Dr. Roger Chams of the Chicago Red Stars and Illinois Bone and Joint Institute commends 4 Red Star players on being named to the 23-player squad for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. Midfielder Julie Ertz, Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, Defender Tierna Davidson, and Midfielder Morgan Brian were named to the 23-player roster by head coach Jill Ellis ahead of the tournament, which began on June 7th. The United States are the defending champions after defeating Korea 5-2 in the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, and started the 2019 tournament by defeating Thailand 13-0 on June 11th.
Julie Ertz, Midfielder
Julie Ertz has been a key member of both the Red Stars and USWNT in past years, making 72 appearances for the Red Stars since 2014. Ertz has also amassed 81 appearances for the USWNT while scoring 18 goals and registering 2 assists. The defender turned midfielder has Women’s World Cup experience as well, as she was on the team which beat Korea in the 2015 Final in Canada. In 2017, Ertz was named United States Women’s player of the year for her dedication and strong season. On top of a decorated soccer career, Julie and her husband Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles have started the Ertz Family Foundation, in which they work to provide educational and athletic opportunities for underprivileged youth while building communities for families in need.
Alyssa Naeher, Goalkeeper
Alyssa Naeher has been a cornerstone shot stopper for the Red Stars since 2016. She has collected 20 clean sheets in 63 appearances since joining the team. Naeher was also on the 2015 roster which defeated Korea at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. On top of her outstanding club career, at the international level Naeher has accumulated 45 appearances while keeping 24 clean sheets. She has won numerous awards since graduating from Penn State in 2009, including CONCACAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2018 and NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2014. The 31 year old hopes to help the team win back-to-back Women’s World Cups.
Tierna Davidson, Defender
20 year-old Tierna Davidson is the youngest player to be named to the USWNT roster for the Women’s World Cup after skipping her senior season at Stanford to go pro and focus on her World Cup dreams. Davidson is only in her first season for the Chicago Red Stars after being selected 1st overall in the 2019 NWSL College Draft. Though younger than the rest of her team, Davidson has already made 20 appearances for the USWNT while scoring 1 time and assisting 3 times as a defender. In 2017, Davidson was not only Pac-12 Defender of the Year, but she was also named as the College Cup’s Defender of the Tournament as Stanford won the Division 1 National Championship. This creative defenseman looks to make waves for the USWNT at her 1st Women’s World Cup.
Morgan Brian, Midfielder
Morgan Brian has been a key member of the Red Stars since joining last year, while making 10 appearances. At 22 years of age, Brian was the youngest USWNT player at the 2015 Women’s World Cup after graduating from Virginia a year prior. At Virginia, Brian won the Hermann Trophy in both her junior and senior seasons, awarded to the most outstanding male and female college soccer players. Since her first cap in 2013, Brian has earned 82 caps for the USWNT while registering 6 goals and 11 assists. Still only 26 years old, the midfielder will have eyes on capturing a second Women’s World Cup trophy as she joins the talented group in France 2019.
About Dr. Chams – Orthopedic Surgeon Near You
Dr. Roger Chams is the proud Medical Director of the Chicago Red Stars, specializing in shoulder, knee, and other sports related injuries while having performed over 20,000 arthroscopic surgeries and multiple full knee or shoulder operations. Dr. Chams has helped hundreds of patients get back to living life freely along with helping athletes stay on top of their game and recover from a variety of sports injuries. Dr. Chams also applies his expertise as the Team Physician for the US Soccer Federation, Lake Forest College, and multiple local teams. If you are in need of comprehensive orthopedic care in the Chicago area, please contact us today.
