USWNT and their Mothers Celebrate a 3-0 Win Over Ireland

The U.S. Women’s National team triumphed over the Republic of Ireland with a 3-0 win on Mother's Day. To make the victory even sweeter, the team was surprised by a visit from their mothers during the team dinner the night before, and had the privilege of walking out to the field together. This was the first game of the three-game Send-off Series heading to the 2015 FIFA World Cup.

Fox Sports Sends Mothers Out for a Mother's Day Surprise
In celebration of Mother’s Day, Fox Sports flew all of the players' mothers out for a surprise dinner. At the game each member of the team, including head coach Jill Ellis, entered the field hand-in-hand with their mothers, and all stood together for the National Anthem. The mothers then took to the stands among the 18,000 fans at Avaya Stadium in San Jose to watch the USWNT beat Ireland. For some of these players who are constantly traveling for their club teams, this was the first time in years that they were able to spend Mother's Day with their moms.

Wambach Changes the Forwards Recent Reputation
The USWNT forwards have struggled to find the back of the net in recent games. To turn the tide, Abby Wambach scored two of the three goals, one right after another,  a huge improvement for the front line. Christen Press assisted the first, and Carli Lloyd assisted the second with a ball to the far post that Wambach headed into the right corner. Defender Julie Johnston scored the third goal of the game, and the third goal of her international career.

Many Reasons to Celebrate for Rapinoe
As well as celebrating Mother’s Day, Megan Rapinoe celebrated her 100th cap with the national team. She started the game as the team captain, and was recognized beforehand for her accomplishment. Normally players receive a Rolex watch in celebration of their achievements, however, Rapinoe requested that the money be given to charity instead.

Coming Soon: The USWNT will play against Mexico at the StubHub Center in Carson, California for the second game of the Send-off Series. Set a reminder to catch the game on May 17 at 6 p.m. on Fox Sports 1 or Univision Deportes. Hopefully, they follow in the steps of the USMNT who recently beat Mexico. 

Photos courtesy of U.S. Soccer. 

Nike+ Training Club is Continued by Defender Ali Krieger

U.S. Women’s National Team defender, Ali Krieger, continues the Nike+ Training Club 90-Day "Better For It" Challenge after Christen Press kicked off the program in April. For this second installment, Nike & Krieger collaborated on her "Summer Strong" workout which incorporates strengthening and balance drills crucial for a defender at her level.

Broken Leg Leads to Much More
Almost 10 years ago, when Krieger was a 20-year old defender at Penn State, her soccer career suffered a major setback when she broke her leg late in the season. During her recovery time she noticed she was having trouble breathing, and a hospital visit later revealed she had blood clots in her lungs which led to a pulmonary embolism and a series of minor heart attacks. Krieger survived the life-threatening ordeal and went on to have an incredible senior year at Penn State. This struggle motivated Krieger as she looked towards her future as a soccer player:

“It was a second chance... It put my career in perspective. I then knew exactly what I wanted to do. It really pushed me to want to get better, get back out on the field and reach for my goals and dreams.”

Not Back in it For Long
Krieger's motivation and push to improve brought her far, and she became a real force in the back line for the U.S. Women's National Team. However, in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics, Krieger suffered another devastating setback when she tore her ACL and MCL in her right knee. Although she was unable to compete for a medal, she continued to cheer on the team throughout the recovery process. Krieger loved the game too much to allow this injury to hold her back once again. She credits her dad with having  a big impact on her persistent and optimistic attitude:

“What my dad always taught me is to control what I’m able to control, and that’s two things: my work ethic and my attitude. And I’ve tried to carry that throughout my whole career.”

Prepare for Summer with Krieger's Workout 
The workout inspired by Krieger isn't just for elite athletes.  It includes a wide variety of exercises for people at all levels of athletic capability. The workouts are focused around what skills are crucial for a defender to perform at the highest level on the field: positioning, footwork, and timing. A small sampling of the workout includes: touchdowns, single leg dead lifts, lunges, and push ups. Download Krieger's Summer Strong Workout now on the Nike+ Training Club app and get ready to train through those long and hot summer days. 

Images & Video Courtesy of Nike and US Soccer.

Nike Goes Bold For USWNT Home Kit & Footwear Pack

The Women's National Team will be sporting a bold and streamlined kit at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. For the first time ever, Nike has created a top-to-bottom, jersey-to-cleat look for the WNT. The full kit is primarily white with black and volt accents.

Exclusive Launch in Las Angeles
The new kit was celebrated on April 22nd with an invitation-only release party featuring Alex Morgan, Sydney Leroux, and Tobin Heath. The women modeled the home kit, cleat pack, training suit, and after game “press look.” They also did a Q&A sharing their thoughts on the new home kit and the full Nike Women's National Team collection which includes jackets, shinguards, training tops, pants, and more. Alex Morgan expressed an enthusiastic opinion about the new kits:

“I was really excited when I first saw the new jersey. It is super clean and different than jerseys we have worn in the past. It really stands out as it is the first time we have had something from top to bottom with the jersey going through to the socks and connecting with the cleats. It is clean and simple and tells a story.”

The launch was made on Earth Day, emphasizing Nike’s latest environmental dedication to reducing waste while making quality products. All Nike national team jerseys are composed of a polyester made from recycled plastic water bottles, which prevents 18 bottles per uniform from being dumped in landfills.

American Idol Appearance
Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan appeared on American Idol after the launch to further promote the new home kit. The two star forwards gave Ryan Seacrest his own personalized jersey, since the USWNT home jersey (with two stars above the crest) will available in men’s sizes for the first time ever. They also announced that the winner of American Idol will be recording the official song for Fox’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup.

Jersey
Both the jersey and shorts are featured in a super clean white with black lines running down the sides to accentuate a player's movement. There are two stars above the U.S. Soccer Federation Crest signifying the two FIFA Women’s World Cup victories in 1991 and 1999. In a nod to patriotic symbolism, the jersey sports a blue triangular pennant design with 13 white stars on the inside of the back neck, referencing the American flag and the original 13 colonies. The socks shake up the clean and classic design- the color transitions from white to Volt yellow to draw spectators' eyes to the feet and ball. The sock then blends into the Volt yellow accents featured on the upper portion of the new Women's World Cup boot pack.

Cleats
For the first time, Nike has created a women’s-specific footwear collection for the World Cup. The Women's Pack comes in all four Nike silos: Mercurial, Magista, Hypervenom, and Tiempo. Alex Morgan will be debuting the new Hypervenom II with a dynamic fit collar before the World Cup. The cleat was specifically designed for the WNT to wear in Canada during the World Cup, as it creates a cohesive head-to-toe look with the new home kit. The bold Blue Lagoon and Volt colorway is a reference to the lakes of Canada. This is also the first time Nike has created an entirely integrated look with the socks blending into the colorway of the cleats. 

In The Shop: The USWNT home jersey will be available in women's sizes. The away jersey is available in men's, women's and youth sizes.

Images courtesy of Nike.

USWNT: 2015 Women's FIFA World Cup 23-Woman Roster Announced

Fans and players are counting down the days until the start of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup on June 8th in Canada. With less than 50 days until the first game, USWNT head coach Jill Ellis has released her final 23-player roster. The official list will be submitted to FIFA on May 25th, but no changes are anticipated to this roster filled with depth, versatility and balance.

Balance of New and Old
The roster features a mix of both rookie and returning players, giving the team a combination of skill and experience, with a multitude of highly motivated players hoping to make an impact. The captain, Christie Rampone, will be playing in her fifth Women’s World Cup. Five members of the roster have played in at least two, including Shannon Boxx and Hope Solo. For many, it will be their second tournament, and eight players will experience their first World Cup this summer. However, the honor of being chosen for the team does not diminish over the years,  as Hope Solo stated after the roster announcement:

“It’s funny, because I am a veteran now and it’s my third World Cup, but still, when the roster was set, when Jill called me up and said ‘Congratulations, you’ve made the World Cup roster,’ I still felt emotional, happy, filled with joy and proud."

Versatile and Agile Players 
Every player on the talented roster has unique skill sets, which Ellis can utilize in a variety of ways throughout the tournament. The roster includes five forwards, each with their own strengths. Abby Wambach has tremendous finishing abilities in the penalty box, Alex Morgan has speed, and Sydney Leroux plays with a daring mindset. Ellis also chose players skilled in multiple positions so she has the privilege to move them around as needed. Meghan Klingenberg, Kelley O’Hara and Lori Chalupny are all outside backs that have the ability to play on either flank. Midfielders Morgan Brian and Lauren Holiday are completely at home in both defensive and attacking roles. With this much depth and versatility, Jill Ellis will (fortunately) have her hands full when fielding a championship team.

To see the detailed roster visit US Soccer here.

Mark your calendars: The USWNT plays their first World Cup match on June 8th, 2015 against Australia. This roster will also be playing in the three "Send-Off Series" games in May.