WOMEN: Ryan names 20 U.S. players for Algarve Cup

U.S. womenÆs national team coach Greg Ryan named 20 players who will travel to the Algarve Cup, to be played from March 9-15 in southern Portugal.

This will be the 11th trip to the Algarve Cup for the U.S. women, who have won an unprecedented three straight championships at what has become the worldÆs most competitive womenÆs international event outside of the Women's World Cup, the Olympics and the European Championship.

Ryan named five players who made their first-ever Algarve Cup roster, including Hawaiian Natasha Kai, the only uncapped player. Seventeen of the 20 players on the roster were on the U.S. side that won the Four Nations Tournament in the USAÆs most recent competition.

U.S. ROSTER:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Jenni Branam (2), Hope Solo (3);

DEFENDERS (6): Tina Frimpong (1), Amy LePeilbet (2), Heather Mitts (3), Christie Rampone (6), India Trotter (1), Cat Whitehill (6);

MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx (3), Carli Lloyd (1), Kristine Lilly (9), Marci Miller (1), Leslie Osborne (2), Lindsay Tarpley (4), Aly Wagner (5);

FORWARDS (5): Natasha Kai (1), Heather OÆReilly (4), Amy Rodriguez (2), Abby Wambach (3), Christie Welsh (3). Number of Algarve Cups attended, including 2006, in parenthesis.