USWNT to play friendlies vs. Russia in Texas on April 6, April 9

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team will take a swing through Texas to play Russia twice in April, opening the two-game set on Thursday, April 6, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas (7:30 p.m. CT; FOX Sports 1). Three days later, the teams will meet on Sunday, April 9, at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston (1 p.m. CT; ESPN).

These will be the final U.S. WNT matches before the National Women’s Soccer League kicks off its historic fifth season.

Russia, which is set to compete in the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro this summer in the Netherlands, was drawn into a tough Group B with Germany, Italy and Sweden. Russia qualified for the tournament by finishing second behind Germany in Group 5 of the qualifying process.

These will be the first friendly matches on U.S. soil since early November of last year and will come a month after the SheBelieves Cup, which brings Germany, France and England to the USA from March 1-7 for three high-profile doubleheaders.

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Additional Notes:

• The USA last met Russia in two February friendlies in 2014, winning 7-0 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. and 8-0 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Prior to those games, the teams hadn’t met since 2002 in the opening game of the Nike U.S. Women’s Cup in Uniondale, N.Y.
• Russia is currently ranked 23rd in the world by FIFA.
• Nine different players scored for Russia during Euro qualifying, including two goals each from Elena Terekhova, Nadezhda Karpova, Ekaterina Pantyukhina and Elena Danilova.
• The USA played five games in Texas at the beginning of 2016, all during CONCACAF Qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. The U.S. team played three group-phase matches at Toyota Stadium, winning all by shutout, and then played the semifinal and championship game at BBVA Compass Stadium, defeating Trinidad & Tobago (5-0) and Canada (2-0), respectively.
• The U.S. Women have played six matches – all wins – at Toyota Stadium, home of the 2016 U.S. Lamar Hunt Open Cup and MLS Supporters Shield Winners FC Dallas; and three matches at BBVA Compass Stadium, home of MLS’ Houston Dynamo and the NWSL’s Houston Dash, winning all by shutout.
• These will be the 18th and 19th matches all-time for the U.S. Women in the state of Texas.