Open Cup
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
How Nashville Became Part of USWNT SheBelieves Cup History
U.S. Women's National Team kicks off 11th SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tenn. against Argentina on March 1
By: De Turner
The U.S. Women’s National Team is headed back to familiar ground, and history suggests that’s good news.
From the tournament’s earliest days to its more recent runs, Nashville has been the backdrop for some of the USWNT’s most meaningful SheBelieves moments. As the USWNT begins its quest for an eighth SBC title, the return to the Music City offers the chance to build on the excitement that turned Nashville into a memorable stop along the team’s SheBelieves Cup journeys.
On March 6, 2016, almost exactly a decade from when the team will return to Nashville this year, the USWNT headed to Nissan Stadium for the program's second-ever SheBelieves Cup match after defeating England 1-0 in the opener. The crowd of 25,363 set a record for the highest-attended USWNT match in Tennessee and witnessed a tightly contested matchup between the U.S. and France, two of the top three ranked teams in the world.
With quality chances from both sides and a few world-class saves from U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo, the teams remained scoreless until just after the 90th minute. Midfielder Mallory Pugh (now Swanson), in her eighth appearance and fifth start for the team, brought down a loose ball at midfield. She took a few touches before splitting a pair of French defenders with a perfectly-weighted pass in behind to Alex Morgan. The veteran forward dribbled inside the box before slotting a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net for the game-winner.
Three days later, the USWNT came from behind to defeat Germany 2-1 and win the inaugural SheBelieves Cup title. Morgan, who scored the equalizer against Germany, earned the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards.
In 2023, an eerily identical result occurred in the USWNT’s most recent Nashville SheBelieves Cup appearance as in its first.
A new USWNT Tennessee attendance record was set, this time with 25,471 fans present at GEODIS Park. The U.S. had just defeated Canada 2-0 and was set to face Japan for its second match of the tournament.
While the names in the lineup may change, the stakes remain the same. When the USWNT returns to GEODIS Park next month, it does so with the chance to write the next chapter of its SheBelieves Cup story in a city that delivers time and time again.
