USWNT to face Japan on June 2 in Colorado
CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team will face Japan on June 2 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, in the first of two June matches. The event will start at 7 p.m. MT and will be broadcast on FS1.
The game at the home of Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids will mark the first meeting between the teams since the historic 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final in Vancouver, B.C. on July 5 of last year. The USA won 5-2 on the strength of Carli Lloyd’s record-setting hat trick to claim its record third Women’s World Cup title.
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“Given the history and rivalry of these two teams, we know this match will provide challenges and pressures similar to what we will see in Rio, so in terms of preparation, we couldn’t ask for a better match up,” said U.S. head coach Jill Ellis.
Additional Notes
- The USA is 9-0-0 in 2016 heading into two matches against Colombia, on April 6 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Conn. (7 p.m. ET on FS1) and four days later on April 10 at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa. (2 p.m. ET on ESPN).
- The USA and Japan have met in the last three world championship finals – the 2011 Women’s World Cup, the 2012 Olympics and the 2015 Women’s World Cup – but Japan failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics at the very difficult Asia qualifying tournament earlier in March.
- This will be the USA’s fourth visit to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and fifth to Denver. The WNT has won all four games, playing at DSG in 2008 (1-0 vs. Brazil), 2012 (6-2 vs. Australia) and 2014 (2-0 vs. China PR). The USA defeated Brazil 6-0 at Mile High Stadium back in 1999 following the Women’s World Cup triumph on home soil.
- There are currently three players in the mix to make the Olympic Team who hail from Colorado: midfielders Lindsey Horan (Golden) and Mallory Pugh (Highlands Ranch) and defender Jaelene Hinkle (Denver).
