A week out from the US Women's National Team's first game after the surprising dismissal of Head Coach Tom Sermanni, interim coach Jill Ellis has announced her roster of 22 for the team's May 8th friendly with Canada. And while every member of the roster is certainly thrilled about the opportunity to represent their country, the moment must be especially sweet for first-time call up Nikki Marshall.
Marshall, a 25-year-old defender, has been a standout this season for the Portland Thorns FC, holding down the backline for a defense that has only given up 2 goals in a 2-0-1 start to their defense of the 2013 National Women's Soccer League championship. A native of Colorado and graduate of the University of Colorado-Boulder where she is the team's all-time leading scorer, Marshall has started 25 consecutive matches for Portland and is a veteran of the United States' U-20 and U-23 teams.
Marshall described the call-up as both the ultimate goal and nerve racking and credited her coach and teammates from the Thorns with enabling her to play the best soccer of her life. Her stellar play clearly caught the eye of Ellis as she and her staff scouted the NWSL this spring. The league-champion Thorns should be well-represented in the game, with Marshall joined by teammate Allie Long (midfielder) on the US roster, while forward Christine Sinclair was called up by the opposition.
The call-up must be sweet vindication for Marshall who was contemplating the end of her soccer career as recently as last fall. The18 will certainly be rooting for our hometown hero to earn her first cap and make the call-up stick.
