U.S. women's team unveils experienced squad for next month's World Cup

Jill Ellis' United States squad will not be short on experience at the upcoming Women's World Cup in France.

The 23-woman roster for June's tournament was announced on Thursday and includes more than half of the players who claimed first place at the 2015 installment, including veterans Ali Krieger and Morgan Brian.

Krieger, 34, and Brian, 26, are two of the more prominent surprises in the 2019 squad. Krieger had been out of the picture for the last two years after featuring at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, while Brian, who was a key part of the midfield in 2015, has been in and out of Ellis' squad of late.

"Selecting a World Cup team is a long process, and I want to thank the players - the ones that made the final team and the ones that didn't - for all of their hard work over the past two-and-a-half years," Ellis said in a statement.

"They all pushed each other in every training session and every game and challenged the coaches to make some tough decisions. These 23 players have been through adversity and success, and it’s a group that has the talent, confidence, experience, and desire to help us win the World Cup."

Allie Long's inclusion at the expense of left-back Casey Short also registers as a minor surprise, with the remainder of Ellis' selections largely expected.

Also included is two-time FIFA Player of the Year Carli Lloyd, who becomes the ninth American named to four or more Women's World Cup squads. Tobin Heath, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Kelley O'Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Krieger will all feature in their third.

Listed below is the full 23-player squad ahead of Group F play against Thailand, Chile, and Sweden (asterisks denote those who've previously been on a World Cup roster):

GK: Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC), Ashlyn Harris* (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher* (Chicago Red Stars)

DF: Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (NC Courage), Ali Krieger* (Orlando Pride), Kelley O’Hara* (Utah Royals FC), Becky Sauerbrunn* (Utah Royals FC), Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC)

MF: Morgan Brian* (Chicago Red Stars), Julie Ertz* (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit), Allie Long (Reign FC), Samantha Mewis (NC Courage)

FW: Tobin Heath* (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd* (Sky Blue FC), Jessica McDonald (NC Courage), Alex Morgan* (Orlando Pride), Christen Press* (Utah Royals FC), Mallory Pugh (Washington Spirit), Megan Rapinoe* (Reign FC)