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U.S. News - Women Soccer

U.S. Women Will Face Canada in Rochester, N.Y., on July 19 and in Charleston, S.C., on July 22

Thursday, 30 April 2009 14:42

USSoccer.com

U.S. Women Will Face Canada in Rochester, N.Y., on July 19 and in Charleston, S.C., on July 22

- USA Finishes Summer Schedule with Rematches of 2008 Olympic Quarterfinal at Rochester Rhinos Stadium and Blackbaud Stadium
- Tickets Go On Sale Friday, April 24

CHICAGO (April 20, 2009) – The U.S. Women’s National Team will play Canada twice in July, facing its familiar foe on Sunday, July 19, at Rochester Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., and then again three days later on Wednesday, July 22, at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.

The matches mark the first meetings between the teams since Natasha Kai scored an overtime game-winner in a 2-1 quarterfinal victory for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics in Shanghai, China, on Aug. 15, 2008.

The game in Rochester kicks off at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The match in Charleston kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol. Both matches will be available online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

Coming off the gold medal triumph at the 2008 Olympics, second-year head coach Pia Sundhage will use these matches to help evaluate the top U.S. players, all of whom are currently playing in Women's Professional Soccer, as she continues to mold a team for qualifying for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.

Tickets for both games go on sale to the public Friday, April 24, at 10 a.m. ET through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Rochester and Charleston areas. Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, April 23, at 10 a.m. ET and runs until Friday, April 24, at 8 a.m. ET at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

The two games will be the 45th and 46th meetings all-time between the USA and Canada, the most matches against any country the U.S. team has faced in its history. The most recent meeting at the 2008 Olympics was one of the most tension-filled as the USA went ahead 1-0 on an early goal from Angela Hucles before the match was delayed 99 minutes by lightning. Canadian captain Christine Sinclair equalized soon after the resumption of play and despite outshooting the Maple Leafs 34-8, the USA could not manufacture a goal until overtime, when Kai’s diving header off a Shannon Boxx cross sent the U.S. to the semifinal.

Canada has several players competing in WPS, including Sinclair, who currently has 99 career goals. She will have her first chance for the 100th on May 25 against Japan. Canada’s team may have a different look as new head coach Carolina Morace, a legendary Italian player and coach, will face the USA for the first time from the Canadian bench. Morace squared off against the Americans several times as a player and also as head coach of her native country, a post she held from 2000-2005.

“Although we have played Canada many times, I am very happy we’re facing them again,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. “Their new head coach Carolina Morace will likely introduce a different playing style. Players who are trying new things for their new coach could be very unpredictable, and we need to respond to that with our tactical skills. It has always been challenging to play our neighbor and I’m looking forward to dealing with their new style which will probably be a little influenced by Italian soccer. I believe it’s also important for us to get to know the new Canada because we will surely play them in World Cup qualification.”

The match in Rochester could mark the return of hometown hero Abby Wambach, who scored 142 goals as a high school All-American and 1997 National High School Player of the Year at Our Lady of Mercy. Wambach has yet to play for the USA since breaking her leg in the final pre-Olympic match, but should get her chance to score her 100th goal in the USA’s games against Japan on May 20 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, (tickets) and May 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah (tickets).

The series brings the U.S. women to Rochester for an international match for the fourth time, but it will be only the second game at the Rochester Rhinos Stadium, which opened in 2006 and features an artificial surface. The last time the USA played there was in Sept. 13, 2006, earning a 3-1 victory against Mexico that saw Wambach score twice in front of her hometown fans.

The USA also returns to Blackbaud Stadium for the fourth time and has not allowed a goal in the three previous wins at one of the nicest small soccer-specific venues in the country. The USA last played in Blackbaud in 2005 in a 3-0 win over Mexico – another game in which Wambach scored twice.

The matches will be the last for the U.S. Women’s National Team at home in 2009, but the team is scheduled to gather for training camps and a European tour following the completion of the inaugural WPS campaign.

U.S. Soccer Supporters Club Launches As Official Fan Membership Program of U.S. Soccer

Monday, 20 April 2009 09:41

Articles (USSOCCER.com)

U.S. Soccer Supporters Club Launches As Official Fan Membership Program of U.S. Soccer

Members Receive Exclusive Benefits, Including Priority Access to FIFA World Cup Tickets

Become a Founding Fan by Joining U.S. Soccer Supporters Club During 2009

Click Here To Purchase Your Membership

CHICAGO (April 15, 2009) -- U.S. Soccer is pleased to announce the formation of the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club, the official fan membership program of the U.S. national teams. Officially launched today, fans can sign up at ussoccer.com to join the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club, which will provide exclusive benefits to members while creating a unique platform for the most passionate fans to demonstrate their support.

U.S. Soccer SC members will receive numerous benefits, highlighted by priority status to secure tickets to the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany. U.S. Soccer will distribute its ticket allotment from FIFA to those dedicated members of USSSC before holding a general lottery, providing members the best chance to see the U.S. play in biggest sporting event in the world.

Upon enrollment into U.S. Soccer SC this year, members will also receive a U.S. Soccer SC membership card complete with name and a unique ID number, access to exclusive pre-sales for select home U.S. National Team matches, chances to win special behind-the-scenes experiences, a National Team Yearbook, and a limited-edition scarf.

Those fans that join in 2009 will have the opportunity to provide a unique voice to U.S. Soccer SC, serving as Founding Fans in the institution. Founding Fans will be the dominant voice of U.S. Soccer supporters around the world, defining what it means to be a part of U.S. Soccer SC.

Since the dawn of U.S. Soccer's modern era in 1989, U.S. fans have diligently followed the national teams to five consecutive FIFA World Cups and five consecutive FIFA Women's World Cups, including two championships. U.S. fans have proven their devotion time and time again, through miles traveled and hours logged roaming around the country with the hope of inspiring a U.S. national team to victory. Popping up all around the globe, from China to Cuba, South Africa to Portugal, U.S. fans have proven their dedication to the teams' quest for greatness.

Whether fans are looking to attend games with their families or are hardened supporters with numerous caps under their belts, the U.S. Soccer Supporters Club is the definitive way to unite together as fans and be an integral part of the future of U.S. Soccer.

U.S. Soccer SC, the first-ever affiliated membership program, is another step in a larger and more comprehensive outreach initiative to enhance U.S. Soccer fans’ experience. In addition to relationships with local and national unofficial supporters groups, fan outreach initiatives include an annual fan survey, the Official U.S. Soccer Bar program, the Ultimate Fan Ticket package, as well as social networking outlets on facebook.com and Twitter. With fans scattered across the country and internationally, U.S. Soccer will continue to develop programs which will maintain a close relationship to the national teams, as well as fellow U.S. Soccer fans.

All of the benefits below are available for an annual membership fee of $49.95. Enrollment begins today (April 15).

FOUNDING FAN OFFER: Fans joining in 2009 will earn special recognition as Founding Fans with the opportunity to help build U.S. Soccer SC from the ground up, providing a collective voice of U.S. Soccer supporters around the world. These members will receive a special-edition scarf, the annual gift for 2009, so they can proudly display their status as U.S. Soccer SC Founding Fans. Founding Fans will have the opportunity to further influence the ethos of U.S. Soccer SC by helping draft a Fan Constitution.

FIFA WORLD CUP TICKETS: U.S. Soccer SC members will have priority status to purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup tickets through U.S. Soccer, with access ahead of the general public.

OTHER BENEFITS INCLUDE:

U.S. Soccer Supporters Club Membership Card
Access to exclusive ticket pre-sales for select home U.S. Soccer National Team matches
A chance to win behind-the-scenes experiences
Annual Gift
Men’s or Women’s National Team Yearbook
Exclusive members-only discount at ussoccerstore.com
E-mail communications from ussoccer.com

U.S. Women Hold Top Spot in FIFA Women's World Rankings

Monday, 20 April 2009 09:40

Women's National Team (US SOCCER.com)

U.S. Women Hold Top Spot in FIFA Women's World Rankings

CHICAGO (March 27, 2009) – The U.S. Women’s National Team has held the top spot in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings released today on the heels of its runner-up finish at the 2009 Algarve Cup in Portugal earlier this month.

Germany, which lost two games at the Algarve, slipped outside of the top two for the first time since the end of 2003 and sits in third place. Brazil, despite not having played a match since the 2008 Olympic gold medal game, moved into the second spot.

Norway, which lost three matches in Portugal, dropped three spots to ninth. Japan, which will face the USA in a pair of matches in May, moved up two spots to seventh.

The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking will be published on June 26, 2009, before the European Women’s Championships.

FIFA Women’s World Rankings
March, 2009

1. USA
2. Brazil
3. Germany
4. Sweden
5. Korea DPR
6. Denmark
7. Japan
8. France
9. Norway
10. England

Jillian Ellis Named Coach of U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team

Monday, 20 April 2009 09:38

U-20 WNT (USSOCCER.com)

Jillian Ellis Named Coach of U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team

Ellis to Lead USA Towards 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany;
Dave Chesler to be Head Coach of U.S. Under-18 WNT

CHICAGO (March 19, 2009) – U.S. Women’s National Team assistant coach Jillian Ellis has been named the head coach of the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team as it begins a new cycle that will hopefully culminate with the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for the summer of 2010 in Germany.

Ellis is the current head coach at UCLA where she has led the Bruins to seven NCAA Final Fours. She served as the U-20 coach during the previous cycle, leading the team during 2007 before moving to the full Women’s National Team staff under Sundhage in January of 2008. Ellis was part of the gold medal winning coaching staff at the 2008 Olympics in China will continue to serve on U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage’s staff for selected events and training camps.

Upon her move to the full Women’s National Team, Tony DiCicco took over the U-20s and led the team to the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup championship in Chile, the USA’s second title at this age level.

The team recently completed their first international event with in this U-20 cycle, facing the U-20 teams of Norway, France and Germany in La Manga, Spain. Players born on or after January 1, 1990, are age-eligible for the next FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The team took silver at the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the young Americans beat Canada’s full women’s national team in the semifinal before falling to Brazil’s senior team in the championship game.

Ellis takes over a program that has historically had a significant impact on the future Women’s National Team players. Numerous players who have made a major impact on the full national team have represented the USA at past FIFA U-19 and U-20 tournaments, including Lindsay Tarpley, Heather O’Reilly, Leslie Osborne, Lori Chalupny, Amy Rodriguez, Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Lauren Cheney and Tobin Heath, to name a few.

Working closely with Ellis will be Dave Chesler, who takes over as the head coach of the U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team, a program that was designed to give international competition to players who have just finished a cycle with the U.S. U-17s, but are perhaps a year away from making an impact on the next U-20 cycle.

Chesler is currently the Director of Coaching and Player Development for the Boise Capital Soccer Club in Meridian, Idaho. He was Idaho Youth Soccer Association Director of Coaching and Player Development from 2004-2006 and has also served as an assistant coach for various U.S. youth national teams, most notably working with Ellis as an assistant at the 2007 Pan Am Games. Chesler, who has a U.S. Soccer “A” license, was the head men’s soccer coach at Fresno State from 1997-2004.

U.S. Women To Open 2009 Domestic Schedule With Olympic Semifinal Rematch Against Japan at Pizza Hut Park

Monday, 20 April 2009 09:36

Women's National Team (US SOCCER.com)

U.S. Women To Open 2009 Domestic Schedule With Olympic Semifinal Rematch Against Japan at Pizza Hut Park

U.S. To Play First of a Two-Game Series on May 20 in Frisco Texas

CHICAGO (March 16, 2009) – The U.S. Women’s National Team will open its 2009 domestic schedule on May 20 with a match against surprise 2008 Olympic semifinalist Japan on Wednesday, May 20, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT and fans can follow the action live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. The game is the first in a two-game series. The U.S. will also host Japan on May 23 in Sandy, Utah, at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Tickets ranging in price levels from $18 to $80, plus special VIP On-Field seats for $125, go on sale to the public Saturday, March 21, at 10 a.m. CT through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 , all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Dallas Metroplex (including Fiesta, Macy’s and FYE stores), and the Pizza Hut Park ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290 . Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages which include a premium ticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, March 19, at 10 a.m. CT and runs until Saturday, March 21, at 8 a.m. CT at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

This marks the first meeting between the two countries since the dramatic 2008 Olympic semifinal encounter in Beijing, won 4-2 by the USA. The Americans fell behind 1-0 in that game, but stormed back to score four goals before Japan pulled a one back in stoppage time. The USA also edged Japan 1-0 in a must-win game during group play.

The game will mark the first international match during the inaugural WPS season, which begins March 29. Several Japanese players will also be playing in the league this year.

“These will be interesting games, not only because my coaching staff and I will get the chance to watch many players in the WPS before picking our roster, but also because of the way Japan played during the Olympics,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. “The way they move the ball around is to be admired and emulated and, I am sure these will be very entertaining matches for the fans and the players.”

The USA’s last match in Texas was at Pizza Hut Park was a rousing 6-2 defeat of Canada on May 12, 2007. The U.S. Women have played seven matches in Texas, all at different stadiums, and Frisco will become the first repeat venue.

The USA and Japan have had a long history dating back to 1986, the second year of the U.S. program’s existence. The USA played Japan in the 1991 and 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cups as well as the quarterfinal stage at the 2004 Olympics. Japan has never defeated the USA, but tied three straight matches played between 2000 and 2004.

Japan is expected to feature its all-time greatest player, midfielder Homare Sawa, who is playing for the Washington Freedom in WPS. Midfielder Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol) and forward Eriko Arakawa (FC Gold Pride) also had excellent Olympic tournaments in China.

The U.S. team just completed another run to the final of the prestigious Algarve Cup, where Sweden edged the Americans on March 11 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie in regulation. At the tournament, the U.S. posted victories against Denmark, Iceland and Norway as Hope Solo was named the tournament’s top player, allowing one goal in four games. The U.S. Women are scheduled to play two more domestic matches in July, which will be announced in the near future, and after that will not come together again until after the WPS season.

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