Jill Ellis and the USWNT will be hosting a second elite tournament this summer. (Photo Copyright Erica McCaulley for The Equalizer)
The United States will host a summer tournament, the Tournament of Nations, against Australia, Brazil, and Japan in a new event that is expected to be held each summer during non-World Cup or Olympic years. The United States will face Australia on July 27 in Seattle (CenturyLink Field), Brazil on July 30 in San Diego (Qualcomm Stadium), and Japan on August 3 in Los Angeles (StubHub Center in Carson). All three match days will be doubleheaders with the remaining two sides facing off in the opposite matches.
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“It’s fantastic to play another tournament at home against some of the world’s best teams in a year after the world championship cycle, and it shows U.S. Soccer’s continuing dedication to growing the women’s game,” U.S. head coach Jill Ellis said in a release from U.S. Soccer. “These are three talented teams that we haven’t played in a while so we’re looking forward to a summer tournament that will be extremely challenging and valuable for our players and entertaining for the fans.”
All three opponents are currently ranked 9th or higher in the official FIFA World Rankings meaning the U.S. will have played seven of the top nine teams in the world with the exceptions being themselves and Canada. France, Germany, and England came for the SheBelieves Cup in March and the U.S. has a friendly in Sweden scheduled for next month. The United States is currently ranked No. 2 behind Olympic champion Germany.
The tournament, which does not yet have a name attached, will feature the same four teams in 2018. After that the next renewal would be in 2021.
Tickets for the doubleheaders in San Diego and Los Angeles go on sale to the public Friday, May 19, at 10 a.m. PT through ussoccer.com. For the tournament opener in Seattle, tickets will become available on May 26 at 10 a.m. PT, also through ussoccer.com. Fans looking to purchase by phone should dial 1-800-745-3000 for the events in Seattle and San Diego and 1-888-929-7849 for the doubleheader in the Los Angeles area
