December 9, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – FC Dallas News Release
FRISCO, TX – Toyota Stadium in Frisco will host the final doubleheader of the eighth annual SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa©, on Feb. 22 with Canada facing Japan at 3 p.m. CT followed by the U.S. Women’s National Team’s match against Brazil at 6 p.m. CT.
The USWNT returns to Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, for its ninth match there and first since the finale of the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, where the USA downed Iceland, 5-0 on Feb. 23.
The USA, Brazil, Japan, and Canada will use this tournament as important World Cup preparation before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup next summer. All four teams are currently ranked in the top 11 in the world with the USA at No. 1, Canada at No. 6, Brazil at No. 9 and Japan at No. 11.
“The first five games of the 2023 schedule will all be against teams playing in the World Cup and we expect to confirm a few more matches against top opponents before we go to New Zealand during the summer,” said U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “We love the SheBelieves Cup for the world class competition it brings, the format that helps replicate group play at a World Cup and the overall meaning that it has for our team and women’s sports. Obviously, you get more rest days in a World Cup, but managing a roster with three games over seven days against teams with three very different styles of play is really good preparation for us as we continue to grow as a team towards next summer.”
The SheBelieves Cup is part of U.S. Soccer’s SheBelieves initiative to inspire and empower women and girls to achieve their goals in sport and beyond. The six-game tournament was first played in 2016. The USA won the inaugural edition and France took top honors in 2017. The USA won again in 2018, and England finished first in 2019, but the USA returned to the top of the podium in 2020, the first title for Andonovski, and took top honors in both 2021 and 2022.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, the entirety of 2021 SheBelieves Cup was held at one stadium in Orlando, Fla. and the 2022 tournament was staged in two cities and two stadiums. For its 2023 edition, the tournament will return to its traditional three-venue format with matches played at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla., GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tenn. and Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Andonovski will name a 23-player roster for the tournament.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The competition format will be the same as for the previous seven years…
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