U.S. soccer legend Carli Lloyd is enjoying her retirement, but despite the New Jersey native not being on the pitch at the 2023 World Cup, there are still some players with Philadelphia-area ties to watch in Australia and New Zealand.
Let's start with two other Garden State natives on the USWNT and two other soccer stars with ties to Pennsylvania:
Alana Cook - Defender ⚽
A native of Fair Hills, New Jersey, Cook is making her first World Cup appearance.
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Julie Ertz - Midfielder ⚽
Ertz isn't from Philly, but she and her husband, Zach Ertz, were taken in as Philadelphians when Zach played for the Eagles. Ertz is on her third World Cup roster.
Casey Murphy - Goalkeeper ⚽
Murphy - a native of Bridgewater, New Jersey -- just like Lloyd starred at Rutgers University. This is her first World Cup.
Alyssa Naeher - Goalkeeper ⚽
Naeher -- now on her third World Cup team -- hails from Connecticut, but attended college at Penn State.
Cook, Ertz, Murphy, Naeher and the rest of the two-time defending FIFA Women's World Cup champions begin their title defense against Vietnam on Friday at 9 p.m. ET. Go USA!
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