The Ins & Outs of the 2019 WNT Schedule

Did you hear? The U.S. Women’s National Team is embarking on a 10-game tour in 2019 leading up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France next summer! 

Below are what you must know about the Countdown to the Cup.

2019 Schedule Facts

• Six of the USA’s nine confirmed pre-World Cup opponents in 2019 are in the top 12 of the current FIFA Women’s World Rankings.
• The USA also began its 2015 schedule with a road game against France, falling 2-0 in Lorient on artificial turf. It was a result the USA avenged just a month later in the 2015 Algarve Cup in Portugal, defeating France 2-0. Heading into the WNT’s 34th year of competition, this will mark the 25th time the U.S. has started the year against a European nation.

The USA dropped its first game of 2015 vs. France, 2-0. It avenged the result a month later at the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

• The USA is set to play teams from five Confederations: Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and Concacaf.
• The eight domestic venues will take the U.S. team to the home areas of numerous current players.

The Opponents

• USA vs. France: France will be the 23rd all-time between the teams and first since a 1-1 draw in March during the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. It would be just the fourth meeting between the teams in France.
  
  
• USA vs. Spain: The match between and the USA and Spain will mark the 53rd country the USA has played in its history. Spain will also be the 26th country in which the U.S. Women have played a match. Spain, ranked 12th in the world, is one of several up-and-coming European nations. Spain earned its World Cup berth by cruising to a first-place finish in UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Group 7, going 8-0-0 while out-scoring its opponents 25-2. Austria finished second, followed by Finland, Serbia and Israel.
  
  
• 2019 SheBelieves Cup: France and Germany are staying in Europe to prepare for the World Cup, and with the Tournament of Nations not being held in World Cup or Olympic years, Brazil and Japan will join England in this year’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil and Japan participated in both the 2017 and 2018 ToN.
• vs. Japan:The USA and Japan have played some of the most historic matches in women’s soccer history. The countries have met four times since the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final with the USA going 3-0-1 in the games. The most recent meeting was a 4-2 victory last summer at the 2018 Tournament of Nations.
• vs. England:Since 2015, the USA and England have played four consecutive one-goal games with the USA winning three of them 1-0 and losing the other 1-0. The most recent was the USA’s 1-0 win at the 2018 SheBelieves Cup.
• vs. Brazil:The USA vs. Brazil rivalry is an epic one, and the most recent meetings have produced wildly entertaining games. At the 2017 Tournament of Nations, the USA came back from a 3-1 deficit to score three times in the final 12 minutes and won 4-3. At the 2018 Tournament of Nations, the USA needed a two-goal win to take the title, fell behind 1-0 on an own goal, and then scored four unanswered to win the tourney.

• USA vs. Australia: This match will be another excellent World Cup preparation match for both teams. After the USA went unbeaten in the first 26 matches between the teams, the last three games have produced a 3-1 win for the USA in the opening game of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a 1-0 loss at the 2017 Tournament of Nations and a 1-1 draw on a late goal by Lindsey Horan at the 2018 Tournament of Nations.
  
  
• USA vs. Belgium: Belgium is another fast-improving European nation. The meeting with Belgium will be the first between the teams and mark the 54th opponent for the USA in its history. Belgium finished second in UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Group 6, two points behind Italy, and earned a playoff berth, but fell to Switzerland in the two-leg semifinal playoff. The series was tied 3-3 on aggregate, but Switzerland went through on away goals.
  
  
• USA vs. South Africa: USA played South Africa prior to the 2016 Olympics, winning 1-0 on a goal from Crystal Dunn in the only meeting between these countries thus far. South Africa recently qualified for the 2019 Women’s World Cup by defeating Mali, 2-0, in the semifinal and then falling to Nigeria in a penalty shootout after the teams played to a scoreless draw in regulation and overtime in the championship game of the African Women’s Cup of Nations.
  
  
• USA vs. Mexico: USA will finish the schedule with the most familiar of opponents, taking on Mexico, a team the USA defeated 6-0 to open its 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship run. Mexico failed to advance out of its first-round group after also falling to Panama.

The Stadiums

• 2019 will take the U.S. WNT to four MLS stadiums, three NFL stadiums, and one MLB park.
• To open the SheBelieves Cup, the USA will visit Talen Energy Stadium for the seventh time. The USA is 5-0-1 all-time at the home of MLS’s Philadelphia Union.
• The USA’s SheBelieves Cup visit to Nissan Stadium will be the fourth match for the U.S. Women at the venue. The USA beat Canada there in 2004 and France in 2016 (on a late goal from Alex Morgan), both by 1-0 scores. The USA also beat Scotland there 3-1 in 2013.

The last time the U.S. WNT played at Nissan Stadium, Alex Morgan scored the game-winner vs. France in the 92nd minute.

• The WNT will make its sixth trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of MLS’s Colorado Rapids. The USA is 4-0-1 at the venue.
• The USA will play its first game at the newest sports venue in LA when it visits Banc of California Stadium, home to LAFC of MLS.
• For the match at Levi’s Stadium, the USA will play at its fifth different venue in Northern California. The U.S. Women played one game at Candlestick Park, the former home of the San Francisco 49ers, and will now play its first at their current home.

The U.S. WNT makes its return to Busch Stadium on May 16, 2019.

• The USA has played at a few baseball stadiums in its history, but the match at Busch Stadium in 2015 in the lead up to the Women’s World Cup was a rousing success with the USA defeating New Zealand, 4-0, in front of 35,817 fans. This will be the second match in WNT’s history at the home of the St. Louis Cardinals.
• The USA also played its final send-off match before the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup at Red Bull Arena, drawing with 0-0 with the Korea Republic. This will be the sixth match for the U.S. Women at the home of the New York Red Bulls.