Hailie Mace will replace Kelley O’Hara on the U.S. women’s national team roster for the pair of September friendlies against Nigeria, the team announced Wednesday.
O’Hara, 34, is dealing with a lingering hip injury, so Mace will slot in for the USWNT veteran.
Mace earns her first call-up since the 2018 Concacaf W Championship, in which she played one match against Panama. The 25-year-old also played in two friendlies in 2018 for three total caps.
The Kansas City Current defender has played close to 1,000 minutes across 12 matches for her NWSL club. The Current are riding an 11-match unbeaten streak and sit two points shy of the top spot in the standings.
📞🆙@hailiemace will be joining @USWNT for their September friendlies 🇺🇸#USWNT x #TealRising📰: https://t.co/BqylrBvWZV pic.twitter.com/hsrZYDDb8Y— KC Current (@thekccurrent) August 24, 2022
📞🆙@hailiemace will be joining @USWNT for their September friendlies 🇺🇸#USWNT x #TealRising📰: https://t.co/BqylrBvWZV pic.twitter.com/hsrZYDDb8Y
Since helping the USWNT to the Concacaf title in July, O’Hara has not missed a minute for the Washington Spirit, playing the full 90 minutes in three matches. The most recent match came on Aug. 10.
The Spirit are in opposite form compared to the Current, as they have not won a match since May 1 and are on a 17-match winless streak. The club fired coach Kris Ward earlier this week and has not yet named an interim coach.
Even with O’Hara’s absence, five Spirit players have spots on the USWNT roster: goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, midfielders Ashley Sanchez and Andi Sullivan and forwards Trinity Rodman and Ashley Hatch.