PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Thorns FC midfielders Tobin Heath and Lindsey Horan and defenders Meghan Klingenberg and Emily Sonnett were named to the 20-player U.S. Women’s National Team roster for the 2016 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship set to take place Feb. 10-21, it was announced today.
Returning to Thorns FC for a fourth season in 2016, Heath played in 12 matches (all starts), tallying a goal and an assist during the 2015 regular season. Heath, who has 107 international caps, helped lead the U.S. Women’s National Team to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup title. She started and played 45 minutes for the United States in its first match of 2016 – a 5-0 win against Ireland on Jan. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Horan, who was allocated to Thorns FC on Jan. 13, 2016 upon completion of Portland’s Oct. 26 trade with the Orlando Pride, will begin her first season with the club in 2016. The Colorado native previously played with French side Paris Saint-Germain from 2012-15, tallying 53 goals in 75 games across all competitions. Horan earned her seventh international cap with the U.S. Women’s National Team, starting and logging 45 minutes, in the United States’ 5-0 win against Ireland.
Klingenberg, who played the last two seasons (2014-15) with the Houston Dash, will begin her first season with Thorns FC in 2016. A 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star selection, Klingenberg appeared in every match for the United States in its run to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup title. Klingenberg started and played 90 minutes in the United States’ 5-0 win against Ireland, earning her 51st international cap.
The first overall selection in the 2016 NWSL College Draft by Thorns FC on Jan.15, Emily Sonnett begins her rookie season with Portland in 2016. During her senior campaign in 2015 at the University of Virginia, Sonnett was a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, a First-Team All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Player of the Year. She earned her fifth cap with the United States in the team’s win over Ireland on Jan. 23
The round-robin tournament features two groups with three doubleheaders in each group with games taking place at Toyota Stadium in Frisco and BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Playing in Group A, the United States will open the tournament on Feb. 10 against Costa Rica and finishes out group play with matches against Mexico (Feb. 13) and Puerto Rico (Feb. 15). All three matches will take place in Frisco at Toyota Stadium. The semifinal matches are slated for Feb. 19 in Houston at BBVA Compass Stadium with the winners qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The championship game on Feb. 21 will also take place in Houston.
