After defeating Japan 2-1 in front of a record crowd in Atlanta to open the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, the U.S. Women’s National Team will now face Canada in the first-ever SheBelieves Cup Final at 7 p.m. ET at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The match will be broadcast on TBS, Universo, Max and Peacock and will be preceded by the Third-Place Match between Japan and Brazil at 4 p.m. ET. (TBS, Universo, Max and Peacock).
Due to an adjustment in the FIFA calendar, which resulted in the Concacaf W Gold Cup taking place in February and March, the format for the SBC changed this year, shifting from the historical round-robin spread across three match days to just two match days, with a semifinal round and then championship and third-place matches.
The USA is looking to win its seventh SheBelieves Cup title overall and fifth in a row.
Instead of the usual six games over three match days, this tournament features only four games over two match days with the first serving as semifinal matches and the second featuring the Third-Place Match and the Championship Game, meaning while there have been many “de facto finals,” this is the first true final in tournament history
Fans can follow all the action from the W Gold Cup via X (formerly Twitter - @USWNT), Instagram (@USWNT), Facebook and the official U.S. Soccer App.
U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB) - 2024 SHEBELIEVES CUP
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS (8): Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NY/NJ Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG), Eva Gaetino (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (AFC Ajax, NED)
FORWARDS (6): Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars)
Nineteen of the 23 players on this squad for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup were a part of the U.S. roster that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup, defeating Brazil 1-0 in the championship game on March 10. Headlining the group are the USA’s two individual award winners from the Gold Cup: goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who took home the Golden Glove following three stellar performances in the knockout rounds, and forward Jaedyn Shaw, who at just 19 years of age was awarded the Golden Ball as the top player at the tournament and led the USA in scoring with four goals. Shaw continued her stellar start to the year – and her young career – by scoring the equalizing goal in the semifinal against Japan for her team-leading fifth goal of 2024.
Forwards Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario both returned to the U.S. roster for their first games following long absences due to injury and both saw action in the USA’s win over Japan to open the tournament. Swanson, the 2023 Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP, started and put together a strong offensive performance in her first appearance for the USWNT in 364 days, last playing for the U.S. on April 8, 2023 before suffering a serious knee injury that kept her out of contention for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Macario, the 2022 Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP, came on as a second-half substitute to make her first appearance for the USWNT in 725 days, earning her first cap since tearing her ACL shortly after helping Olympique Lyon win the 2021-22 UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Rounding out the roster are two players currently plying their trades in Europe in 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain defender Eva Gaetino and 16-year-old Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes, both of whom get their first call-ups to the senior national team. Neither saw action in the semifinal against Japan.
COMEBACK IN ATLANTA
After giving up a goal 31 seconds into the 2024 SheBelieves Cup semifinal on April 6 against Japan, the USA roared back to earn a 2-1 victory and a place in the tournament final against Japan. Despite the early deficit, the U.S. was not flustered by the early goal and kept up the offensive pressure, outshooting Japan 18-6 on the day while creating the vast majority of the dangerous chances. The USA pressured the Japanese defense all match, connecting well throughout the back line and the midfield with the front line of Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman and Swanson – who impressed in her return to the USWNT after nearly a year out due to injury – all causing danger inside the penalty area.
The USA came close to equalizing in the 15th minute as Swanson put on a great dribbling display by cutting across the box from right to left and firing a low shot that was destined for the back of the net, but a heroic goal line clearance from defender Miyabi Moriya held the visitors’ lead. The Americans then got the equalizer in the 36th minute as midfielder Sam Coffey won the ball off the team press at the top of Japan’s defensive third. Coffey split two defenders with a pass to find Shaw at the top of the box and she fired a powerful strike from 20 yards out into the lower left corner, freezing Japanese goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita, to level the score.
As the energetic crowd spurred on the Americans, who were more dominant throughout the second half, the team continued to threaten in the attack while effectively limiting Japan’s. After several knocks at the door, the USA took the lead in the 77th minute when Horan buried a penalty kick following a foul on Sophia Smith inside the box.
Smith came off the bench in the 63rd minute to spark the U.S. attack and played a part in several scoring opportunities before splitting two defenders inside the penalty area near the right corner to earn the spot kick. With the conversion, Horan has now scored three goals in her last four games, each of which have been game-winners, including her tally that sealed the team’s title win in the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup Final.
RECORD CROWD IN THE ATL
The first doubleheader of this tournament was played in front of a record crowd for a SheBelieves Cup match as more than 54,644 turned out at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and made it the most attended non-World Cup and non-Olympic match on U.S. soil in USWNT history and largest crowd to watch the USWNT since the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Prior to last Saturday, the top two attendances for friendlies in USWNT history were both the first games back in the USA after victorious runs at Women’s World Cups; 44,028 vs. Costa Rica on Aug. 16, 2015, in Pittsburg and 49,504 on Aug. 29, 2019, in Philadelphia.
Atlanta is the new home for the U.S. Soccer Federation, which will build a state-of-the-art National Training Center in Fayette County. Groundbreaking for facility took place on April 8.
SHEBELIEVES CUP IN YEAR NINE
The SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, is just one part of U.S. Soccer’s SheBelieves initiative to inspire and empower women and girls to achieve their goals in sport and beyond. The tournament, which features a slightly altered format for 2024, was first played in 2016. The USA won the inaugural edition, France took top honors in 2017, the USA won again in 2018, England finished first in 2019 and the USA returned to the top of the podium in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
While a new format, Brazil, Canada and Japan are competing in the SheBelieves Cup for the second consecutive year and represent a formidable four-team field. All four participants in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup are ranked in the top 10 in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, with the USA at #4, Japan at #7, Canada at #9 and Brazil ranked #10. All four teams have also qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, meaning the SheBelieves Cup represents one-third of the Olympic Field.
INSIDE THE SERIES: USA vs. CANADA
Tuesday’s matchup in Columbus will be the 66th meeting all-time between the USA and Canada and their second meeting in the span of 35 days. The teams squared off in a wet, wild and epic semifinal clash on March 6 at the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup in San Diego.
The teams battled through extreme conditions and a water-logged pitch before the USA prevailed 3-1 on penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw through regulation and extra time. Jaedyn Shaw gave the U.S. the lead in the 20th minute but Canada equalized in the 82nd off a header from Jordyn Huitema to send the match to overtime. The USA reclaimed the lead in the 99th minute with a goal from Sophia Smith but a VAR review in the waning minutes of extra time awarded Canada a penalty kick and Adriana Leon converted her attempt for the Canadians. In the penalty shootout, Alyssa Naeher made three big saves and converted her own penalty kick attempt to send the USA to the championship match, where the Americans defeated Brazil, 1-0 ,to win the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup crown.
The series between the USA and Canada dates back to 1986 when the USWNT was in its second year of existence. The most-common opponent in USWNT history, the USWNT has more wins (53) and more goals (186) against Canada than any other opponent in program history. The U.S. leads the all-time series 53W-8D-4L and has won six of the last eight meetings between the teams, including both previous meetings between the teams at the SheBelieves Cup. In 2021, the USA topped Canada 1-0 in Orlando, Fla. on a solo strike from Rose Lavelle. Two years later, the teams met again in Orlando and the USA was again victorious, this time powered by a brace from Mallory Swanson.
VISA SHEBELIEVES CUP MVP
For the fifth year in a row, Visa, the presenting sponsor of the SheBelieves Cup, will award the MVP trophy to the most outstanding player of the tournament. The award will be announced following the conclusion of the final match on April 9 and with the input of a selection committee comprised of representatives from all four competing nations.
For the fourth year in a row, fans will also get the opportunity to vote for the Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP award using an online ballot to select among a list of finalists chosen by the committee. The fan vote will be incorporated into the overall determination of the 2024 Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP.
In an exciting new enhancement this year, U.S. Soccer will award $25,000 to women-owned small businesses from the same country as the National Team represented by the Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP, thanks to Visa’s continuing commitment to supporting women on and off the field.
Spain attacker Alexia Putellas won the inaugural award in 2020 while the USA’s Rose Lavelle collected the honors in 2021. USWNT forward Catarina Macario took home top honors in 2022 followed by Mallory Swanson in 2023.
USWNT LEARNS OLYMPIC PATH
On March 20, the Final Draw for the 2024 Olympic Women’s Soccer tournament was held in Paris as all 12 participants learned their groups and path to gold. The 2024 Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament is taking place from July 25-Aug. 10 in seven cities and at seven venues throughout France.
The U.S. will open Group B play on July 25 – one day before the Olympic Opening Ceremonies – against the winner of the CAF Olympic Qualifying playoff between Morocco or Zambia (9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET) at Stade de Nice in Nice. Morocco won the opening leg of the two-leg playoff 2-1 on April 5 and the teams will play against on Tuesday, April 9 at 4 p.m. ET.
The Americans will then travel to Marseille to their second match at Stade de Marseille and will face Germany on July 28 (9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET). The USA will finish group play against Australia on July 31 (7 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET) at Stade de Marseille. Located in the south for France, Nice is nearly 600 miles from Paris near France’s border with Monaco and Italy. Marseille, located 125 miles west of Nice, is the second-largest city in France.
