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Five Utah Royals players are included on allocation list

United States' Becky Sauerbrunn kisses the trophy as Lauren Holiday, left, and Kelley O'Hara, right, look on after the U.S. beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sunday, July 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Utah Royals FC carries five allocated players on its roster heading into preseason, the second-most of any team in the league.

The NWSL released Thursday the list of 34 federation players from the United States (23) and Canada (11) who will participate in the 2018 season. North Carolina Courage carries the most (six), with the Royals trailing them by one player.

The Royals’ allocated players include U.S. women’s national team regulars Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn and Amy Rodriguez and Canada women’s national team mainstays Diana Matheson and Desiree Scott.

O’Hara was named Wednesday to the 26-player preliminary USWNT roster for the SheBelieves Cup from March 1 to 7. Sauerbrunn and Rodriguez were left off due to injury. Sauerbrunn was scratched from January national team camp when her medical evaluation revealed a stress reaction in her left foot. Rodriguez still is recovering from surgery on an ACL tear she suffered in FC Kansas City’s season opener last year.

Matheson and Scott, along with non-allocated player Maegan Kelly, were named Thursday to the 23-player Canada national team roster for the Algarve Cup. Matheson is making her national team comeback after tearing her ACL last season. Kelly has begun to establish herself as a regular call-up after making her national team debut in a friendly against the United States in November.

Allocated player salaries are paid by the federation, not the club.

Royals announce preseason schedule

The Utah Royals’ inaugural preseason camp is scheduled to open Monday in Herriman. The Utah leg of camp includes a scrimmage against BYU on March 3, but the time and place have yet to be determined.

The Royals plan to travel to Los Angeles on March 12 for the second leg of preseason. There they are set to take on UCLA on March 16, but the schedule is subject to change.

UTAH ROYALS FC PRESEASON ROSTER (allocated players in bold)<br>Number, name, position<br>14, Alex Arlitt, DF<br>18, Nicole Barnhart, GK<br>6, Katie Bowen, DF<br>33, Brooke Elby, DF<br>19, Katrina Gorry, MF<br>23, Gunnhildur Jonsdottir, MF<br>44, Maegan Kelly, FW<br>13, Brittany Taylor Kolmel, DF<br>9, Lo’eau LaBonta, MF<br>7, Mandy Laddish, MF<br>12, Taylor Lytle, MF<br>10, Diana Matheson, MF<br>17, Sydney Miramontez, DF<br>3, Becca Moros, DF<br>88, Alexa Newfield, MF<br>5, Kelley O’Hara, DF<br>25, Brittany Ratcliffe, FW<br>8, Amy Rodriguez, FW<br>4, Becky Sauerbrunn, DF<br>11, Desiree Scott, MF<br>1, Abby Smith, GK<br>24, Katie Stengel, FW<br>20, Elise Thorsnes, FW<br>15, Erika Tymrak, MF<br>NON-ROSTER CAMP INVITEES<br>n/a, Taylor Isom, DF<br>n/a, EJ Proctor, GK