Five Alums in World Cup

Five former Stanford soccer players have made the final rosters for the Women’s World Cup, which will be played in Canada beginning June 6.

In addition to the United States national team’s Kelley O’Hara ’10 and Christen Press ‘11, the Cardinal will be represented by New Zealand’s Ali Riley ’10, and Mexico’s Alina Garciamendez ’13 and Teresa Noyola ’12.

The rosters became official on Monday and Stanford’s streak of representatives in the World Cup extends to seven such tournaments. Julie Foudy ’93 was the first, as an undergraduate in 1991. The total increases to eight, with Press making her first appearance.

This will be Riley’s third World Cup, and the second for O’Hara, Garciamendez, and Noyola. All five were members of the Stanford’s NCAA runner-up team in 2009.

The U.S. will play in four-team Group D along with Australia, Nigeria, and Sweden. The U.S opens the tournament on June 8 against Australia in Winnipeg.

New Zealand plays in Group A with Canada, China, and the Netherlands. The Football Ferns open with June 6 in Edmonton against the Netherlands in the nightcap to the tournament-opening doubleheader at Commonwealth Stadium.

Mexico plays in Group F with Colombia, England, and France. El Tri opens June 9 against Colombia in Moncton.

Look for a full preview involving the Stanford alums, their teams, schedule, and TV schedule soon on GoStanford.com.