FIFA names five USWNT standouts to 23-player World Cup All-Star squad

FIFA's Technical Study Group has named five from USWNT to its 23-player 2015 Women's World Cup All-Star team

SI Staff | Aug 17, 2015

FIFA names five USWNT standouts to 23-player World Cup All-Star squad /

More than a month later, some of the U.S. women's national team standouts are still reaping the rewards from the 2015 World Cup.

Five Americans–Hope Solo, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe–were named to FIFA's 23-player Women's World Cup All-Star team, a collection chosen by FIFA's Technical Study Group.

The United States, which began its victory tour with an 8-0 win over Costa Rica, supplied the most players of any nation, with each member of the quintet playing vital roles in the World Cup triumph. Solo earned five clean sheets and had a 540-minute shutout streak at one point in the competition. The play of Johnston and Klingenberg front of her was a big reason (so, too, was that of Becky Sauerbrunn and Ali Krieger, who did not make FIFA's top team) for that. It was Klingenberg's goal-line clearance that preserved a 0-0 draw against Sweden in the group stage.

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Rapinoe was a threat in the attack and scored twice in the opening win over Australia, while Lloyd turned it on in the knockout stage. She scored in each of the four elimination games, including a stunning hat trick in the first 16 minutes of the final against Japan to lead the USA to a 5-2 win and capture Golden Ball honors as the tournament's top player.

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FIFA's full 23-player All-Star team is below:

GOALKEEPERS: Nadine Angerer (GER), Karen Bardsley (ENG), Hope Solo (USA)

DEFENDERS: Saori Ariyoshi (JPN), Lucy Bronze (ENG), Kadeisha Buchanan (CAN), Steph Houghton (ENG), Julie Johnston (USA), Meghan Klingenberg (USA), Wendie Renard (FRA)

MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS: Ramona Bachmann (SUI), Lisa De Vanna (AUS), Amandine Henry (FRA), Elise Kellond-Knight (AUS), Eugénie Le Sommer (FRA), Carli Lloyd (USA), Anja Mittag (GER), Aya Miyama (JPN), Megan Rapinoe (USA), Mizuho Sakaguchi (JPN), Celia Sasic (GER), Elodie Thomis (FRA), Rumi Utsugi (JPN).