The Algarve Cup field appears to be set for 2015, with Switzerland joining the fray and France officially getting its wish to move up to the elite tournament.
It will take place from March 2-12 across Portugal, just like every year and feature 12 teams: Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, world champion Japan, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Olympic champion USA. The Swiss federation reported the field as official.
France coach Philippe Bergeroo had been lobbying to get his team — still on the cusp of truly joining the world’s elite — into the Algarve Cup. France had been playing in the simultaneous Cyprus Cup in previous years. The Cyprus Cup is often viewed as the second-best of the spring tournaments.
Germany beat Japan, 3-0 to win the 2014 Algarve Cup, which saw the United States finish an all-time worst seventh place. Tom Sermanni was fired a month later, replaced by current U.S. coach Jill Ellis.