Many United States internationals have gone abroad in search of UEFA Champions League play. They probably just didn’t expect to all be playing each other.
Swedish champions Tyresö FF will face PSG in the Round of 32 in October, pitting some of the top U.S. players abroad against each other early on in the Champions League knockout stage. U.S. forward Christen Press leads the Swedish Damallsvenskan with 19 goals for Tyresö and she is joined there by national team teammates Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger, Meghan Klingenberg and Whitney Engen (after Liverpool’s season soon ends). Tyresö also features Marta, Caroline Seger and Veronica Boquete.
American Tobin Heath returned to PSG on Sunday, one day after hitting the electrifying free kick that won Portland Thorns FC the first-ever National Women’s Soccer League Championship. Lindsey Horan, 19, also plays forward for PSG. She chose to play professionally, foregoing a full scholarship at North Carolina, and scored 17 goals for PSG last season.
[More: Is the trend of Americans flocking to Europe a good or bad thing?]
Elsewhere, title holders Wolfsburg get Pärnu JK of Estonia in the Round of 32, while runners-up Lyon and Megan Rapinoe face FC Twente. Lyon could face Germany’s Turbine Potsdam in the Round of 16.
Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was voted the inaugural winner of the UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe Award for the 2012-13 season, beating out Germany midfielder Lena Goessling and Swedish striker Lotta Schelin.
Here’s the full list of match-ups and competition dates:
Round of 32 draw (Two legs, Oct. 9/10 and 16/17)
Konak Belediyesi (TUR) v RTP Unia Racibórz (POL)
MTK Hungária FC (HUN) v 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (GER)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL) v Glasgow City LFC (SCO)
Tyresö FF (SWE) v Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
Pärnu JK (EST) v VfL Wolfsburg (GER, holders)
FSK St.Pölten-Spratzern (AUT) v ASD Torres Calcio (ITA)
Apollon Limassol LFC (CYP) v SV Neulengbach (AUT)
ŽFK Spartak Subotica (SRB) v FC Rossiyanka (RUS)
PK-35 Vantaa (FIN) v Birmingham City LFC (ENG)
FC Zürich Frauen (SUI) v AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
LSK Kvinner FK (NOR) v FCR Malmö (SWE)
FC Twente (NED) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
WFC SSHVSM Kairat (KAZ) v Arsenal LFC (ENG)
FC Barcelona (ESP) v Brøndby IF (DEN)
Thór/KA (ISL) v FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk (RUS)
UPC Tavagnacco (ITA) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Last 16 draw (Two legs, Nov. 9/10 and 13/14)
Barcelona/Brøndby v Zürich/Sparta
Konak/Unia v Apollon/Neulengbach
Tavagnacco/Fortuna v Tyresö/PSG
Spartak/Rossiyanka v Spratzern/Torres
MTK/Potsdam v Twente/Lyon
Thór/Zorkiy v PK-35/Birmingham
LSK/Malmö v Pärnu/Wolfsburg
Kairat/Arsenal v Standard/Glasgow
Tournament calendar
Round of 32: 9/10 & 16/17 October
Round of 16: 9/10 November & 13/14 November
Quarter-final & Semi-final draw: 21 November
Quarter-finals: 22/23 & 29/30 March
Semi-finals: 19/20 & 26/27 April
Final (Lisbon): 22 May
