PREVIEW: Beach WNT Faces World’s Best at 2023 Mundialito Tournament
Watch the USBWNT go for its second title of 2023 when it faces Portugal, England and Spain this weekend on ESPN3 and BeachSoccerTV.com
The U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team closes its 2023 schedule at the prestigious Mundialito Beach Soccer Tournament from Oct. 13-15 in Ayamonte, Spain.
Here are Five Things You Should Know going into this weekend’s tournament:
WHAT IS THE WOMEN’S MUDIALITO?
Regularly played in either Spain or Portugal, the Mundialito Beach Soccer Tournament has been in existence for 25 years on the men’s side, and expanded to include a women’s competition in 2022.
- READ MORE: 2023 USBWNT Statistics
- READ MORE: All-Time USBWNT Statistics
Currently ranked fourth in the Beach Soccer Worldwide’s Rankings, this is the USBWNT’s first appearance at the prestigious tournament, and they will be well-tested as they face No. 1-ranked Spain, No. 2-ranked England, and No. 7-ranked Portugal over the course of the three-day competition.
Hosts Spain went a perfect 3-0-0 to win the inaugural women’s competition in 2022, followed by England (2-1-0), Ukraine (1-2-0) and Czech Republic (0-3-0).
SCHEDULE AND HOW TO WATCH
The 2023 Women’s Mundialito format is a four-team round-robin competition, where the top team at the end of Matchday Three will be crowned champions.
All of the three-day, six-match competition will be broadcast live via ESPN3 and BeachSoccerTV.com. Here’s the full tournament schedule:
| 2023 Women’s Mundialito Beach Soccer Tournament | ||
| Friday Oct. 13 | USA vs. Portugal | 8 a.m. ET |
| Spain vs. England | 10:45 a.m. ET | |
| Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 | England vs. Portugal | 8 a.m. ET |
| Spain vs. USA | 10:45 a.m. ET | |
| Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 | USA vs. England | 8 a.m. ET |
| Spain vs. Portugal | 10:45 a.m. ET | |
| All Matches Streamed Live on ESPN3 and BeachSoccerTV.com | ||
USBWNT IN 2023
Launched in 2019 as part of U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Teams program, the U.S. Women’s Beach National Soccer Team has already achieved a record number of wins during a calendar year, earning five victories in its six matches during 2023.
In April, the team went 2-1-0 at the ANOC World Beach Games Qualifying tournament in San Salvador, El Salvador, defeating Bahamas 6-0 and Trinidad and Tobago 7-2, before falling 5-4 to the host nation in a tight contest on the final matchday. Though the team’s second place finish qualified it for the World Beach Games, the competition to be held this past summer was later canceled.
| 2023 Results – U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team | |||
| Date | Opponent/Result | Goal Scorers | Competition |
| April 6 | 6-0 W vs. Bahamas | Quigley (2), Adler, Garzon, Hall | WBG Qualifying |
| April 7 | 7-2 W vs. Trinidad and Tobago | Adler (2), Quigley (2), Hall, Leslie, Valentine | WBG Qualifying |
| April 8 | 4-5 L vs. El Salvador | Adler, Hunter, Lowder, Sunseri-Warp | WBG Qualifying |
| April 14 | 7-2 W vs. England | Adler (2), Hall (2), Garzon, Hunter, Quigley | Acapulco Cup |
| April 15 | 5-2 W vs. Mexico | Adler, Garzon, Quigley, Hunter, OG | Acapulco Cup |
| April 16 | 5-4 W vs. Bahamas (aet) | Quigley (2), Adler, Hall, Sunseri-Warp | Acapulco Cup |
Morgan Church’s side quickly rebounded a week later, going a perfect 3-0-0 to win the 2023 Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup in Mexico. Braces from Hannah Adler and Ali Hall paced the USA to an impressive 7-2 upset of England on April 14.
The following day the USA defeated Mexico 5-2 on Matchday Two, using another from Adler, as well as single strikes from Kilee Quigley, Kelly Garzon, Rachel Hunter and an own goal to remain at the top of the table.
The USA then clinched the tournament title on Matchday Three, riding a brace from Quigley to earn a 5-4 victory against the Bahamas on April 16. The tournament win was the second in USBWNT program history, and came exactly one year to the day that the side claimed the 2022 El Salvador Cup.
With their participation at this year’s Mundialito, the USBWNT will finish 2023 having played nine matches, setting a program record for most games played in a calendar year.
USBWNT MUNDIALITO ROSTER
Head coach Morgan Church named her final 12-player roster on Oct. 4. The Mundialito squad features 11 veterans of the USBWNT, along with midfielder Nikki Haimes, who is set to earn her international debut this week in Spain.
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Gabriella Batmani (San Jose, Calif.; 6/0), 12-Melissa Lowder (San Diego, Calif.; 14/1)
DEFENDERS (3): 5-Makenzie Chronopoulos (Yucaipa, Calif.; 9/0), 4-Kelly Garzon (Fresno, Calif.; 6/3), 6-Jeané Suseri-Warp (San Jose, Calif.; 21/4)
MIDFIELDERS (4): 2-Nikki Haimes (Miami, Fla.; 0/0), 10-Ali Hall (Chicago, Ill.; 15/10), 11-Rachel Hunter (Raleigh, N.C.; 9/4), 7-Lauren Leslie (San Clemente, Calif.; 18/12),
FORWARDS (3): 3-Hannah Adler (Oak Park, Calif.; 6/8), 9-Kilee Quigley (Salt Lake City, Utah; 17/14), 8-Ashley Triplett (Virginia Beach, Va.; 7/1)
FAST FACTS ABOUT USBWNT
- The USBWNT is 11-10-0 in 21 total matches since the program launched in 2019. Through six matches this year, the team has won five games and recorded 34 goals – program highs in a calendar year for both categories.
- Veteran defender Jeané Sunseri-Warp is the only player to appear in all 21 USBWNT matches since the program launched in 2019.
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With 12 goals in 18 matches, forward Kilee Quigley is the team’s all-time leading scorer.
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Midfielders Lauren Leslie (12 goals in 18 games) and Ali Hall (10 goals in 15 games) are right on Quigley’s heels in second and third, respectively.
- With 14 appearances, Melissa Lowder is the most-capped goalkeeper in team history.