The US Women’s National Team hosts top sides England, Spain and Japan in the 2020 SheBelieves Cup. The tournament starts Thursday, March 5 in Orlando, Florida.
This is an Olympic Games year, so the SheBelieves Cup will serve as important preparation for the Olympics. The 2020 Olympic Games are hosted in Tokyo, Japan and run July 22 through August 9.
Team USA’s SheBelieves Cup TV schedule:
- Thursday, March 5: USA vs. England (Orlando, FL), 7:00 PM on espn2
- Sunday, March 8: USA vs. Spain (Harrison, NJ), 5:00 PM on ESPN
- Wednesday, March 11: USA vs. Japan (Frisco, TX), 8:00 PM on ESPNews
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 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 tournament roster includes NTH Academy alumnus Emily Sonnett (top row, center in the 2004 photo on the left). Another Georgia girl in the squad is Kelley O’Hara. Goalkeeper and NTH alumnus Jane Campbell (holding the ball in the 2005 photo on the right) participated in the pre-tournament training camp, but wasn’t included on the final tournament roster.