Pia Sundhage’s Swedish side will welcome the USWNT to Gothenburg on June 8. (Photo Copyright Harjeet Johal for The Equalizer)
U.S. Soccer officially announced matches away to Sweden and Norway in June, part of head coach Jill Ellis’s desire to play tougher opponents in 2017. Norway had previously announced the match in Sandefjord, which will be on Sunday, June 11. Sweden announced the June 8 fixture on Friday to mark 100 days until the start of Euro 2017. Sweden will also play against Scotland on June 13.
The match against Sweden and former U.S. coach Pia Sundhage will be the first since the sides required penalties to decide their Olympic quarterfinal match. Sweden prevailed and eventually won the silver medal but the results of the match have been far reaching. Hope Solo has not played for team since after calling Swedish cowards for their match tactics and being suspended by U.S. Soccer. Ellis went into the fall with a 3-5-2 formation that a seemed to be in response to her team’s inability to break down the Swedish bunker.
Ironically, Ellis abandoned the 3-5-2 in Thursday’s friendly against Russia. It remains to be seen if the move is permanent.
Both June matches will be televised live. June 8 in Gothenburg will kick off at 1:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. The June 11 match is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. on FOX. That will be the 50th meeting between the U.S. and Norway including some of the most important women’s soccer from the 1990s and 200.
