The US Women’s National Team hosts the Czech Republic, Iceland and New Zealand in the 2022 SheBelieves Cup. Games take place in California and Texas and begin Thursday, February 17.
The US Women’s roster includes several new players as the program looks to develop the next generation of national team players for future Olympics and World Cup competitions.
Team USA’s SheBelieves Cup 2022 TV schedule:
- Thursday, February 17: USA vs. Czech Republic, 11:00 PM on ESPN
- Sunday, February 20: USA vs. New Zealand, 3:00 PM on ABC
- Wednesday, February 23: USA vs. Iceland, 9:00 PM on ESPN
Viewing tips:
We encourage the girls (parents too!) to watch part of each game to see what high level soccer looks like. (Two of the games have late starts on school nights, so you may want to record them for later viewing.) Many young kids get bored watching sports — they would rather play! — but they are more likely to watch a game if they have specific viewing goals. Things to look for:
Do players keep the ball moving while they play, or do they stop the ball and look around?- Do players get their heads up and turn away from defenders, or do they play with heads down and dribble into defenders?
- Do players keep the ball either by dribbling or passing, or do they kick the ball and chase it?
- Do players always dribble forward toward goal, or do they occasionally dribble or pass sideways or backward to find open space?
- When the USA is attacking, do the backs stay back near their own goal, or do they move forward to help the attack? How far forward?
NASA Tophat connection:
We mentioned that the USA’s tournament roster includes several new names, but our NTH Academy alumna Emily Sonnett (top row, center in the 2004 photo on the left) is still on the roster.
The roster also includes Mallory Pugh (right), who dropped by one of our Junior Academy game days in 2020 to join a team photo.