USWNT to host Mexico for international friendly on April 8 in Houston
CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team will face Mexico on Sunday, April 8, at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston (12:30 p.m. CT; FOX) as both teams continue preparations for CONCACAF qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
CONCACAF CLASH RENEWED
Although the USA has faced Mexico 34 times in its history, the teams have met just once in the past two and half years, a game that also took place in Texas. That match was in February of 2016 during Olympic Qualifying in Frisco, a 1-0 victory on a goal from Carli Lloyd. The last friendly between the teams took place on May 17, 2015, in a Women’s World Cup warm-up match, a 5-1 U.S. victory in Carson, Calif.
The match will be a preview of a possible meeting in CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifying that will be held this coming fall. Both teams are in preparations for that tournament, which will send three countries to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and a fourth into a two-game playoff with the third-place team from South America.
SAID ELLIS:
“It will be good to get back together after the start of the new NWSL season and we will look forward to refocusing on our team goals as we continue to move towards World Cup qualifying,” said U.S. WNT head coach Jill Ellis. “Mexico has made great strides at the senior and youth levels, and that benefits our region and our team as it gives us the opportunity to play more quality matches against CONCACAF opponents.”
Additional Notes:
- The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol officially launched the Liga MX Femenil last year, with Guadalajara defeating Pachuca for the inaugural championship in a two-leg series that drew record crowds of 28,955 and 32,466 fans.
- BBVA Compass Stadium is the home to the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League and the Houston Dynamo of MLS.
- Across 34 all-time meetings, Mexico has defeated the USA once and drawn once. The win came in the semifinal of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2011 Women’s World Cup, a 2-1 victory in Cancun, Mexico. The setback forced the USA to win the tournament’s third-place match and then a two-leg playoff with Italy to qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Germany.
- The U.S. Women have played three matches at BBVA Compass Stadium since the venue opened in 2012. The first was a 4-0 win vs. China PR in 2012 followed by two games in the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, a 5-0 win vs. Trinidad & Tobago that qualified the USA for the Rio Olympics and a 2-0 win in the championship game against Canada.
