Jan. 2, 2003

CHICAGO, Ill. - U.S. Women's National Team head coach April Heinrichs has named four former Santa Clara Broncos among the 26 players who will train in San Diego, Calif., with the hopes of making two rosters; the first to face Japan on Jan. 12 at Torero Stadium (1 p.m. PT on ESPN) and the second to travel to China for the prestigious Four Nations Tournament featuring the top four teams in the world.

Tickets ranging in price from $20 to $35 are on sale now at all Southern California Ticketmaster outlets (including Robinson's-May and Wherehouse Music), by phone at 619-220-8497 and on-line at www.ussoccer.com. All $40 and $45 seats are sold out. Additionally, less than 50 VIP field-level seats at $150, where ticket holders get to keep their chair, are still available. The USA vs. Japan match will be the first of approximately 12 games the USA will play before the 2003 Women's World Cup, which runs from September 23-October 11.

The U.S. team will arrive in San Diego on Jan. 9, face Japan three days later, train for three more days and then depart for the Far East on Jan. 16. The USA, Norway, Germany and Women's World Cup host China will clash in a series of three doubleheaders in three Chinese cities, spread over three provinces in the southwest region of the country.

The Four Nations Tournament begins on Jan. 23 in Yiwu, as China faces Germany and the USA takes on Norway. The teams will move to Women's World Cup venue Wuhan for the Jan. 26 matches that feature Germany vs. Norway and the USA vs. China. The blockbuster tournament will finish on Jan. 29 in Shanghai, site of the 2003 Women's World Cup Final, as the USA takes on Germany and China faces Norway. All the matches will be broadcast on TV nationally within China.

The roster includes 20 WUSA professionals, five college players and one high school player, all looking to get, or keep, themselves in the running for a spot on the 2003 Women's World Cup Team. The 26 players span several generations of U.S. women, with nine players having 80 or more caps and 15 with 33 or less caps (including nine players in single digits).

Heinrichs named Aly Wagner, the 2002 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner for Santa Clara University, and her midfield partner for the Broncos, Devvyn Hawkins. Both were All-Americans during their senior season this fall. Defender Cat Reddick, a First-Team All-American as a junior at North Carolina and one of the most experienced of the youngsters with 33 caps, including 11 starts in 2002, rounds out the non-professionals.

The roster includes 10 players who were members of the 1999 Women's World Cup Team and are looking for a return trip next September in China: Briana Scurry (Atlanta Beat), Brandi Chastain (San Jose CyberRays), Lorrie Fair (Philadelphia Charge), Joy Fawcett (San Diego Spirit), Shannon MacMillan (Spirit), Tiffeny Milbrett (New York Power), Cindy Parlow (Beat), Christie Pearce (Power), Tiffany Roberts (Carolina Courage) and Kate Sobrero (Boston Breakers).

Veterans Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Julie Foudy are taking January off to rest and prepare for the busy national team schedule leading up to the Women's World Cup.

Milbrett, who tied a U.S. record with five goals in a match against Panama at the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup last November, is just five goals away from hitting the magical 100-goal mark, an achievement previously reached by just four players in international soccer history, two of them Americans (Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers) and two Italians (Carolina Morace and Elisabetta Vignotto).

Heinrichs also named eight young professionals who have never before competed in a world championship event. Jena Kluegel (Breakers) leads that group in experience with 20 caps, but it also includes Angela Hucles (Breakers), Jenny Benson (Charge), Kylie Bivens (Beat), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom), Heather Mitts (Charge), LaKeysia Beene (CyberRays) and Jaime Pagliarulo (Spirit).

The four goalkeepers called in - Scurry, Mullinix, Beene and Pagliarulo - have all established themselves as top players at their position in the WUSA. Scurry, the most capped goalkeeper in U.S. history with 111, is looking to regain the starting spot she held from 1994-'99, but Mullinx (the 2000 Olympic starter), Beene (the starter for most of the last two years and the 2001 WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year), and Pagliarulo, are all looking to stake a claim between the posts.

Head Coach: April Heinrichs (Charlottesville, Va.)
Asst. Coach: Bill Palladino (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
GK Coach: Phil Wheddon (Monroe, Ct.)