February 1, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Kansas City Current News Release
KANSAS CITY – Kansas City Current goalkeeper Adrianna ‘AD’ Franch was named to the 23-player U.S. Women’s National Team roster by head coach Vlatko Andonovski for the 2023 SheBelieves Cup, Presented by Visa. Franch is one of 22 players who were with the USA for the successful trip to New Zealand in January that featured two wins over the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup cohost Football Ferns.
The 2023 SheBelieves Cup kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 16 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla., as Japan takes on Brazil (3 p.m. CT) and the USA faces Canada (6 p.m. CT). The tournament resumes on Sunday, Feb. 19, as the competition moves to Nashville’s GEODIS Park with the USA playing the first match of the day against Japan (2:30 p.m. CT) and Brazil facing Canada (5:30 p.m. CT) in the nightcap. The tournament concludes on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, with Canada taking on Japan (3 p.m. CT) and the USA facing Brazil in the tournament finale (6 p.m. CT).
All four nations will be participating in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer and all four are ranked in the top 11 in the world with the USA at No. 1, Canada at No. 6, Brazil at No. 9 and Japan at No. 11.
Defender Tierna Davidson, a 2019 Women’s World Cup champion and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, is in the final stages of her recovery from an ACL injury and will participate in the first part of the BioSteel Training Camp in Orlando but will not be on the tournament roster.
“All three of these matches are great opportunities for the players and coaches as we enter the final stretch to choose the World Cup roster,” said Andonovski. “To get to play three top teams, all who are in the World Cup, over seven days, will test our team mentally and physically, and that’s exactly what we need at this point in our preparations. We still have a few players in the pool recovering from injuries, but we are confident that they will be ready for selection for our April matches.”
Forward Alex Morgan, who comes into the SheBelieves Cup with 201 matches played for the USWNT, will be honored before the opening match in Orlando for earning her historic 200th cap, that coming against Germany in the final match of 2022 in Harrison, N.J. Morgan played at Exploria Stadium for the Orlando Pride in the NWSL from 2017-2021.
The SheBelieves Cup, part of U.S. Soccer’s SheBelieves initiative to inspire and empower women and…