USWNT facing France today in Algarve Cup final (12 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1)

(Via U.S. Soccer) – Following a 2-1 win against Norway, a 3-0 triumph over Switzerland and a 0-0 draw with Iceland, the U.S. WNT finished atop Group B with seven points and with the second-best point total of the three group winners. The U.S. earned a spot alongside Group C champion France (9 points) in the championship match of the 2015 Algarve Cup. USA-France will kick off at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11, at the Algarve Stadium in Algarve, Portugal. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports2Go. 

+Read: USWNT earns berth in Algarve Cup championship with 0-0 draw vs. Iceland

GOING FOR 10: The championship game will represent the program’s 14th Algarve Cup Final appearance. The U.S. WNT most recently won the Algarve Cup in 2013, beating Germany 2-0 in the title game to earn its ninth title, the most of any country. This year’s tournament features six of the world’s top-10 ranked teams, including the top five. Brazil, currently ranked eighth, is participating for the first time. In all, 11 of the 12 participating countries are ranked in the top-20 in the world.

2015 Algarve Cup Placement Matches

22nd Annual Algarve Cup Final Group Standings
Group A

Group A Update: Germany finished group play with a strong result, trouncing Brazil 3-1 on goals from Alexandra Popp, Celia Sasic and Dzsenifer Marozsan. Sweden rebounded from its loss against Brazil with a dominant 3-0 win against China PR on a penalty kick by Lotta Schelin and goals by Kosovare Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson. Tied with six points each, the Group A winner was determined by head-to-head results between Sweden and Germany. Sweden beat Germany 4-2 in their first group matchup on March 4, thus claiming the top spot.

Group B

Group B Update: The USA secured its place in the championship game place after a 0-0 draw against Iceland gave the team seven points, the second-best points total in all three groups. The other Group B match also ended in a draw, with Norway getting goals from Trine Ronning and Isabell Herlovsen in the second half and Switzerland tying it up thanks to Rahel Kiwic and Fabienne Humm.

Group C

Group C Update: France finished Group C with its third win in a row, taking down Japan 3-1 after falling behind 1-0 in the first half. Gaëtane Thiney’s penalty kick sparked the French comeback which was aided by a goal from Eugénie Le Sommer and a second goal from Thiney. France was the only country to finish with the full nine points and the most of all teams, earning a spot in the championship match. Denmark had a seemingly safe 2-0 lead on Portugal with about 15 minutes left in the game but a penalty kick by Dolores Silva and an 86-minute goal by Claudia Neto tied the score 2-2 and allowed the Portuguese to come out with a draw.

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 (22) and Kristine Lilly (13). Alex Morgan also has 12 at the Algarve Cup.
• The USA’s five goals so far in the tournament have come from four different players.
• Lloyd and Morgan are the only U.S. players to receive a yellow card, but all U.S. players are eligible for the championship.
• 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.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS:

• World goal scoring record holder Abby Wambach tallied her 178th goal during the USA’s 3-0 victory against Switzerland on March 6. Wambach is now 20 goals ahead of previous U.S. WNT goal scoring record holder Mia Hamm (158 goals from 1987-2004).
• With two goals against Norway on March 4, Carli Lloyd upped her career total to 63. She is in 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 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 216, she is seventh on the USA’s all-time list. Abby Wambach (237) and Christie Rampone (304) are the only active players ahead of her. Rampone is currently the second most-capped player in U.S. and world history behind Kristine Lilly (352).
• Hope Solo came into the tournament with a U.S. record 78 career shutouts and with clean sheets against Switzerland and Iceland. She now has 80 in 165 games.
• Solo is tied for the most starts by a WNT goalkeeper, matching Briana Scurry’s 159 during the USA’s scoreless draw against Iceland on Monday. Solo and Scurry are tied for 12th on the WNT’s all-time starts list, one behind 11th-place Brandi Chastain (160 games from 1988-2004).
• Lori Chalupny and Megan Rapinoe each have 98 caps in their WNT careers as they near the century mark. Thirty other WNT players have reached that milestone, including nine other players currently in the 2015 Algarve Cup roster. 

U.S. WNT AT THE ALGARVE CUP

• The USA has a 55-12-11 record all-time at the Algarve Cup.
• The USA will be making its 14th appearance in an Algarve Cup final, having won the tournament nine times, the most of any country.
• The USA has scored 170 goals while allowing 62 at the Algarve Cup.
• There are now 38 different WNT players have scored at the Algarve Cup.
• Wambach’s 22 goals are tops all-time at the Algarve Cup for a U.S. player and one of the leaders all time in the 22-year history of the tournament.

Videos and Photo Galleries:

• WNT vs. Iceland: Highlights – March 11, 2015 (Video)
• WNT Advances to Algarve Cup Title Game (Photo Gallery)

ALL-TIME U.S. FINISHES AT THE ALGARVE CUP: The USA has had some tremendous and remarkable success at the Algarve Cup (eight straight appearances in the championship game from 2004-2012 and nine titles overall), but the USA didn’t win its first title until its sixth try in 2000 when a Brandi Chastain penalty kick defeated Norway in the title game 1-0. It took the USA three years to win it again.

IN FOCUS: FRANCE

Current FIFA World Ranking: 3
2015 Women’s World Cup Qualifying: Won Group 7 in UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying (10-0-0; 54 GF, 3 GA)
Women’s World Cup Finals Appearances: 3 – 2003 (9th), 2011 (4th), 2015
Record vs. USA: 1-14-2
Head Coach: Philippe Bergeroo
Championship Honors: None
Leading Women’s World Cup Qualifying Scorers: Gaëtane Thiney (13), Marie-Laure Delie (9), Eugénie Le Sommer (7), Wendie Renard (5)
Key Players: Gaëtane Thiney (Juvisy), Louisa Necib (Lyon), Wendie Renard (Lyon), Eugénie Le Sommer (Lyon), Marie-Laure Delie (PSG), Laura Georges (PSG)

2105 Algarve Cup France Women’s National Team Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 16-Sarah Bouhaddi (Olympique Lyonnais), 21-Méline Gerard (A.S. Saint-Etienne), 1-Emmeline Mainguy (EA Guingamp)
DEFENDERS (8): 3-Laure Boulleau (Paris Saint-Germain), 20-Anaïg Butel (F.C.F. Juvisy), 5-Sabrina Delannoy (Paris Saint-Germain), 8-Jessica Houara (Paris Saint-Germain), 22-Amel Majri (Olympique Lyonnais), 19-Griedge M’Bock Bathy Nka (E.A. Guingamp), 2-Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyonnais), 4-Sandra Toletti (Montpellier HSC)
MIDFIELDERS (9): 10-Camille Abily (Olympique Lyonnais), 15-Elise Bussaglia (Olympique Lyonnais), 7-Kenza Dali (Paris-Saint-Germain), 23-Kheira Hamraoui (Paris-Saint-Germain), 6-Amandine Henry (Olympique Lyonnais), 14-Aureli Kaci (Paris Saint-Germain FC), 11-Claire Lavogez (Montpellier H.S.C), 17-Gaëtane Thiney (F.C.F. Juvisy), 12-Elodie Thomis (Olympique Lyonnais)
FORWARDS (3): 18-Marie-Laure Delie (Paris-Saint-Germain), 13-Kadidiatou Diani (F.C.F Juvisy), 9-Eugénie Le Sommer (Olympique Lyonnais)

USA VS. FRANCE SERIES

• Despite first playing France in 1988, the U.S. Women do not have an extensive history against France, having played just 17 times and only five times since 2006.
• The most recent meeting came just over a month ago in Lorient, France, on Feb. 8 when the USA fell to France 2-0 for the first time in the series history. France scored twice in a two-minute span in the second half on a header from Eugénie Le Sommer and a miss-hit cross from the right wing by Jessica Houara that flew over U.S. goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, hit the far post, and bounced in.
• The USA and France also faced each other twice in June 2014, a 1-0 U.S. victory in Tampa, Florida, on a goal from Sydney Leroux and a 2-2 draw in East Hartford, Connecticut, as Alex Morgan scored both goals, equalizing twice to cancel out scores from Louisa Necib (on a penalty kick) and Amandine Henry.
• Before those matches, there came an epic pair of matches in world championships. The USA defeated France 3-1 on July 13, 2011, in the FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal in Monchengladbach, Germany. The U.S. also won the Olympic curtain raiser 4-2 on July 25, 2012, in Glasgow, Scotland, as Alex Morgan scored twice, while Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd contributed a goal each.
• The USA is 14-1-2 all-time against France. Seven of those meetings took place from 1991-97.
• The USA has scored 48 goals against France while allowing 15.
• Before the 2-2 draw in 2014, the first tie between the teams came at the Four Nations Tournament in Guangzhou, China, in 2006, a 0-0 draw.
• U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath played with and against almost all the French players while playing with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.
• France is in Group F at the Women’s World Cup with England, Colombia and Mexico.

FRANCE ROSTER NOTES

• France, which will be considered one of the favorites this summer at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, has some of the best players in the world at their positions and some of the best team speed in the world, in addition to center back Wendie Renard, who matches up to the size of Abby Wambach, a rare occurrence in international women’s soccer.
• France has depth in the attack with powerful midfielder/forward Gaetane Thiney scoring 13 goals in WWC qualifying.
• France strolled through its World Cup qualifying campaign to secure a third appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, winning all 10 Group 7 matches, while scoring 54 goals and conceding three.
• In October of 2014, France earned its first victory over Germany, winning 2-0 in Offenbach.
• France, which won the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, also has some tremendous young talent, led by Griedge Mbock-Bathy and Claire Lavogez. France finished third at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
• France head coach Philippe Bergeroo took over from Bruno Bini in September of 2013. A former French international goalkeeper and EURO 1984 winner, he had previously coached Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes, and the French men’s U-17 side, and was part of Aime Jacquet’s backroom staff during France 1998. This is the first time in his career that he has been in charge of a women’s team.
• French midfielder Camille Abily played in Women’s Professional Soccer with the Los Angeles Sol and FC Gold Pride, winning the title with FCGP in 2010.
• Almost the entire French team comes from the top four clubs in France. Perennial champion and two-time Champions League winners Olympique Lyonnais, which has won six consecutive French league titles including last season, has eight players on the roster. Runner-up PSG, which features American Lindsey Horan, has seven players.

LAST TIME on the field vs. FRA:
Feb. 8, 2015 – Stade du Moustoir; Lorient, France
USA    0
FRA    2    Le Sommer 50; Houara 51

Lineups:
USA: 24-Ashlyn Harris; 25-Meghan Klingenberg, 6-Whitney Engen, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 16-Lori Chalupny (11-Ali Krieger, 55); 17-Tobin Heath (8-Amy Rodriguez, 77), 15-Morgan Brian (20-Abby Wambach, 63), 12-Lauren Holiday, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.); 23-Christen Press, 13-Alex Morgan
Subs Not Used: 5-Kelley O’Hara, 7-Shannon Boxx, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 14-Julie Johnston, 18-Nicole Barnhart, 19-Rachel Van Hollebeke, 21-Alyssa Naeher, 22-Crystal Dunn, 26-Tori Huster
Head coach: Jill Ellis

FRA: 1-Sarah Bouhaddi; 8-Jessica Houara, 4-Laura Georges, 2-Wendie Renard, 22-Amel Majri; 12-Elodie Thomis (11-Claire Lavogez, 74), 10-Camille Abily (23-Kheira Hamaroui, 82), 6-Amandine Henry, 14-Louisa Necib (7-Kenza Dali, 40); 17-Gaëtane Thiney (18-Marie Laure Delie, 87), 9-Eugénie Le Sommer (15-Elise Bussaglia, 74)
Subs Not Used: 1-Céline Deville, 3-Laure Boulleau, 5-Sabrina Delannoy, 13-Kadiatou Diani, 19-Gridge Mbock Bathy, 20-Anaig Butel, 21-Meline Gerard
Head coach: Philippe Bergeroo