February 7, 2008

Freedom players Sarah Huffman, Joanna Lohman and Christie Welsh were called into 17-day National Team Camp by new US Coach Pia Sundhage.  The 17-day camp at the Home Depot Center in Carson California is part of preparations for the CONCACAF Olympic Women’s Qualifying Tournament that will be held this April in Mexico.  

Sundhage will evaluate players over the first week and release some players to focus on the remaining group to eventually pick a 20-player roster for the 2008 Algarve Cup, which will be held from March 5-12 in Portugal.  Those called into the camp will be split into two groups, one of veteran National Team players who will focus on fitness and strength training and another larger group made up of mostly younger players.

Joanna Lohman, who was in the World Cup residency camp for the 2007 W-League season, marks her return to the National Team pool as well as Christie Welsh who has played 39 times for the US National Team.  This camp marks Sarah Huffman’s first call up to the senior National Team camp.  Ali Krieger who was a member of the Four Nations Tournament in January was not selected so that she could return to Germany to play with the top German team FFC Frankfurt.