Vicky Jepson spent ten months preparing players for a World Cup. Some of them are not going, because their clubs will not let them.
The United States squad for the U20 Women’s World Cup has not been settled on the pitch alone.
Jepson has named the 21 players who will travel to Poland, and confirmed that others she had been working with for months cannot go because their clubs declined to release them.
“I’ve worked with players for ten months and prepared them for a World Cup, and they’re not being released,” the head coach said.
Jepson said several players wanted to represent their country, but that the federation could not compel their clubs to let them go. She did not name the players or the clubs that turned the requests down.
Three senior internationals are missing
The squad also leaves out Claire Hutton, Lily Yohannes and Jordyn Bugg. All three were born after 1 January 2006, so all three met the age requirement, and all three have already played for the senior national team.
Hutton is at Bay FC, Yohannes at OL Lyonnes and Bugg at Seattle Reign. All three were called up for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup.
Hutton’s absence stands out because Emma Hayes had publicly argued for her to play in this tournament. In November 2025 the senior head coach said she wanted to see Hutton at the U20 World Cup, for the experience it would give her ahead of the senior World Cup in Brazil in 2027.
US Soccer has not, however, explained the absences of Hutton, Yohannes and Bugg individually. Nor has it confirmed that they are among the players Jepson meant when she spoke about clubs refusing to release footballers. The two things sit side by side in this squad announcement, but they cannot be joined without that confirmation.
Eight professionals and thirteen college players
The United States travel with eight NWSL players and thirteen from the college game.
The professionals include Kennedy Fuller and Ainsley McCammon, of Bay FC and Seattle Reign, along with Linda Ullmark. The Houston Dash midfielder is the most prolific international scorer in the squad, with six goals in seven appearances at under-20 level.
Goalkeeper Evan O’Steen and Fuller were named best goalkeeper and second-highest scorer respectively at the 2024 U17 World Cup. Emeri Adames started all seven matches at that year’s U20 World Cup and finished the tournament with four assists.
Ten of the squad have already played at a U17 or U20 World Cup. For the other eleven, Poland will be a first.
Nine of the players were born in 2006, seven in 2007 and five in 2008. That last group will still be eligible for the 2028 U20 World Cup.
The United States squad
Goalkeepers: Caroline Birkel (Stanford), Evan O’Steen (Seattle Reign) and Kealey Titmuss (Penn State).
Defenders: Aven Alvarez (North Carolina), Ella Bard (Louisville), Lizzie Boamah (Stanford), Pearl Cecil (Virginia), Emma Johnson (Penn State), Hope Munson (North Carolina) and Katie Scott (Kansas City Current).
Midfielders: Kennedy Fuller (Bay FC), Lily Joseph (Notre Dame), Ainsley McCammon (Seattle Reign), Y-Lan Nguyen (Stanford), Nyanya Touray (Florida State) and Linda Ullmark (Houston Dash).
Forwards: Emeri Adames (Seattle Reign), Alex Buck (Washington), Micayla Johnson (Chicago Stars), Audrey McKeen (Racing Louisville) and Sealey Strawn (North Carolina).
The United States open against Italy on 6 September. Three days later they meet Japan, runners-up in 2024 and current Asian champions, and they close Group D against New Zealand on 12 September.
The United States finished third at the last U20 World Cup. In Poland they will try to better that with a squad already shaped by decisions taken before the tournament began.
