Former defender Kate Markgraf has been named general manager of the U.S. women’s national team, U.S. Soccer announced on Monday.
Markgraf will oversee the search for a coach to replace Jill Ellis, who is leaving the team in October. Ellis is stepping away from the job after leading the United States to back-to-back Women’s World Cup titles.
The federation also announced that the general manager for the men’s national team, Earnie Stewart, has been promoted to the new position of sporting director, overseeing U.S. Soccer’s Sports Performance Department.
Markgraf appeared in 201 games during a playing career that spanned 12 years. She was a starter on the 1999 team that won the World Cup at the Rose Bowl, and also was part of the 2003 and 2007 World Cup teams. She played on three Olympic teams.
Markgraf, 42, played club soccer for the Boston Breakers of the WUSA and the Chicago Red Stars of WPS.
Federation president Carlos Cordeiro said Markgraf will also spearhead planning leading up to a possible U.S. bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup — a year after the men’s World Cup in North America.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Two-time major champion Svetlanta Kuznetosva has moved into the main draw of the U.S. Open after Dominika Cibulkova withdrew because of an injured left foot.
Mackenzie McDonald also has pulled out of the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, citing ongoing recovery from a hurt hamstring. He will be replaced in the field by Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Kuznetsova won the U.S. Open in 2004 and the French Open in 2009. She becomes the seventh past champion at Flushing Meadows to enter the field for women’s singles this year.
GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Norway’s Suzann Pettersen was given a Solheim Cup wild card Monday despite having played just two tournaments since November 2017.
Pettersen will make her ninth appearance in the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles next month. She was originally appointed one of European captain Catriona Matthew’s vice-captains.
“I was honored to be a vice-captain but I would much rather play,” the 38-year-old Pettersen said.
Matthew also gave wild cards to France’s Celine Boutier and English pair Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff to complete the 12-strong team which will try to avoid a third straight defeat to the United States.
The Americans have dominated the Solheim Cup, winning 10 out of 15 editions, but Europe has won both times the event has been staged in Scotland, at Dalmahoy in 1992 and Loch Lomond in 2000.
Pettersen, a two-time major winner, took time off in 2018 to have a baby. She only returned to action last month, partnering Matthew in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Michigan where they missed the cut.
“It’s been a different role for me the last two years,” Pettersen said. “My life has changed a lot, for the better, but I’ve missed golf and am very happy to be back in competition … It’s a massive honor for me to be here and I can’t wait, this is what I love. I feel like I was born for this.”
The eight automatic qualifiers for the Europe team — Anne Van Dam, Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Carlota Ciganda, Caroline Hedwall, Azahara Munoz, Caroline Masson and Anna Nordqvist — were finalized after last week’s Scottish Open.
U.S. captain Juli Inskter is set to name her team at the end of the month.
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