A trio of injuries in the USWNT midfielder have sidelined Heath, as well as her Portland Thorns teammates Lindsey Horan and Morgan Brian. None of the three will be available for this month’s two friendly matches against Russia.
Manager Jill Ellis decided to go with youth in her replacement choices in 16-year-old Sophia Smith and 17-year-old Jaelin Howell.
Smith has most recently been training with the Under-23 team in Portland, as the squad was participating in a preseason tournament the Thorns were hosting. She has experience playing for various teams in the USWNT program, including scoring four goals in three matches in a tournament in Spain for the Under-20 team.