CHICAGO -- Penn State women's soccer alumni Ali Krieger and Alyssa Naeher were named to the final roster representing the United States at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, head coach Jill Ellis announced Tuesday. The pair is two of 23 players selected to the squad competing in Canada from June 6 to July 5.
The newly-named squad will play three a three-match Send-Off Series in May before departing for Canada. The United States faces the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, May 10 at 11:30 a.m. (PT) at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., Mexico on Sun., May 17 at 6 p.m. at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and Korea Republic on Sat., May 30 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
At the Women's World Cup, the United States is in Group D with Australia, Sweden and Nigeria. The team kicks off competition against Australia on June 8 at Winnipeg Stadium, then plays Sweden on June 12 in Winnipeg and Nigeria on June 16 at BC Place in Vancouver.
Krieger has been a member of the United States Women's National Team since 2008. She will make her second World Cup appearance after being one of four U.S. players to spend every minute of the 2011 Women's World Cup on the pitch. At the tournament, she converted the fifth and final penalty kick in a dramatic quarterfinal shootout victory over Brazil and added a pair of assists. Her only WNT goal came in a 5-0 win over China PR at the 2013 Algarve Cup. In the tournament's 2015 edition, her three starts on the backline helped the United States to its 10th Algarve title. A two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American, Krieger is one of five Penn State women's soccer alumni competing for the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Naeher, a three-time NSCAA All-American at Penn State, earned her first cap with the Women's National team at the International Tournament of Brasilia in 2014. She has trained with the senior team since 2009, and helped the U.S. U-20 women's national team win the 2008 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she won the Golden Glove as the tournament's best goalkeeper. Naeher is the youngest keeper on the roster, and is expected to back up Ashlyn Harris and Hope Solo. The 2014 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year is the starting keeper for the Boston Breakers.
Naeher joins Krieger, Carmelina Moscata and Erin McLeod as the only Nittany Lions to don her country's colors at the international tournament. Moscata and McLeod represented Canada at the 2003 and 2011 Women's World Cup, and McLeod also appeared with the Canadian team at the 2007 Women's World Cup.