The US Women’s National Team faces top sides Japan, England and Brazil in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup. The tournament starts Wednesday, February 27.
This is a World Cup year, so the SheBelieves Cup will serve as important preparation for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which kicks off June 7th in France.
Team USA’s TV schedule
- Wednesday, February 27: USA vs. Japan (Chester, PA), 7:00 PM on FS1
- Saturday, March 2: USA vs. England (Nashville, TN), 4:30 PM on Fox
- Tuesday, March 5: USA vs. Brazil (Tampa, FL), 8:00 PM on FS1
Viewing tips
We encourage the girls (parents too!) to watch part of each game to see what high level soccer looks like. Many young kids get bored watching sports — they would rather play! — but they are more likely to watch a game if they have specific viewing goals. Things to look for:
- Do players keep the ball moving while they play, or do they stop the ball and look around?
- Do players get their heads up and turn away from defenders, or do they play with heads down and dribble into defenders?
- Do players keep the ball either by dribbling or passing, or do they kick the ball and chase it?
- Do players always dribble orientation pass forward toward goal, or do they occasionally dribble or pass sideways or backward to find open space?
- When the USA is attacking, do the backs stay back near their own goal, or do they move forward to help the attack? How far forward?
Georgia connections
Team USA’s pre-tournament roster includes NTH Academy alumni Emily Sonnett (top row, center in the 2004 photo on the left) and Jane Campbell (holding the ball in the 2005 photo on the right). Two other Georgia girls are in the squad: Morgan Brian and Kelley O’Hara.
Feb. 13 update: Emily Sonnett and Kelley O’Hara made the final tournament roster. Morgan Brian and Jane Campbell were part of the pre-tournament camp roster, but weren’t selected for the final tournament roster.