Following up the U-23 women who won the Six Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain the U-18 women will take their turn in Spain with the 10 Nations Tournament. The US will take on Sweden, Norway, and France in their three games. The other teams in the tournament are Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, England.

The US has taken a roster of twenty to Spain with all but four of the players still in high school. Most of these players will be able to play for the U-20 team at the 2016 U-20 Women’s World Cup so this is a big tournament for them to make a good showing and help secure spots in the squad leading up towards that tournament.

The US starts things off with a 12 PM ET matchup with Sweden on Saturday. WeSupportTheUS.com will have coverage of the first day’s results once they can be located, not always easy with an U-18 women’s tournament like this.

Roster

• Goalkeepers
  • Rosemary Chandler – Atlanta, Ga.
  • Casey Murphy – Bridgewater, N.J.
• Defenders
  • Anna Bialczak – Lutherville, Md.
  • Madeline Elliston – Omaha, Neb.
  • Megan Keeth – Los Altos Hills, Calif.
  • Gabrielle Matulich – Los Gatos, Calif.
  • Kaleigh Riehl – Fairfax Station, Va.
  • Niki Romero – University of North Carolina
• Midfielders
  • Carlyn Baldwin – Oakton, Va.
  • Jaye Boissiere -Los Altos Hills, Calif.
  • Katie Cousins – Lynchburg, Va.
  • Jordan DiBiasi – Littleton, Colo.
  • Annie Kingman – Woodside, Calif.
  • Emily Ogle – Strongsville, Ohio
  • Jessica Vigna – Farmingdale, N.J.
• Forwards
  • Kayla Cappuzzo – Merrick, N.Y.
  • Imani Dorsey – Elkridge, Md.
  • Darian Jenkins – UCLA
  • Amber Munerlyn – University of North Carolina
  • Rebecca Rasmussen – University of Georgia

Schedule:

• March 8th
  • 12 PM ET – USA vs. Sweden
  • Netherlands vs. Scotland
  • England vs. Ireland
  • Italy vs. Norway
  • Denmark vs. France
• March 10th
  • 10 AM ET – USA vs. Norway
  • Scotland vs. Sweden
  • Ireland vs. Denmark
  • Italy vs. Netherlands
  • France vs. England
• March 12th
  • 6 AM ET – USA vs. France
  • Denmark vs. Scotland
  • Ireland vs. Sweden
  • Italy vs. England
  • Netherlands vs. Norway

Previous US Men’s Soccer Coverage

Things did not go too well for the US Men’s Soccer team in their matchup with Ukraine in Cyprus on Wednesday. Defensive lapses in the first and second half led to Ukraine goals and few players impressed in one of their final chances to make the case for inclusion in the preliminary 30-man Brazil squad that will take camp in May.

Three men who really did not help their cases were defenders Edgar Castillo, Oguchi Onyewu, and John Brooks. All three struggled with Castillo’s man consisting beating him down the left and Brooks heading a ball straight to a Ukrainian player for a breakaway chance that resulted in their second goal. Onyewu certainly wasn’t responsible for giving the ball away on that goal but he did not hustle back and after an initial save from Tim Howard the lack of his presence in the box was part of the reason Ukraine so easily scored off the rebound.

The US didn’t look great going forward either but were slightly better in the second half with Alejandro Bedoya making some nice plays. The best chances came after Aron Johannsson was introduced and he had a volley cleared off the line that could have put the US on the board.

It wasn’t a great showing but since this was just part of the squad the US will take to Brazil (This was almost entirely European based players) too many conclusions probably can’t be drawn. In fact of the four starting defenders in this game three of them seem unlikely to make the trip to Brazil and if they do will not be expected to contribute heavily. Geoff Cameron seems extremely likely to make the Brazil roster but whether he appears at right back (like he did vs. Ukraine) or is a midfield substitute is unknown.

The next game for the US is a friendly against Mexico on April 2nd that will allow the MLS and Liga MX based players to make their final case to make the May 30-man squad for the training camp before Brazil.

Previous Six Nations Tournament Coverage

There’s no doubt we can proclaim who the winner of the Six Nations Tournament is as after the three games for all six teams wrapped up with the US beating Norway 2-1. That result, combined with Germany’s 2-2 draw with Sweden, left the US as the clear winner as the only team to win all three of their games.

In the matchup against Norway Maya Hayes started off the scoring for the US late in the first half with Katie Stengel making it 2-0 with 15 minutes left to go. Norway did pull one back a few minute later but never could equalize and the US held on to go to 3-0 while Norway lost their third straight game, all by a single goal and all against the top three teams in the tournament.

You’re unlikely to see anymore Women’s U-23 coverage for nearly a year. The team doesn’t play very many games so it’s likely they won’t be in another tournament until next year’s Six Nations Tournament. The main women’s national team is currently in action in the Algarve Cup while the U-18 team is headed to La Manga as they will take part in the 10 Nations Tournament beginning on Saturday. You’ll find coverage of both here on WeSupportTheUS.com

Schedule:

• March 1st
  • USA 1-0 Japan
  • Germany 3-2 Norway
  • England 1-1 Sweden
• March 3rd
  • Norway 1-2 Japan
  • Germany 4-2 England
  • USA 2-1 Sweden
• March 5th
  • USA 2-1 Norway
  • England 0-4 Japan
  • Germany 2-2 Sweden

Previous Algarve Cup Coverage

The US outshot Japan 20-8 on Wednesday but struggled to find the back of the net. The only time they were able to score was in the 59th minute on a deflected clearance after Sydney Leroux raced at the Japanese keeper as she was clearing the ball and was able to deflect it. For a while it looked like that would be enough to get the US a win but with seven minutes left Japan’s Aya Miyama was able to get a free kick pass Hope Solo and leave the game a draw at 1-1.

Highlights of the 1-1 draw

It’s certainly not the end of the world for the US in the Algarve Cup even though only the top team in the group has a chance to play for the championship. Sweden beat Denmark 2-0 but two wins for the US would mean that only Japan could top them (it would go to goal differential). The US and Sweden face off on Friday morning with a loss by the US eliminating the possibility of them winning the group.

WeSupportTheUS.com will have a recap on Friday of the next round of Algarve Cup action.

Group Stage Schedule:

• March 5th
  • 7:45 AM ET – USA 1-1 Japan
  • 1 PM ET – Sweden 2-0 Denmark
• March 7th
  • 8:30 AM ET – USA vs. Sweden
  • 9:10 AM ET – Japan vs. Denmark
• March 10th
  • 9:40 AM ET – Japan vs. Sweden
  • 9:40 AM ET – USA vs. Denmark

The US will face Ukraine in a friendly on Wednesday in a matchup that was rumored to be off earlier in the week but does appear will happen. This is the final opportunity for many US players to make their case for inclusion in the World Cup squad so it will be interesting to see who steps up and shows their worth.

Here’s the US team:

• Goalkeepers
  • Cody Cropper – Southampton
  • Brad Guzan – Aston Villa
  • Tim Howard – Everton
• Defenders
  • John Brooks – Hertha Berlin
  • Geoff Cameron – Stoke City
  • Edgar Castillo – Club Tijuana
  • Alfredo Morales – Ingolstadt
  • Oguchi Onyewu – Sheffield Wednesday
  • Will Packwood – Birmingham City
  • Jonathan Spector – Birmingham City
• Midfielders
  • Alejandro Bedoya – Nantes
  • Fabian Johnson – Hoffenheim
  • Jermaine Jones – Besiktas
  • Sacha Kljestan – Anderlecht
  • Brek Shea – Barnsley
  • Danny Williams – Reading
• Forwards
  • Juan Agudelo – Utrecht
  • Jozy Altidore – Sunderland
  • Terrence Boyd – Rapid Vienna
  • Clint Dempsey – Seattle Sounders FC
  • Aron Johannsson – AZ Alkmaar

The ones who I’ll be watching to see if they show anything big are Juan Agudelo, Terrence Boyd, Danny Williams, Brek Shea, and Onguchi Onyewu.

The US will be wearing their new home uniforms… yes the ones that basically look like a golf shirt. It’s the first meeting between the US and Ukraine since 1993… US Soccer is in quite a different place than it was 21 years ago.

The game is at 2 PM ET with TV coverage on ESPN2 beginning at 1:30 PM ET. I’ll have a recap of the game on WeSupportTheUS.com tonight.

Previous US Women’s Soccer Covearge

July 17th, 2011. The US twice gives up goals to Japan to tie the Women’s World Cup Final. Japan goes on to win penalty kicks 3-1 to win the World Cup.

March 5th, 2012. The US loses 1-0 to Japan in the group stage at the Algarve Cup. The US has not lost since.

August 9th, 2012. The US opens up a 2-0 lead and holds on to win the gold medal at the Olympics 2-1 over Japan.

Those are the last three times the US and Japan have met in non-friendly matches. They meet again finally with more than bragging rights on the line Wednesday when they open up the Algarve Cup with a match in Parchal, Portugal. The US will be taking on Japan, Sweden, and Denmark in Group B before taking on a team from Group A to end the tournament.

The Algarve Cup is the best yearly opportunity for the US to get a chance to go play a tournament against other top teams in the world. This is the 21st Algarve Cup and the US has won nine of them.

The US is bringing a very strong roster to Portugal. Basically all the big names you’d expect to be there are. Alex Morgan is the big exception as she is still out with an ankle injury. Three collegiate players, Morgan Brian, Samantha Mewis, and Sarah Killion, are on the team and are starting to become more well known names in the world of US women’s soccer.

WeSupportTheUS.com will have a recap of Algarve Cup action on Wednesday evening.

Roster:

• Goalkeepers
  • #1 – Hope Solo – Seattle Reign FC
  • #18 – Alyssa Naeher – Boston Breakers
  • #21 – Jill Loyden – Sky Blue FC
• Defenders
  • #3 – Christie Rampone – Sky Blue FC
  • #4 – Becky Sauerbrunn – FC Kansas City
  • #5 – Kelley O’Hara – Sky Blue FC
  • #6 – Whitney Engen – Tyresö
  • #11 – Ali Krieger – Washington Spirit
  • #14 – Stephanie Cox – Seattle Reign FC
  • #16 – Rachel Van Hollebeke – Portland Thorns FC
  • #19 – Kristie Mewis – Boston Breakers
  • #25 – Meghan Klingenberg – Tyresö
• Midfielders
  • # 7 – Morgan Brian – Virginia
  • #9 – Heather O’Reilly – Boston Breakers
  • #10 – Carli Lloyd – WNY Flash
  • #12 – Samantha Mewis – UCLA
  • #15 – Megan Rapinoe – Seattle Reign FC
  • #17 – Tobin Heath – Paris Saint-Germain
  • #22 – Sarah Killion – UCLA
• Forwards
  • #2 – Sydney Leroux – Seattle Reign FC
  • #8 – Amy Rodriguez – FC Kansas City
  • #13 – Sarah Hagen – Bayern Munich
  • #20 – Abby Wambach – WNY Flash
  • #23 – Christen Press – Tyresö

Group Stage Schedule:

• March 5th
  • 7:45 AM ET – USA vs. Japan
  • 1 PM ET – Sweden vs. Denmark
• March 7th
  • 8:30 AM ET – USA vs. Sweden
  • 9:10 AM ET – Japan vs. Denmark
• March 10th
  • 9:40 AM ET – Japan vs. Sweden
  • 9:40 AM ET – USA vs. Denmark

Previous Six Nations Tournament Coverage

Details are still a little sketchy since there is very very little coverage of this tournament but according to multiple soccer score websites online the US got a 2-1 victory today over Sweden to go to 2-0 in the three game tournament. The only goal scoring details we have are from @asacj1, who has been tweeting from the tournament, and apparently the US goals were in the 17th minute by Chioma Ubogagu and 31st minute by Frances Silva. Sweden got one back in the 61st minute but the US held on for the 2-1 win.

The win didn’t move the US to the top of the table as a 4-2 win by Germany over England gave them a superior goal differential. On the third and final day of the tournament (Wednesday) the US will take on Norway (who Germany beat 3-2 on the first day) while the Germans take on Sweden. Check back to WeSupportTheUS.com on Wednesday evening for a final wrap-up on the tournament. Additionally the main women’s national team will be taking on Japan on Wednesday at roughly the same time. I’ll have a brief preview of that one on Tuesday night.

Schedule:

• March 1
  • USA 1-0 Japan
  • Germany 3-2 Norway
  • England 1-1 Sweden
• March 3
  • Norway 1-2 Japan
  • Germany 4-2 England
  • USA 2-1 Sweden
• March 5
  • 7 AM ET – USA vs. Norway
  • 10 AM ET – England vs. Japan
  • 1 PM ET – Germany vs. Sweden

Previous Six Nations Tournament Coverage

The US U-23 women’s soccer team got the Six Nations Tournament off to a great start as they weathered a lot of Japanese possession and nabbed the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win. The US put out a team heavy on the college players with seven of the 11 from NCAA teams. They did use three of their five subs on professional players.

Lineup:

• GK – Aubrey Bledsoe – Wake Forest
• DEF- Abby Dahlkemper – UCLA
• DEF – Arin Gilliland – Kentucky
• DEF – Kassey Kallman – FC Kansas City
• DEF – Caprice Dydasco – UCLA
• MID – Danielle Colaprico – Virginia
• MID – Meleana Shim – Portland Thorns FC
• MID – Kealia Ohai – Houston Dash
• MID – Chioma Ubogagu – Stanford
• FWD – Maya Hayes – Sky Blue FC
• FWD – Katie Stengel – Wake Forest
• SUB – Emily Sonnett – Virginia
• SUB – Jenna Richmond – FC Kansas City
• SUB – Erika Tymrak – FC Kansas City
• SUB – Shea Groom – Texas A&M
• SUB – Jennifer Hoy – Chicago Red Stars

The US got their goal from Kealia Ohai in the 56th minute off a pass from Katie Stengel. Aubrey Bledsoe made five saves for the US as the US outshot Japan 11-9. In other action on Saturday Germany knocked off Norway 3-2 and England and Sweden drew 1-1. The US and Germany both sit with three points in the standings but Germany has scored more goals so they currently sit top on goals scored. Germany and the US will not meet so both could win out and finish tied at 3-0.

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