San Francisco welcomes first women's international

• by Soccer America , Oct 27, 2013

[USA-NEW ZEALAND] The U.S. women's national team will play its first game ever in San Francisco when it hosts New Zealand Sunday at Candlestick Park in the first of a two-game series. The second game will be played Wednesday at Columbus Crew Stadium.

The USA is unbeaten in 2013 with a 11-0-2 record and is riding a 36-game unbeaten streak. Its last loss was a 1-0 defeat to Japan on March 5, 2012, at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. The USA is also riding a 74-game home unbeaten streak, including 65 wins and just nine ties.

The USA last played New Zealand in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Olympics when it won, 2-0, on goals by Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux.

Sunday's game will be a homecoming of sorts for players on both teams. Americans Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler and Christen Press played at nearby Stanford, while Alex Morgan played at Cal. New Zealand's Ali Riley also played at Stanford.

New Zealand's squad includes four U.S. collegians, including Rosie White of No. 2 UCLA.

U.S. Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (4): 18-Nicole Barnhart (FC Kansas City), 28-Adrianna Franch (WNY Flash), 21-Jill Loyden (Sky Blue FC), 1-Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
DEFENDERS (8): 16-Rachel Buehler (Portland Thorns FC), 14-Whitney Engen (Tyresö), 22-Meghan Klingenberg (Tyresö), 11-Ali Krieger (Tyresö), 8-Kristie Mewis (FC Kansas City), 3-Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), 26-Leigh Ann Robinson (FC Kansas City), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 7-Yael Averbuch (Göteborg), 12-Lauren Holiday (FC Kansas City), 10-Carli Lloyd (WNY Flash), 9-Heather O'Reilly (Boston Breakers), 15-Megan Rapinoe (Lyon)
FORWARDS (4): 2-Sydney Leroux (Boston Breakers), 13-Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns FC), 23-Christen Press (Tyresö), 20-Abby Wambach (WNY Flash)

New Zealand Roster:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jenny Bindon (Hibiscus Coast), Erin Nayler (Eastern Suburbs)
DEFENDERS (8): Abby Erceg (Jena), Anna Green (Eastern Suburbs), Megan Lee (LSU), Elizabeth Milne (Glenfield Rovers), Meikayla Moore (Coastal Spirit), Ria Percival (Jena), Ali Riley (Malmo), Rebekah Stott (Melbourne Victory)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Betsy Hassett (Unattached), Katie Hoyle (Melbourne Victory), Annalie Longo (Three Kings United), Kirsty Yallop (Vittsjo)
FORWARDS (6): Hellen Collins (Claudelands Rovers), Sarah Gregorius (Liverpool), Stephanie Skilton (Syracuse Univ.), Amber Hearn (Jena), Rosie White (UCLA), Hannah Wilkinson (Univ. of Tennessee).