Carli Lloyd on U.S. women's roster for match against Canada

U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd battles a Scottish player during a February friendly.

Scott Bales/Icon SMI

Carli Lloyd will make her first appearance with the U.S. women's soccer team since breaking her left shoulder in a June 2 exhibition against Canada.

Lloyd was among 21 players on the roster released Tuesday by coach Tom Sermanni. The sold-out game in Toronto will be a rematch of last summer's contentious semifinal at the London Olympics, which the U.S. won 4-3 in extra time. The Canadians were furious their goalkeeper was called for holding the ball too long, a violation often committed but rarely enforced, starting a sequence that led to the Americans' tying goal late in the game.

The U.S. went on to beat Japan 2-1 for its third straight gold medal, with Lloyd scoring both goals.

"It's always an important match when you play a neighbor,'' Sermanni said. "And with the strong contingent of Canadian players in the new league and how close the competition has become between the two countries over the past few years, there's an intensity about this game far greater than a typical international friendly.''

Lloyd hasn't played for the Americans since she broke a bone in her left shoulder at the Algarve Cup in mid-March. She was cleared to play May 9 and appeared as a substitute for the Western New York Flash two days later.

Goalkeeper Jill Loyden, who was hurt as well at the Algarve Cup, also will be available. Hope Solo will join the team in Canada, but Sermanni said the world's top goalkeeper is still a month away from being ready to play after wrist surgery in early March.

"Hope's rehabilitation has been progressing well, but we want to make sure she doesn't jump back into competition prematurely,'' Sermanni said. "The week in Canada seemed like the perfect time to give our medical staff and our goalkeeper coach, Paul Rogers, the chance to gauge her progress. Then we can take the appropriate steps to make a plan for her return to action.''

The Americans also will be without Megan Rapinoe, whose club team Olympique Lyonnais has a chance to add two more major titles to its French league crown. Lyonnais goes for its third straight UEFA Women's Championship League title when it plays Wolfsburg on Thursday in London, then faces Saint-Etienne in the French Cup final June 9.

"Megan has two big matches coming up and we thought it best for all involved for her to stay in France to properly recover from the first and prepare for the second without that international travel mixed in between,'' Sermanni said.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart (Kansas City), Ashlyn Harris (Washington), Jill Loyden (Sky Blue)

Defenders: Rachel Buehler (Portland), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina), Whitney Engen (Liverpool, England), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara), Ali Krieger (Washington), Kelley O'Hara (Sky Blue), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue), Becky Sauerbrunn (Kansas City)

Midfielders: Amber Brooks (Bayern Munich, Germany), Lauren Cheney (Kansas City), Tobin Heath (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Carli Lloyd (Western New York), Kristie Mewis (Kansas City), Heather O'Reilly (Boston)

Forwards: Sydney Leroux (Boston), Alex Morgan (Portland), Christen Press (Tyreso, Sweden), Abby Wambach (Western New York)