Six months out from the tournament that will determine whether the U.S. women's national team qualifies for the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics, a number of the squad's household names are missing from camp. But, as coach Vlatko Andonovski explains, that's by design.
The U.S. women gather in Austin, Texas, for their annual January camp starting next Wednesday, and while it won't feature any matches, it will still be a proving ground. A post-Olympics transition process that began in the fall will be accelerated in earnest, as a number of younger—and in one significant case, new—players take to the stage.