Fall games conclude busy 2017 for USWNT on road to 2019 World Cup
(Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team enters the stretch run of its 2017 schedule with six fall games remaining: two against New Zealand in September, two against Korea Republic in October and two against Canada in November.
These games are a key part of the goal that U.S. head coach Jill Ellis set at the beginning of this new cycle: play as many highly competitive teams as possible. The fall schedule provides the USA more opportunities to focus on themselves while going up against three challenging opponents from three different Confederations.
+READ: USWNT set to host New Zealand in friendlies on Sept. 15 and 19
In 2017, the USA will play 12 games against teams ranked in the top-15 in the world and Ellis, her staff and the players know that these are the kinds of games that will help vet players, get the newer ones valuable experience and build a cohesive squad as the road to qualification for the 2019 Women’s World Cup gets shorter in 2018.
As the 2017 Women’s EURO tournament and champion Netherlands showed, the level of women’s international soccer keeps improving every year and the teams that excelled in the past will need to keep raising their level to excel in 2019.
Up first in this fall schedule, the WNT takes on New Zealand on Sept. 15 (8 p.m. MT; ESPN2) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, and again on Sept. 19 (7:30 p.m. ET; FS1) at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2017 WNT Schedule
FIFA Rankings – (As of Sept. 1, 2017)
| Opponent | Date | Result
|
FIFA Ranking
|
USA Goal Scorers |
| Germany | March 1 | 1-0 W | 2 | Lynn Williams |
| England | March 4 | 0-1 L | 3 | — |
| France | March 7 | 0-3 L | 4 | — |
| Russia | April 6 | 4-0 W | 25 | Crystal Dunn (2), Allie Long (2) |
| Russia | April 9 | 5-0 W | 25 | Carli Lloyd, Rose Lavelle, Crystal Dunn (2), own goal |
| Sweden | June 8 | 1-0 W | 11 | Rose Lavelle |
| Norway | June 11 | 1-0 W | 14 | Christen Press |
| Australia | July 27 | 0-1 L | 6 | — |
| Brazil | July 30 | 4-3 W | 9 | Sam Mewis, Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz |
| Japan | Aug. 3 | 3-0 W | 8 | Megan Rapinoe, Mallory Pugh, Alex Morgan |
| New Zealand* | Sept. 15 | — | 19 | |
| New Zealand* | Sept. 19 | — | 19 | |
| Korea Republic* | Oct. 19 | — | 15 | |
| Korea Republic* | Oct. 22 | — | 15 | |
| Canada* | Nov. 9 | — | 5 | |
| Canada* | Nov. 12 | — | 5 |
*Upcoming games on the 2017 WNT Schedule
