In this update:
- U.S. Soccer Formally Announces TV and Streaming Schedule for the SheBelieves Cup
- USWNT to Play Australia and Brazil in April
- Lynn Williams Departs Western Sydney Wanderers to Focus on USWNT Duties
U.S. Soccer Formally Announces TV and Streaming Schedule for the SheBelieves Cup
All USWNT matches will air live on an ESPN channel as well as TUDN. Though, the final match, versus Japan, will be on ESPNews, which is typically not found in standard cable/satellite packages.
All non-USA matches will be available for streaming for those with “ESPN3” access.
Thursday, March 5th – Orlando, Fla.
Spain vs. Japan – 4:15 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
USWNT vs. England – 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2, TUDN)
Sunday, March 8th – Harrison, N.J.
Japan vs. England – 2:15 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
USWNT vs. Spain – 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPN, TUDN)
Wednesday, March 11th – Frisco, Texas
England vs. Spain – 5:15 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
USWNT vs. Japan – 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPNews, TUDN)
USWNT to Play Australia and Brazil in April
The USWNT will face two opponents ranked in the Top Ten of FIFA’s Women’s World Ranking in April. First, the USA will play #7 Australia on Friday, April 10th at 9:30 p.m EDT (TV: ESPN2). On the following Tuesday, April 14th, the USWNT will play Pia Sundhage’s #9 Brazil at 10:00 p.m. EDT (TV: FS1). (U.S. Soccer)
Both opponents have announced their other matches of the April window: After facing the USWNT in Utah, Australia will travel to Vancouver to play #8 Canada at BC Place (matildas.com.au, CanadaSoccer.com). Meanwhile, Brazil will stop in Costa Rica for an April 8th friendly against Amelia Valverde’s 37th-ranked squad (cbf.com.br), before traveling to California for the match against the USA.
In exchange for their home friendly with the Matildas, both the USWNT and CANWNT have agreed to travel to Australia for pairs of friendlies in 2021. For the USWNT, those friendlies are scheduled for the November 2021 international window, which will run from November 22nd to November 30th. (Thanksgiving 2021 will be on November 25th.)
The November 2021 window can be extended to December 1st for non-UEFA teams, which allows for an additional match and the possibility of a four-team tournament.
Lynn Williams Departs Western Sydney Wanderers to Focus on USWNT Duties
Overnight, the Western Sydney Wanderers announced that the team and forward Lynn Williams had agreed to a “mutual termination” of her contract, so that the North Carolina Courage player can “focus on her national team duties.” (wswanderersfc.com.au)
Williams only played in five matches for the Wanderers this season, as she missed the middle half of the W-League season due to the USWNT’s Olympic qualifying schedule. With this contract termination, the Wanderers are letting Williams out of the final three weeks of the W-League’s season (counting the just concluded week), plus potentially two weeks of NWSL-style playoffs, as the Wanderers are currently in 3rd place.
Quotes from Williams:
“I would like to thank the Wanderers for taking a chance on me and seeing me as a vital part of the team. I would also like to thank them for understanding the unique circumstances that I am in and wishing me all the best going forward in my pursuit of being on the Olympic team,” said Williams.
“I would also like to thank my teammates for all the hard work and dedication they have put into their craft of football as well as being such a welcoming community, making me feel part of the team so quickly.
“I would like to thank them for being so understanding and supportive of my decision as well.”
Women's Soccer Express 