Carli Lloyd will make her final two USWNT appearances against the Korea Republic. (Photo courtesy of NJ Youth Soccer)

CHICAGO – U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski has named a 21-player training camp roster for the upcoming matches against Korea Republic that will mark the final appearances for legend Carli Lloyd in a U.S. uniform.

The USA will take on Korea Republic Thursday, Oct. 21, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas (8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and TUDN) and then will travel to St. Paul, Minnesota to complete that two-game series at Allianz Field on Tuesday, Oct. 26 (7:30 p.m. ET pre-game on FS1 and 8 p.m. ET on TUDN).

The USWNT begins training camp on Oct. 18 in Andonovski’s home area of Kansas City to prepare for its final domestic matches of the year. The match in Kansas City also represents a homecoming of sorts for U.S. goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, who hails from Salina, Kansas and plays in the National Women’s Soccer League with Kansas City. A 2019 World Cup champion and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, Franch is the only player from Kansas to ever make a world championship roster for the USA.

The trip to Minnesota also marks a return to the roots of the USWNT program. The USWNT played its first nine domestic games in Blaine, Minnesota over 1986 (two games), 1987 (four games) and 1990 (three games) at what was then the Blaine Soccer Complex and later the National Sports Center.

Before the game in Kansas City, midfielder Lindsey Horan will be honored for reaching 100 caps. Horan, 27, is the 41st USWNT player to earn that distinction. The Colorado native earned her 100th cap during the Olympics on July 24 in a 6-1 victory against New Zealand, a match in which she scored her 23rd international goal.

The roster features 17 players from the bronze medal-winning 2020 Olympic Team, plus four additions in forwards Mallory Pugh and Sophia Smith, midfielder Andi Sullivan and defender Emily Fox. Pugh, Sullivan and Smith were on the roster for the USA’s two wins over Paraguay in September (with Sullivan and Smith scoring their first international goals during that series) while Fox was named to her first roster since matches against Colombia in January at which she earned her fourth cap. Fox also participated in training camp prior to the start of the 2021 SheBelieves Cup.

Forward Megan Rapinoe returns to the roster after missing the September games due to injury, and while goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and midfielders Samantha Mewis and Julie Ertz will join the camp, they are not yet ready to play as they continue to rehab from injuries. Forward Christen Press and defender Crystal Dunn opted out of the matches.

“It’s been a stressful few weeks for the players and staff and the well-being of our players has and always will come first,” Andonovski said. “We always want to keep improving and evolving as a team, win every game we play, and put on a good show for the fans, but during this camp we will really focus on a few basic things – continuing to support each other while getting to do what we love on the field, and of course, giving Carli Lloyd the send-off she deserves.”

The roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 6), Adrianna Franch (Kansas City NWSL; 9)

DEFENDERS (7): Abby Dahlkemper (Houston Dash; 76/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 41/1), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville; 4/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 36/0), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit; 147/2), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC; 195/0), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit; 60/0)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 104/23), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 64/16), Catarina Macario (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 10/3), Kristie Mewis (Houston Dash; 30/4), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 19/2)

FORWARDS (7): Tobin Heath (Arsenal, ENG; 179/36), Carli Lloyd (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 314/134), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 188/114), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars; 65/18), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign; 185/61), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 8/1), Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage; 42/13)

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.