LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 30: Emma Hayes Head coach / manager of United States speaks with Emily … [+] Fox of United States during the Women’s international friendly between England and the USA at Wembley Stadium on November 30, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

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The United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes has not selected her European-based players for a January training camp to be held in Los Angeles.

Eight players, including captain Lindsay Horan will be excused the long flight to California in the middle of the European club season. Hayes reasoned that “we want to continue to foster an environment and culture on the National Team that is player-centric and female athlete-centric and helps the players maximize their abilities.”

There are no matches associated with the January training camp which is not being held during a FIFA-designated international window. The United States will play their first matches of 2025 at the She Believes Cup to be staged at the end of February.

PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 10: (L-R) Gold Medalists Trinity Rodman #5, Mallory Swanson #9, Sophia Smith … [+] #11 of Team United States pose for a photo with the medals after the Women’s Football medal ceremony following the Women’s Gold Medal match between Brazil and United States of America during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Parc des Princes on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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There is also no recall for the so-called “Triple Espresso” front line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson. All three were not included in the November squad travelling to Europe as they were dealing with nagging injuries. For now, they continue their off-season rest and recovery.

There were six European-based players – Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Eva Gaetino, Emily Fox, Korbin Albert, Lindsay Horan and Lily Yohannes – included in Hayes’ 24-player squad for the two November games in Europe. None were included by Hayes in her 26-player roster today. The Chelsea pair of Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel, both now fit after long-term injury, were also excused the trip.

After a short winter break, the European season will resume in England and France this week with pivotal club matches for the leading teams in both league and Cup. As the January training camp falls outside a window designated in the FIFA match calendar for international breaks, U.S. Soccer has no right to compel any player to attend.

Arsenal’s Emily Fox played 23 times for the United States during 2024 in addition to 32 appearances for her club side. She has only been rested from one Arsenal match so far this season and faces four games in three competitions over 20 days this month.

Hayes is unbeaten in her 15 matches in charge of the United States, taking them from a team which had lost its world title the previous year and number one position in the women’s game to – within two months – an Olympic Gold, in the process regaining their position at the summit of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings.

The United States ended the year with an impressive 0-0 away to European champions England at Wembley and a 2-1 win away to former European champions, the Netherlands in The Hague. The team go into 2025 unbeaten in 20 matches. Last month Hayes was voted The Best FIFA Women’s Coach for the second time.

DOHA, QATAR – DECEMBER 17: Emma Hayes, Head Coach of United States, poses with her The Best FIFA … [+] Women’s Coach trophy at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel on December 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Karl Bridgeman – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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With no international tournament scheduled this year, the focus for Hayes is preparing the team for an attempt to win a fifth world title in Brazil during 2027. With that in mind a Futures Camp is also being held concurrently with the senior team’s training camp in January.

The head coach has always boasted about being able to pick two national team rosters, such is the depth of the talent pool in the United States. She can now put that into practice as she plans to have days where she will hold training sessions with the senior squad before moving onto to work with the Futures Camp on an adjacent field.

With the home-based players still in their off-season, Hayes will continue with a workload that reflects that. Only one training session is therefore planned on each day. On days off, both the senior team and Futures Camp will take part in classroom sessions led by Hayes.

On the Futures Camp, Hayes said “having positive, growth experiences with the USWNT will help them in their careers and help us build a deeper player pool. I’m really looking forward to getting on the field with these players and the players in the Futures Camp to get in a solid week of training with both groups without having to make adjustments for the impact that a match would have on our loading and training plan. I can’t wait.”