Women’s World Cup champion the US are set to host a four-team tournament in Tennessee and Florida in March, as the team prepares for the Olympic Games in Brazil this summer.
The SheBelieves Cup is to feature the US, world No. 5 England, No. 3 France and No. 2 Germany, US Soccer announced on Tuesday.
The tournament is also to feature three doubleheaders. Germany and France are to play followed by the US and England on March 3 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida; then the US plays France and Germany faces England on March 6 at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee; and the tournament wraps up with France against England and the US versus Germany on March 9 at the FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.
The winner of the round-robin tournament will be determined by points.
“To get the chance to play these great teams on home soil is a treat for our fans and extremely valuable in the further evolution of our team,” US coach Jill Ellis said in a statement. “These are the kinds of games where you get tested all over the field and can really evaluate players and learn a lot about ourselves.”
The tournament is named after the US federation’s SheBelieves initiative, which seeks to inspire young girls.
“We have built a great relationship with US Soccer over the years and the sports community responds in numbers every time the national team plays in Nashville,” Tennessee Titans vice president of facilities and game day operations Bob Flynn said.
The US team will host the tournament rather than play in the annual Algarve Cup in Portugal. The US has taken part in the last 18 consecutive Algarve Cups, and 20 overall.
The US won its third overall Women’s World Cup title last summer. Ellis was named FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year and midfielder Carli Lloyd, who had a hat-trick in the World Cup final victory over Japan, was named World Player of the Year in ceremonies this week in Zurich.
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