USWNT playing Switzerland in group play at Algarve Cup on Friday at 12 p.m. ET

(Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team, coming off a 2-1 victory against Norway to open the 2015 Algarve Cup, heads back to the Spanish border to face Switzerland in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Portugal (12 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). The WNT opened its 20th Algarve Cup in Portugal on March 4 with come-from-behind 2-1 victory against longtime rival Norway as Carli Lloyd scored both goals. The USA gave up a goal against the run of play near the end of the first half, but stormed back in the second on a brilliant left-footed strike from Lloyd from just outside the penalty box in the 55th minute, followed by a converted penalty kick in the 62nd minute after Christen Press’ shot had been knocked down by the hand of Norway captain Trine Ronnin. After Friday’s game, the USA finishes Group B play on March 9 against Iceland in Lagos (1:30 p.m. ET). The USA’s final Group B match against Iceland will not be televised due to inadequate lighting at the Municipal Stadium in Lagos.

+Read: USWNT opens Algarve Cup with 2-1 Victory against Norway

GOING FOR 10: The U.S. WNT won its most recent the Algarve Cup in 2013, beating Germany 2-0 in the title game to earn its ninth title, the most of any country. The U.S. team trained for eight days in Portugal before the tournament that features six of the world’s top-10 ranked teams, including the top five. Brazil, currently ranked eighth, will be participating for the first time. In all, 11 of the 12 participating countries are ranked in the top-20 in the world. 

ALGARVE CUP FORMAT: This will be the 22nd edition of the Algarve Cup, and for the first time in 14 years, it has undergone a change in the competition format. When the Algarve Cup expanded from eight to 12 teams in 2001, a Group C was created that generally consisted of lower-tier teams that were eligible to compete only for spots in the placement matches for seventh, ninth and 11th. This year, for the first time, all 12 teams will be competing for the tournament title. The final will be contested by the two group winners with the most points (or if all three group winners are tied on points, the top two will be determined by a series of tiebreakers). The third-place match will feature the third-best group winner against the best second-place team from the three groups. In addition, the fifth-place match will be played between the two remaining second-place teams; the seventh-place match between the two best third-place teams; the ninth-place match between the remaining third-place team against the best fourth-place team; while the 11th-place match will feature the remaining two teams that finished fourth in their groups.

22nd Annual Algarve Cup Standings

Group A

Group A Update: Sweden gave up two goals in the first 160 seconds against Germany but then mounted an epic comeback to score four unanswered. After Dzsenifer Marozsán and Simone Laudehr gave Germany the shock early lead, two goals each from captain Caroline Seger and fleet forward Sofia Jakobsson gave Sweden the victory against the world’s top-ranked team. In the other Group A match, Brazil tied China PR 0-0. Brazil had beaten China 4-1 during the International Tournament of Brasilia last December.

Group B

Group B Update: The USA currently sits in second place in Group B on goal differential after Lara Dickenmann’s two second-half goals in the 57th and 66th minutes paced Switzerland to a 2-0 victory against Iceland. The USA’s match against Switzerland on March 6 will be crucial to determining the group winner and a possible place in the Algarve Cup title game. Still, a group title does not guarantee a place in the championship game as the two best group winners will advance to play for the Algarve Cup title on March 11.

Group C

Group C Update: Denmark, which did not qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, pulled off a bit of an upset, downing reigning world champion Japan 2-1. After Sanne Troelsgaard gave Denmark the lead just two minutes into the game, Kozue Ando equalized in the 17th minute. Denmark got the game-winner from Joanna Rasmussen in the 58th minute. Rasmussen played in the USA in Women’s Professional Soccer with the Atlanta Beat and magicJack. In the other Group C match, Portugal held strong against powerful France, but finally succumbed on a 64th-minute goal from Eugenie Le Sommer, who also scored against the USA in France in February.

2015 U.S. WNT SCHEDULE:

* Algarve Cup

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 24-Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), 21-Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers), 1-Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
DEFENDERS (10): 16-Lori Chalupny (Chicago Red Stars), 22-Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), 6-Whitney Engen (Western NY Flash), 26-Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), 25-Meghan Klingenberg (Houston Dash), 11-Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), 5-Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), 3-Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), 19-Rachel Van Hollebeke (Portland Thorns)
MIDFIELDERS (7): 7-Shannon Boxx (Chicago Red Stars), 14-Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), 17-Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), 12-Lauren Holiday (FC Kansas City), 10-Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), 9-Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City), 15-Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC)
FORWARDS (5): 2-Sydney Leroux (Seattle Reign FC), 13-Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns FC), 23-Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), 8-Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City), 20-Abby Wambach (Western NY Flash)

U.S. ROSTER NOTES:

• Carli Lloyd’s two goals in the 2-1 victory against Norway on March 4 gave her 63 for her career and 12 at the Algarve Cup, making her the third all-time leading scorer at the Algarve Cup behind Abby Wambach (21) and Kristine Lilly (13). Alex Morgan and Shanon MacMillan have 11 each.
• Morgan did not play in last year’s Algarve Cup as she was recovering from an ankle injury. Midfielder Lauren Holiday also missed last year’s tournament, due to a family commitment. She has scored six goals in the Algarve Cup.
• Holiday, the 2013 NWSL MVP and 2014 NWSL Championship Game MVP, was also the 2014 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year.
• Hope Solo came into the tournament with a U.S. record 78 career shutouts.
• U.S. captain Christie Rampone is currently the second most-capped player in U.S. and world history with 304.
• Lloyd was the MVP of the 2007 Algarve Cup after scoring in all four games that year. She also scored three goals in the 2010 tournament.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS:

• With three goals against Argentina on Dec. 18, Carli Lloyd upped her career total to 61 and moved into sole possession of seventh place on the U.S. WNT’s all-time goal scoring list, passing Shannon MacMillan who scored 60 goals in her career. Lloyd, who now has 63 career goals, is the highest-scoring player in U.S. history who has played exclusively as a midfielder.
• Heather O’Reilly is the ninth player to hit 200 caps in U.S. history after reaching the milestone against Korea DPR on March 12, 2014. Now with 215, she is seventh on the USA’s all-time list. Abby Wambach (234) and Christie Rampone (304) are the only active players ahead of her.

U.S. WNT AT THE ALGARVE CUP

• The USA has a 54-12-10 record all-time at the Algarve Cup.
• The USA has scored 167 goals while allowing 62 at the Algarve Cup.
• 38 different players have scored for the USA at the Algarve Cup.
• The USA has never lost at the Vila Real de San Antonio venue, site for its first two matches of the 2015 Algarve Cup, going 9-0-1 over the years. At the Lagos venue, where the USA will play its third Group B match, the USA has a losing record, going 4-5-1 over the years.
• The most goals the USA has scored in an Algarve Cup game is seven, achieved against Portugal in 2000.