USA, England, France, Germany rosters set for SheBelieves Cup

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The USA, England, France and Germany have set their rosters for the 2016 SheBelieves Cup, which will bring four of the world’s top five ranked women’s national teams to the USA from March 3-9.

The USA’s hosting of the 2016 SheBelieves Cup, which will be the top four-nation women’s international tournament in the world this year, will feature three doubleheaders: March 3 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida (Germany vs. France and USA vs. England), March 6 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee (France vs. England and USA vs. Germany) and March 9 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida (Germany vs. England and USA vs. France). The USA’s first match against England will be broadcast on FS1 and its following two games against Germany and France will both be broadcast on ESPN3.

The winner of the tournament will be based on total points (three for a win, one for a tie), with the first tie-breaker being overall goal difference, followed by most total tournament goals scored, then head-to-head result and lastly (if necessary) FIFA Ranking .

The USA is currently first in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Germany is ranked second, France is third and England is fifth. The USA, Germany and England all advanced to semifinals of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup with Germany beating France in a quarterfinal penalty kick shootout to earn its spot in the last four.

USA
U.S. head coach Jill Ellis has named a 22-player roster that features 19 of the 20 players who helped the USA to the title at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship while earning a berth to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil along the way. The roster includes the USA’s individual award winners at that tournament: MVP Morgan Brian, Golden Glove winner Hope Solo and Golden Boot winner Crystal Dunn. Ellis has also recalled 2015 Women’s World Cup winners Whitney Engen and Heather O’Reilly, who has 228 caps and 46 goals for the USA. Ellis also added one new player, handing Seattle Reign FC defender Lauren Barnes her first senior team call-up.

U.S. Women’s National Team SheBelieves Cup Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
DEFENDERS (9): Lauren Barnes (Seattle Reign FC), Whitney Engen (Boston Breakers), Jaelene Hinkle (Western New York Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash), Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Mallory Pugh (Real Colorado)

ENGLAND
Head coach Mark Sampson, a finalist for FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Soccer, has named 19 of the 23 players that helped England to an historic third-place finish at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Among them are goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, who grew up in Southern California, and captain Steph Houghton, who played every minute of the Women’s World Cup and scored vs. Norway in the Round of 16. The roster also includes midfielder Fara Williams, who scored three times from the penalty spot during the World Cup, including the game-winner against Germany in overtime of the third-place match. Former University of North Carolina defender Lucy Bronze is also on the roster, and scored twice in the World Cup, including the game-winner against Canada in the quarterfinal match. England will bring a plethora of attacking talent that also includes Portland Thorns forward Jodie Taylor, who scored the first goal against Canada at the Women’s World Cup. Williams (148 caps) and Eniola Aluko (98) are in line to make their 150th and 100th appearances respectively for England during the tournament.

England Women’s National Team SheBelieves Cup Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool), Carly Telford (Notts County)
DEFENDERS (9): Laura Bassett (Notts County), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Liverpool), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Casey Stoney (Arsenal)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Katie Chapman (Chelsea), Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Arsenal)
FORWARDS (6): Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), Karen Carney (Chelsea), Gemma Davison (Chelsea), Toni Duggan (Manchester City), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jodie Taylor (Portland Thorns FC)

GERMANY
Germany head coach Silvia Neid, a former international player herself who who led Germany to the 2007 Women’s World Cup title, has been on Germany’s coaching staff since 1996 and head coach since 2005, is in her last year at the helm before giving way to current assistant coach Steffi Jones next year. She brings 16 players from her 2015 Women’s World Cup roster to the SheBelieves Cup. Germany has had a bit of a change-over since last summer as well as a few injuries but still boasts world class players at almost every position. Leading the way is forward Anja Mittag, who has scored 39 goals in her 132 caps and who won the Bronze Boot with five goals at the Women’s World Cup, as well as midfielder Melanie Behringer (30 goals in 128 games) and forward Alexandra Popp (31 goals in 62 goals). With long-time goalkeeper Nadine Angerer retired, Almuth Schult takes over in goal and she has some experienced defenders in front of her, including Saskia Bartusiak, Annike Krahn, Babett Peter and rising young star outside back Leonie Maier. Germany has several talented young attackers, including former University of Central Florida striker Lena Petermann, who helped Germany to the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title. Only two players on Germany’s roster play outside of their home country in Mittag, who plays for PSG in France, and defender Josephine Henning, who plays for the Arsenal Ladies in England.

Germany Women’s National Team SheBelieves Cup Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Laura Benkarth (SC Freiburg), Almuth Schult (VfL Wolfsburg), Lisa Weiß (SGS Essen)
DEFENDERS (7): Saskia Bartusiak (1. FFC Frankfurt), Kathrin Hendrich (1. FFC Frankfurt), Josephine Henning (Arsenal Ladies), Tabea Kemme (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam), Annike Krahn (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Leonie Maier (FC Bayern München), Babett Peter (VfL Wolfsburg)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Melanie Behringer (FC Bayern München), Anna Blässe (VfL Wolfsburg), Sara Däbritz (FC Bayern München), Sara Doorsoun (SGS Essen), Lena Goeßling (VfL Wolfsburg), Svenja Huth (Vfl Wolfsburg), Isabel Kerschowski (VfL Wolfsburg)
FORWARDS (6): Mandy Islacker (1. FFC Frankfurt), Lina Magull (SC Freiburg), Dzsenifer Marozsan (1. FFC Frankfurt), Anja Mittag (Paris St. Germain FC), Lena Petermann (SC Freiburg), Alexandra Popp (VfL Wolfsburg)

FRANCE
France is stocked with talented players including 16 members of its 2015 Women’s World Cup Team that fell in penalty kicks to Germany in a quarterfinal round match they certainly could have won in regulation. France has skill and speed all over the field, as well as experience, with eight players holding 97 or more caps, led by veteran midfielders Camille Abily (158 caps/30 goals) and Elise Bussaglia (150/27), as well as rugged center-back Laura Georges (167/6), who played college soccer at Boston College. Louisa Necib (135/34) is widely considered one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, while forward Eugenie Le Sommer is also one of the best at her position and superb around the goal. She has piled up 52 goals in 116 caps including three scores at the Women’s World Cup. France has two of the fastest players in the world in Marie-Laure Delie, who also scored three times in Canada and dynamic winger Elodie Thomis. France goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi, who saved Abby Wambach’s penalty kick in January of 2015 in Lorient, is a long-time starter and just hit 100 caps.

France Women’s National Team SheBelieves Cup Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Sarah Bouhaddi (Olympique Lyonnais), Méline Gerard (Olympique Lyonnais), Laëtitia Philippe (Montpellier HSC)
DEFENDERS (7): Sabrina Delannoy (Paris Saint-Germain), Kelly Gadea (Montpellier HSC), Laura Georges (Paris Saint-Germain), Jessica Houara D’Hommeaux (Paris Saint-Germain), Sakina Karchaoui (Montpellier HSC), Amel Majri (Olympique Lyonnais), Griedge Mbock Bathy (Olympique Lyonnais)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Camille Abily (Olympique Lyonnais), Viviane Asseyi (Montpellier HSC), Charlotte Bilbault (FCF Juvisy), Elise Bussaglia (Vfl Wolfsburg), Kadidiatou Diani (FCF Juvisy), Kheira Hamraoui (Paris Saint-Germain), Aurélie Kaci (Olympique Lyonnais), Marie-Charlotte Leger (Montpellier HSC), Elodie Thomis (Olympique Lyonnais)
FORWARDS (4): Marie-Laure Delie (Paris Saint-Germain FC), Claire Lavogez (Olympique Lyonnais), Eugénie Le Sommer (Olympique Lyonnais), Louisa Necib (Olympique Lyonnais)

2016 SheBelieves Cup Schedule

Date      Matches                    Stadium                            City                      Kickoff             Watch
Mar. 3   Germany vs. France   Raymond James Stadium   Tampa, Fla.          5 p.m. ET
Mar. 3   USA vs. England      Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Fla.         7:30 p.m. ET      FS1
Mar. 6   USA vs. France        Nissan Stadium                 Nashville, Tenn.  2 p.m. CT          ESPN3
Mar. 6   England vs. Germany Nissan Stadium                  Nashville, Tenn.    4:30 p.m. CT
Mar. 9   France vs. England    FAU Stadium                      Boca Raton, Fla.   5 p.m. ET
Mar. 9   USA vs. Germnay     FAU Stadium                     Boca Raton, Fla. 7:30 p.m. ET    ESPN3

Additional notes:

• All three matches carry some significant storylines for the USA. The meeting with Germany will be the first since the epic 2015 Women’s World Cup semifinal, a 2-0 U.S. victory. The meeting with France will be the first since the 2015 Algarve Cup championship game, a 2-0 U.S. win that reversed a 2-0 loss in the teams’ first match of 2015. The meeting with England will be the first since the USA’s narrow 1-0 victory in Milton Keynes, England in early February of last year that sparked a 24-game unbeaten streak which included the run to the World Cup title.
• In addition, the other matches carry tremendous intrigue with Germany facing France in a rematch of their Women’s World Cup quarterfinal, and England taking on Germany, the team it defeated in the third-place match of the Women’s World Cup.
• The USA is 19-4-7 all-time against Germany and 2-0-0 against West Germany in matches played in 1988 and 1990. The most recent meeting between the teams came on June 30 in Montreal as the USA defeated Germany 2-0 in the 2015 Women’s World Cup semifinal on goals from Carli Lloyd and Kelley O’Hara.
• The USA is 15-1-2 all-time against France, with the lone loss coming on Feb. 8 of last year, a 2-0 setback in Lorient, France that kicked off the 2015 schedule. The USA avenged the loss with a 2-0 victory in the championship game of the 2015 Algarve Cup in Portugal as Julie Johnston and Christen Press scored. The losing team in both those games had a penalty kick saved as Sarah Bouhaddi denied Abby Wambach in Lorient and Hope Solo denied Amandine Henry in Faro.
• The USA is 7-3-1 all-time against England, which includes the most recent match between the teams: a 1-0 victory on Feb. 13, 2015, in Milton Keynes, England, where the lone goal come from an Alex Morgan header.
• The USA has played six times in Tampa, Fla., including two games at Raymond James Stadium. Most recently, the USA defeated France, 1-0, in June of 2014 on a goal from Sydney Leroux.
• The USA has played just five times in the state of Tennessee (three in Chattanooga and two in Nashville at what is currently Nissan Stadium). Most recently, the USA defeated Costa Rica 7-2 at Finley Stadium on Aug. 19 during the 2015 Victory Tour.
• The USA has played five matches in Boca Raton, including two at FAU Stadium, a 4-1 win against China PR in 2012 and a 7-0 victory against Russia in 2014.