2025 SheBelieves Cup: Japan roster announced — Washington Spirit’s Narumi Miura returns, Utah Royals forward Mina Tanaka also called up

Updates:

17-Feb-2025: Defender Rion Ishikawa has been withdrawn. (JFA news item)
18-Feb-2025: Angel City’s Miyabi Moriya has been called up to replace Ishikawa. (JFA news item)
19-Feb-2024: Kiko Seike has been withdrawn and replaced with Manaka Matsukubo of the North Carolina Courage. (JFA news item)

(Note: Except for the roster list and table, the names of Japan’s players will be in the Western format, with given names before family names.)

For his first matches in charge of the Japan Women’s National Team, head coach Nils Nielsen has opted for an experienced and mostly foreign-based squad that features just four players from the WE League. Of the 23 players named to Japan’s squad for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, 19 were members of Nadeshiko Japan’s roster for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Three players, including Washington Spirit midfielder Narumi Miura, have been recalled after extended absences. Miura, who was a member of Japan’s squads for the COVID-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, returns for her first camp since September 2023. The other two players are defender Saori Takarada, who also returns for the first time since September 2023, and Yuka Momiki, whose last call up was the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Both Takarada and Momiki had stints in the NWSL, with the Washington Spirit and OL Reign, respectively.

The only other current NWSL player named to the original roster was forward Mina Tonaka of the Utah Royals. Not making the original cut this time were two North Carolina Courage midfielders, who were both members of Japan’s squad for the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup: Manaka Matsukubo and the freshly signed Shinomi Koyama.

Late on February 18th, the Japan Football Association announced that Matsukubo has been called up to replace Kiko Seike.

Both Courage players were called up for Japan’s last camp in October 2024 (jfa.jp), but remain uncapped at the senior level. Nielsen, who has only been in charge since December, has stated that for the next international window, he is planning to bring in more inexperienced players (Japanese news article), so Koyama could be called up then.

Meanwhile, the most questionable player omission from the original roster was recent Angel City signee Miyabi Moriya, especially given that the announced roster has just one player, Hikaru Kitagawa, who is primarily an outside-back. Moriya started at right outside-back in Japan’s last three matches during the 2024 Olympics after Manchester City’s Risi Shimizu suffered an ACL injury in their opening match (Man City news item). On February 18th, Moriya was called up to replace center-back Rion Ishikawa.

In addition to Shimizu, the only other player from the 2024 Summer Olympics not called up is goalkeeper Shu Ohba, who played NCAA soccer for Ole Miss (profile). In her place, the uncapped Akane Okuma, who was Japan’s starting goalkeeper at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, returns for her second straight camp, after first being called up for Japan’s last friendly, which was in October 2024. (No camp was held during the November/December international window.)

2025 SheBelieves Cup: Player Spotlights — Australia

Although the Matildas roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup includes plenty of veterans, there are several players worth mentioning that may not be familiar to those outside of Australia.

A-Leagues hightlights video for Daniela Galić (YouTube)

Leading that list is Daniela Galić, an 18-year-old attacking midfielder, was branded “the future of Australian football” before she even turned pro, and after two pro seasons in Australia, is now playing in the Netherlands for FC Twente, which currently sits two places below Ajax, a team with a teenage attacking midfielder that has been the subject of similar pronouncements (si.com, backheeled.com): Lily Yohannes, who committed to the United States Women’s National Team last November.

One player on the Matildas roster is uncapped: 23-year-old forward Laini Freier, who only made her pro debut in December 2024, but had back-to-back hat-tricks later that month. Laini has a twin sister, Sharn Freier, who will be joining VfL Wolfsburg later this year.

Other notable players with just a handful of caps include forward Holly McNamara, who, at age 22, has already battled three ACL injuries, and 27-year-old center-back Natasha Prior who retired at age 21 due to concussion concerns but earned her first international cap last year after a strong performance in her first full pro season back.

Additionally, 23-year-old outside-back Charlotte “Charli” Grant, who has 29 caps for Australia, has primarily played the role of an understudy so far, but could be looking at a starting role in the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.

2025 SheBelieves Cup: Australia roster announced — Plenty of familiar names, plus “teenage sensation” Daniela Galić, the uncapped Laini Freier, and a healthy Holly McNamara

Update: (17-Feb-2025): Midfielder Clare Wheeler has been withdrawn due to a thigh injury. The uncapped Alana Murphy of the Melbourne Victory has been called in as a replacement. (matildas.com.au) Also, the Australia WNT has published the players’ shirt numbers for this tournament (Instagram).

While the USA’s roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup will likely feature a significant number of less experienced players, the Australia Women’s National Team, which is once again under the direction of Tom Sermanni, though only in an interim capacity, will feature 15 players who played in 25 or more senior international matches, including six who each have over 100 caps.

Among the 23 Matildas players named for this friendly tournament are all 11 starters from Australia’s 1:2 loss to the United States Women’s National Team in the group stage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, plus five of their seven substitutes. Just one of those 18 players, Claire Polkinghorne, has retired (press release), while the other absent player, North Carolina Courage forward Courtnee Vine, continues to be on leave for mental health reasons.

Three current NWSL players were named to the roster: Center-back Alanna Kennedy, who signed with Angel City in January, Portland Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, and San Diego Wave outside-back Kaitlyn Torpey, who is listed as a forward. Seven more Matildas players on this roster have previous NWSL experience, including forwards Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso, who are both former Portland Thorns players, as well as outside-back Steph Catley, who played for three NWSL clubs from 2014 to 2019, and recent San Diego Wave midfielder Emily van Egmond. Additionally, goalkeeper Teagan Micah played NCAA soccer for the UCLA Bruins from 2016 to 2019 (Micah’s UCLA profile).

The most hyped player selected for this roster is also, unsurprisingly, its youngest. Only a teenager, she is an attacking midfielder who currently plays in the Netherlands for a team that was in the UEFA Women’s Champions League this season. Yes, the Matildas have their own Daniela Galić, who will undoubtedly be the subject of comparative articles involving the USWNT’s Lily Yohannes.

NWSL News of Note, Internal Moves: Courage trade Haley Hopkins to Current, Yazmeen Ryan inks new deal with Dash, Kelli Hubly joins Bay FC

Leading the intra-NWSL notables for the end of January is the trade of forward Haley Hopkins from the North Carolina Courage to the Kansas City Current.

Meanwhile, United States Women’s National Team forward Yazmeen Ryan has signed a new contract that should keep her with the Houston Dash through the 2027 NWSL season.

In free agency news, center-back Kelli Hubly, who had spent the previous eight years with the Portland Thorns, is staying on the West Coast after signing a two-year deal with Bay FC.

Additionally, the San Diego Wave and Gotham FC both announced the hiring of assistant coaches.

NWSL News of Note, Outgoing Moves: Jenna Nighswonger acquired by Arsenal, Crystal Dunn signs with PSG, Tarciane traded to Lyon, Adriana transfers to Saudi Arabia, Elexa Bahr returns to América de Cali, Victoria Pickett loaned to Toronto

The last days of January and the first days of February saw a pair of major transfers out of the NWSL:

Brazilian center-back Tarciane leaves the Houston Dash for Olympique Lyonnais after just nine months in the NWSL.
Another Brazilian, Adriana, has been traded from the Orlando Pride to Al Qadsiah FC of the Saudi Women’s Premier League.

According to news reports, Lyon paid over $825,000 to the Dash for Tarciane, while Orlando received $500,000 for Adriana.

In United States Women’s National Team player news:

Jenna Nighswonger is officially no longer a Gotham FC player and now wears the red and white of Arsenal.
Another now-former Gotham player, Crystal Dunn, who was released by the club last week, has signed with Paris Saint-Germain, joining two other USWNT players.

Additionally, two clubs sent players on loan for the calendar year:

Forward Elexa Bahr returns to her previous club, Colombia’s América de Cali, for the remainder of her Racing Louisville contract.
The North Carolina Courage have loaned Canadian midfielder Victoria Pickett to AFC Toronto of the Northern Super League.

2025 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers: Costa Rica and Puerto Rico among eight teams that advance to the final round

With the first round of the 2025 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers in the books, the names of all 12 teams that will face off in the final round are now known.

Joining the four teams that received byes to the final round — the USA, Mexico, Canada, and Haiti — are six group winners: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

Two second-place teams, Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago, also advanced (Concacaf news item). The six groups were unbalanced, with two groups having just three teams instead of four, so a weighted points system (points divided by matches played) was apparently used (the regulations document is silent on this matter, but it has been used in the past). However, due to a quirk in that ranking system, one or both of those teams may have advanced more on the luck of the draw rather than on sporting factors.

For the final round, which is scheduled to start on Monday, March 31st, the above 12 teams will be divided into three round-robin groups of four. The top team from each group, along with the best second-place team from among those three groups, will advance to the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.

NWSL News of Note, Incoming Moves: Pride acquires Prisca Chilufya, Angel City adds Miyabi Moriya, Wave invite Penn State’s Jordan Fusco

On the last day of January, two NWSL clubs announced the signing of internationals, both via transfers:

The Orlando Pride have acquired Zambian international Prisca Chilufya from FC Juárez of Liga MX Femenil. Chilufya inked a three-year deal that runs through the 2027 NWSL season.
Meanwhile, Japanese international Miyabi Moriya has transferred to Angel City after ten years with INAC Kobe Leonessa. She is signed for one season and has a club option for 2026.

Earlier this week, the San Diego Wave have apparently added another non-roster invitee: Midfielder Jordan Fusco, who recently wrapped up her NCAA career at Penn State after three seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers.

Additionally, the Houston Dash now have enough non-roster invitees for one side of an 11-v-11 scrimmage after adding six more recent collegiate players.

NWSL: The Houston Dash add six more non-roster invitees

On Saturday, the Houston Dash announced (press release) that they had invited six more recent collegiate players, bringing their total number of current non-roster invitees to 11.

Among the new six are Wisconsin defender Aidan McConnell, who was a United States youth international and played in the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, and Penn State defender Mieke Schiemann, who has German youth international experience and was with Turbine Potsdam II before making the move to NCAA soccer.

Houston’s New Non-Roster Invitees:

Goalkeepers (0): n/a
Defenders (2): Aidan McConnell (Wisconsin, 4 seasons), Mieke Schiemann (Penn State, 4 seasons; DFB Datencenter profile)
Midfielders (3): Kate Colvin (Texas A&M, 5 seasons), Alexis Fowlkes (Houston, 2 seasons; Texas Tech, 2 seasons), Juliet Moore (Houston, 2 seasons; Mississippi State, 2 seasons)
Forwards (1): Makhiya McDonald (Texas A&M, 4 seasons)

Colvin previously trained with the Dash in 2019, while still in high school (news article), when she was with Dash’s youth club.