USWNT faces Germany on Wednesday for SheBelieves Cup title

(Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team will face Germany in the third and final match of the 2016 SheBelieves Cup, which will serve as a de facto championship game as both teams won their first two matches of the tournament. The USA needs to win to take the title while Germany just needs a tie, as both teams are tied on points and goal difference, but Germany is ahead on the next tie-breaker, goals scored, having found the net three times over two games to the USA’s two.

The USA defeated England on March 3 with a spectacular late goal from Crystal Dunn and downed France in stoppage time on March 6 off a brilliant pass from Mallory Pugh to Alex Morgan, who finished with class in the first minute of stoppage time. Germany defeated France 1-0 in its first match on a goal from Leonie Maier and then came from a goal down to defeat England 2-1, getting an own goal and a penalty kick from Babett Peter. The tournament is serving as excellent Olympic preparation for the USA, Germany and France, and with four of the top five ranked teams in the world, three of which made the final four at the Women’s World Cup last summer, all competing in the United States, this is the best four-team women’s international event in the world this year.

+Read: U.S. U-17 WNT tops Costa Rica 2-0, wins CONCACAF Championship group

The tournament is being played in three doubleheaders: March 3 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida (Germany 1, France 0 – USA 1, England 0), March 6 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee (Germany 2, England 1 and USA 1, France 0) and March 9 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida (France vs. England and USA vs. Germany). The USA’s match Germany will be broadcast on ESPN3.

USA vs. Germany
2016 SheBelieves Cup
FAU Stadium; Boca Raton, Fla.
March 9, 2016

Date Matches Stadium City Kickoff TV
Mar. 9 France vs. England FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Fla. 5 p.m. ET
Mar. 9 USA vs. Germany FAU Stadium Boca Raton, Fla. 7:30 p.m. ET ESPN3

2016 SheBelieves Cup Schedule & Standings

About #USAvGER:

• The most recent meeting between the teams was one of the most watched Women’s World Cup matches to date as nearly 8.4 million people tuned to see Germany fall to the USA 2-0 in Montreal in the semifinal of the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
• The USA-Germany series between the world’s two most successful women’s soccer nations dates back to 1991 and the second meeting ever came in the semifinal of the 1991 Women’s World Cup in China, a 5-2 upset victory for the United States. The teams have met 30 times, with the USA winning 19 and Germany winning four, along with seven draws. The USA also defeated West Germany twice, in 1988 and 1990.
• The last five matches since 2012 have featured two wins for the USA and three ties, including a wild 3-3 draw in Offenbach in April 5, 2013, which was the last meeting between both sides in Germany.
• The USA and Germany have met on four occasions in World Cup play: a 5-2 USA win on Nov. 27, 1991 in China; a 3-2 USA win on July 1, 1999 in Maryland; a 3-0 Germany win on Oct. 5, 2003 in Portland, Oregon; and the most recent, a 2-0 USA win on July 2, 2015 in Canada. The winner of each of those matches went on to win the World Cup on each respective year.
• Since that loss in 2003, the USA has gone 7-0-5 against Germany.

In Focus: U.S. Women’s National Team:

• The USA is 8-0-0 in 2016, having scored 30 goals while allowing none with three consecutive games coming up against teams that made excellent runs at the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
• Nine different players have scored for the WNT so far in 2016. Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and Crystal Dunn lead the team with seven goals apiece. Additionally, Tobin Heath and Christen Press have scored two each, while Lindsey Horan, Samantha Mewis, Kelley O’Hara and Mallory Pugh have single goals.
• Dunn, who was among the final 25 players vying for Women’s World Cup spots before the roster was trimmed to the 23 that represented the USA in Canada, returned to the team for the final seven games of the 2015 Victory Tour and started them all, scoring four goals with three assists. Since returning to the team on the Victory Tour, Dunn has started 11 games and has scored 11 goals with three assists, in addition to earning a penalty kick against Costa Rica on Feb. 10. The 11 goals of course include her five-goal game on Feb. 15 against Puerto Rico that tied a U.S. record for goals in a match.
• Before the match against Puerto Rico, Dunn had scored five goals for the U.S. WNT. She doubled that total vs. Puerto Rico, notching five goals to tie a U.S. record for most goals scored in a match. She became the seventh player to achieve that feat. The other six were: Brandi Chastain, Michelle Akers, Tiffeny Milbrett, Abby Wambach, Amy Rodriguez and Sydney Leroux. It was Dunn’s first multi-goal game for the WNT.
• After earning two caps at the 2013 Algarve Cup, 21-year-old Horan got the first three starts of her career at the end of last year, switching positions to holding midfielder where she excelled in the Olympic Qualifying tournament. Horan, who was the first American female player to skip college and head overseas to play professionally, left for Europe in July of 2012 after she graduated from high school and spent more than three years in France with Paris Saint-Germain. She scored her first WNT goal against T&T at the end of last year and scored her second to break open a tight match against Canada in the championship of Olympic Qualifying.
• The 23-year old Mewis made her debut at the 2014 Algarve Cup, played in one match last year and already has three caps this year while scoring her first WNT goal during Olympic Qualifying.
• Jaelene Hinkle, 22, earned her first cap on Oct. 21, 2015 against Brazil, coming on at left back and playing well in the last 20 minutes. She has since earned seven more, including four this year, while making one start.
• Emily Sonnett, 22, earned her first cap on Oct. 25 against Brazil, playing on 90 minutes in the center of the defense, and has since earned seven more caps including four this year with three starts.
• Press became the 18th player to score 30 or more goals for the U.S. WNT when she tallied against Costa Rica on Feb. 10. She now has 31 in 63 games giving her an average of scoring a goal for every two games she plays (0.50 goals per game).
• On Jan. 23, Morgan became the 34th female player in U.S. history to play 100 times for her country, and she scored her 57th goal. Morgan debuted for the USA on Oct. 2, 2010, vs. China. Morgan has an even better average that Press scoring 0.58 goals per game in her international career.
• Morgan’s goal 12 seconds into the match against Costa Rica on Feb. 10 was the earliest in U.S. WNT history. She also scored the latest goal in U.S. history, tallying after 122 and 22 seconds against Canada in the semifinal of the 2012 Olympics. It was also the quickest in CONCACAF qualifying history, besting Abby Wambach (35 seconds vs. Dominican Republic on Jan. 20, 2012).
• Morgan scored three goals in the Olympic Qualifying semifinal match against Trinidad & Tobago on Feb. 19. It was her third career hat trick and the first since Nov. 28, 2012 against Ireland. With her game-winning goal against England on Feb. 13, Morgan became the 10th player in U.S. history to score 50 or more goals. She now has 63 and is in eighth place on the USA’s all-time goal scoring list. Next up for Morgan is Cindy Parlow’s 75 career goals.
• Lloyd and Morgan have combined for five goals in 2016 with one providing the assist and the other the goal.
• Heath’s two goals in the Olympic Qualifying tournament were her first since the Women’s World Cup Final and were remarkably similar, both coming off spinning left-footed blasts after making runs into the box from the right side. Both were also off excellent and similar passes from Pugh who had made dynamic runs down the left side. Heath now has 14 international goals.
• Six players on the roster have played 100 times or more for the USA, led by Heather O’Reilly’s 228 caps. Lloyd has 219, Hope Solo has 192 followed by Heath’s 113, Morgan with 107 and Becky Sauerbrunn with 102.
• Five players scored their first WNT goals in 2015: Julie Johnston (who got five, including her first against France in the Algarve Cup Final), Kelley O’Hara (on June 30, 2015 against Germany in the Semifinal match of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup), Horan (on Dec. 10 against T&T), Dunn (on Sept. 17 vs. Haiti) and Stephanie McCaffrey, who scored against Brazil in her debut on Oct. 25. All of Johnston’s goals came off set pieces, with the first three assisted by the now-retired Lauren Holiday and one each by Megan Rapinoe and O’Hara.
• Two players have scored their first WNT goals in 2016: Against Puerto Rico in Olympic Qualifying, Mewis scored her first goal at the senior international level to become the second player to score her first goal in 2016, notching the 10th and final goal in stoppage time. Her older sister Kristie also has one international goal for the USA. Pugh became the first player to score her first goal in 2016 for the WNT when she scored in her debut on Jan. 23 vs. Ireland.
• Of the 22 field players on the SheBelieves Cup roster, four players do not have an international goal, all defenders: Emily Sonnett, Sauerbrunn, Jaelene Hinkle and uncapped Lauren Barnes.
• Lloyd has scored 23 goals in the USA’s last 21 matches starting with the Round of 16 game at the WWC, 22 of them coming while playing in a withdrawn forward position. She is in eighth place on the USA’s all-time caps with 219 and in sixth place on the U.S. WNT’s all-time goal scoring list. Lloyd has 86 goals. She scored from the penalty spot while playing center-midfield against Puerto Rico on Feb. 15.
• Hope Solo earned her 97th shutout against France on March 6 and is three away from becoming the first goalkeeper in U.S. history to hit 100. With 192 caps, she is the leader for caps by a goalkeeper in U.S. history and is eight away from becoming the first goalkeeper in U.S. and world history to hit 200 caps. Briana Scurry earned 173 caps in her career (1994-2008).
• Solo has the most starts by a WNT goalkeeper with 185. Solo is also in 9th place on the WNT’s all-time starts list behind Lloyd, who has moved into seventh place, passing Kate Markgraf, with 189.
• Solo has 146 goalkeeper wins and is the all-time leader in wins for a goalkeeper in U.S. history. Brian Scurry had 133 during her career (1994-2008).
• Against France on March 6, Morgan Brian earned her 50th cap at the young age of 23. She became the 52nd female player in U.S. history to reach 50 caps.
• Against France on March 6, Kelley O’Hara hit 75 caps, making her the 40th U.S. female player to hit that mark and tying her with Sydney Leroux for 39th on the all-time caps list.

In Focus: Germany

• Since finishing fourth at the Women’s World Cup in Canada, Germany has been in qualifying for the 2017 UEFA Women’s Championship, dominating the competition as usual and leading Group 5 with 12 points, defeating Hungary, Croatia, Russia and Turkey. Qualifiers continue April 8 against Turkey in Istanbul.
• Even with the retirements of famed goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and prolific striker Célia Šašić, the Germans still have multiple players with extensive experience at the international level. Leading the way is forward Anja Mittag, who has scored 39 goals in her 134 caps and who won the Bronze Boot with five goals at the Women’s World Cup, as well as veteran midfielder Melanie Behringer (30 goals in 115 games). Almuth Schult takes over in goal, but she has a group of veteran defenders in front of her, including Annike Krahn (129 caps) and Saskia Bartusiak (91 caps). Germany has some of the most dangerous attacking players in the world, first and foremost attacking midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan, who at 23 is widely considered one of the best young players in the world. 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.
• At the Women’s World Cup, the two-time World Cup champions were drawn into one of the less challenging groups, facing Norway, Thailand and Ivory Coast. In the group stage, Germany thrashed Ivory Coast (10-0), tied Norway (1-1) and finished off Thailand (4-0) to top the group. Germany ramped up their play in the Round of 16 match, routing Sweden, 4-1. The quarterfinal was a tight game for the Germans, but they advanced to the semifinals after defeating France in penalty kicks following a 1-1 tie that featured a late equalizer in regulation time. The semifinal clash with the USA was an epic match in which Germany missed a penalty kick and Carli Lloyd converted her spot kick before Kelley O’Hara scored her first WNT goal to finish off the 2-0 win. Germany then fell to England 1-0 in the third-place match on a penalty kick in overtime.
• The Germans qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games due to their finish as one of the top two European nations at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Germany will be highly motivated this summer as it has won eight European titles – and six in a row – as well as two Women’s World Cups and three U-20 Women’s World Cup titles, but the Olympic gold medal has eluded them. Germany has participated in four Olympic Games, failing to advance out of group play in an eight-team tournament in 1996. Germany won its group at the 2000 Olympics, but fell to Norway 1-0 in the semifinal and then won the bronze medal, defeating Brazil for third place. In the 2004 Olympics, Germany won its group in an odd 10-team tournament that featured two three team groups and one four-team group. The Germans then defeated Nigeria in the quarterfinal before falling in overtime to the USA in the semifinal by a 2-1 score with a young Heather O’Reilly scoring the winning goal. Germany then won the bronze medal again, defeating Sweden for third place. At the 2008 Olympics that featured 12 teams, Germany won its group again, defeated Sweden in the quarterfinal, but fell at the semifinal stage again, this time to Brazil. However, Germany once again won the bronze medal, this time defeating Japan for third place. Germany failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics after falling in the quarterfinal at the 2011 Women’s World Cup that it hosted, and failing to finish high enough in that tournament to earn qualification for London.
• U.S. defender Ali Krieger, who speaks fluent German, played with or against many of the German players during her 5-plus years playing for FFC Frankfurt.
• Long-time head coach Silva Neid, who will step down after the Olympics and be replaced by German legend Steffi Jones, named 15 players from the 2015 Women’s World Cup and added eight players with a combined 39 senior team caps heading into the SheBelieves Cup.
• Sara Däbritz is suspended for the U.S. game after receiving yellow cards in Germany’s first two matches.

STORYLINES TO FOLLOW

U.S. Roster Breakdown: Of the 22 players named to the roster for the SheBelieves Cup, 19 were on the qualifying squad that earned a spot in the 2016 Olympics. U.S. head coach Jill Ellis recalled 2015 Women’s World Cup champions Whitney Engen and Heather O’Reilly, who with 228 caps is the most experienced player on the U.S. roster. Ellis also gave Seattle Reign defender Lauren Barnes her first WNT call-up. Barnes played every minute of all 20 matches she played for the Reign last season, helping the club to the regular season title and a berth in the NWSL title game. Fifteen players on the roster were a part of the 2015 Women’s World Cup Team while seven players – most of whom have carved out consistent rosters spots in the past six months – make up the remainder of the roster.

Pugh Rises: Mallory Pugh, who will turn 18 in April of 2016, is not only the team’s current leader in assists with four, but she also achieved a rare feat of helping two different teams qualify for a world championship in the same cycle. Last December, she captained the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team to a 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup berth and the CONCACAF title at the qualifying tournament in Honduras, and then helped the U.S. WNT secure its berth to the Olympic Games in Brazil at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship two months later in Texas. Pugh was called up by Jill Ellis for the USA’s January training camp this year, making her one of the youngest field players called into the full U.S. WNT in the past 15 years. Pugh, who will compete in the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea at the end of the year, scored in her senior team debut (the 19th U.S. WNT player to score in her first cap) on Jan. 23 vs. Ireland at 17 years, 8 months and 25 days old, becoming the youngest player to debut for the U.S. in the last 11 years. Pugh earned her second cap with the WNT on Feb. 10, coming on for Crystal Dunn in the 68th minute against Costa Rica in her first Olympic qualifying match and thus became the youngest female player in WNT history to play in an Olympic qualifier match at 17 years, 9 months and 12 days old. She earned her third cap against Mexico when she played the last 16 minutes and was on the field for the winning goal. She got her first career start against Puerto Rico on Feb. 15 and picked up her first WNT assist while creating a PR own goal. She also got starts in the semifinal victory against Trinidad & Tobago and championship game victory against Canada, picking up assists in both games on Tobin Heath goals. With her starts against England on March 3 and France on March 6, she now has started five consecutive games, and picked up the huge assist on Alex Morgan’s goal against France to create the game-winner. Pugh signed a letter of intent on Feb. 3 to play at UCLA starting fall 2016.

Shattering Attendance Records: The USA continues to break city and state attendance marks. The crowd of 25,363 in Nashville set a new record for a U.S. WNT match in the state of Tennessee, breaking the previous mark of 21,535 that watched the USA play Costa Rica in Chattanooga on August 19, 2015, while the crowd at Raymond James Stadium of 13,027 at Raymond James Stadium set a record for a U.S. WNT match in Tampa, breaking the mark of 9,799 that watched the USA play France on June 14, 2014.

11 In; One To Go: Eleven nations have qualified for the 12-team Olympic Football Tournament: The USA and Canada from CONCACAF, Brazil and Colombia from South America, South Africa and Zimbabwe from Africa, New Zealand from Oceania and France and Germany from Europe by virtue of their finish at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Australia and China PR qualified from Asia by finishing in the top two during the tournament that is being held from February 29 – March 9 in Osaka, Japan, and Sweden is in the driver’s seat to earn Europe’s last berth from a mini-tournament being played March 2-9 in the Netherlands featuring Sweden, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. Long-time African power Nigeria, which gave the USA a difficult match in the Women’s World Cup, fell in the third round of African qualifying to Equatorial Guinea, which in turn fell to South Africa, which earned its second straight Olympic berth. Japan, who played in the last three world championship finals against the USA, failed to qualify out of Asia. Japan lost to Australia 3-1, tied Korea Republic 1-1 and also fell to China PR 2-1 to seal its fate.

At FAU Stadium: The U.S. WNT has played three matches in Boca Raton and two at FAU Stadium, defeating Russia 7-0 in 2014 and China PR 4-1 in 2012. The USA also played on campus at FAU Soccer Stadium in 2000 in a closed door international, falling 2-1.

U.S. Women’s National Team SheBelieves Cup Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (3): 18-Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), 21-Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), 1-Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)

DEFENDERS (9): 20-Lauren Barnes (Seattle Reign FC), 6-Whitney Engen (Boston Breakers), 19-Jaelene Hinkle (Western NY Flash), 8-Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), 7-Meghan Klingenberg(Portland Thorns FC), 11-Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), 5- Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), 4- Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), 6- Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 14-Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), 17-Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), 22-Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), 10-Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), 3-Samantha Mewis (Western NY Flash), 9- Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City)

FORWARDS (4): 16-Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), 13-Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), 12-Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars); 2- Mallory Pugh (Real Colorado)

Germany Women’s National Team SheBelieves Cup Roster By Position:

GOALKEEPERS (3): 12-Laura Benkarth (SC Freiburg), 1-Almuth Schult (VfL Wolfsburg), 21-Lisa Weiß (SGS Essen)

DEFENDERS (7): 3-Saskia Bartusiak (1. FFC Frankfurt), 8-Kathrin Hendrich (1. FFC Frankfurt), 2-Josephine Henning (Arsenal Ladies), 22-Tabea Kemme (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam), 5-Annike Krahn (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), 4-Leonie Maier (FC Bayern München), 14-Babett Peter (VfL Wolfsburg)

MIDFIELDERS (7): 7-Melanie Behringer (FC Bayern München), 15-Anna Blässe (VfL Wolfsburg), 23-Sara Däbritz (FC Bayern München), 24-Sara Doorsoun (SGS Essen), 20-Lena Goeßling (VfL Wolfsburg), 16-Svenja Huth (Vfl Wolfsburg), 17-Isabel Kerschowski (VfL Wolfsburg)

FORWARDS (6): 9-Mandy Islacker (1. FFC Frankfurt), 6-Lina Magull (SC Freiburg), 10-Dzsenifer Marozsan (1. FFC Frankfurt), 11-Anja Mittag (Paris St. Germain FC), 19-Lena Petermann (SC Freiburg), 18-Alexandra Popp (VfL Wolfsburg)