Following the team’s early exit from the 2016 Olympics Games, U.S. women’s national team head coach Jill Ellis is making good on her promise of testing out new talent — bringing in 11 uncapped players for the next two matches against Switzerland on Oct. 19 and Oct. 23, including Seattle Reign FC’s Merritt Mathias.
Mathias, 26, played in 19 of the 20 games during the 2016 season for Reign FC, starting 17, and logged 1,420 minutes. She made the switch from forward to right back late in the season, and had mixed results. Mathias was one of the best players in Seattle’s 3-1 win over the Portland Thorns in August, but she also gave up two penalties in subsequent matches.