Following an action-packed meeting with England on Friday night, the U.S. Women’s National Team returns to field on Tuesday, Oct. 11, closing out its two-game European tour with a matchup against Spain. The teams will square off at El Sadar Stadium in Pamplona, with kicking off at 2:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. local in what will be just the fourth meeting all-time between the sides.
Spain enters the match coming off a 1-1 draw against Sweden on Friday while the USA is coming off a narrow 2-1 defeat to England at Wembley Stadium, a highly entertaining affair played in front of 76,893 fans, which set a record for the highest-attended friendly in USWNT history.
Following the match against Spain, the USA will close out the 2022 campaign on home soil, hosting Germany during the November FIFA Window. The teams will square off on Nov. 10 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (7 p.m. ET on FS1) and then against on Nov. 13 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. (5 p.m. ET on ESPN) in a matchup between the top two teams in the FIFA Rankings. The USA is currently ranked No. 1 in the world while Germany, which defeated France 2-1 in its first match of this October international window, is ranked No. 2.
Fans will also be able to follow the action via Twitter (@USWNT), Instagram (@USWNT), Facebook and the official U.S. Soccer App.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current), Carson Pickett (North Carolina Courage), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC),
MIDFIELDERS (8): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Jaelin Howell (Racing Louisville FC), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
FORWARDS (5): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy)
The USA was forced to make one change to its roster following Friday’s match against England as defender Carson Pickett was added to the roster, replacing defender Emily Fox, who is in concussion protocols following a collision early in the match against the Lionesses. This is Pickett’s second callup and first since the USWNT’s June Camp and matches against Colombia. She earned her first – and to this point only – cap on June 28 in Sandy, Utah, where she started and played the full 90 minutes against Colombia. In the process Pickett, who was born without a left forearm, became the first player with a limb difference to play for the USWNT.
The USA and Spain will square off for just the fourth time in a series that only dates back to 2019, when the teams met for the first time ever for a friendly in Alicante, Spain in January of 2019, a 1-0 win for the Americans. The teams met again six months later in the Round of 16 at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, a 2-1 come-from-behind victory for the USA, and then most recently at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, where a set-piece goal from Julie Ertz in the 87th minute proved to be the difference in the USWNT’s 1-0 win.
Six players on this USA roster have previous experience against Spain – Megan Rapinoe, who scored twice against Spain at the 2019 World Cup — Alyssa Naeher, Lindsey Horan, Becky Sauerbrunn, Rose Lavelle and Crystal Dunn.
Spain will be the eighth different European opponent the USA has faced since the start of 2021, having played Sweden twice during that span and England, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Czech Republic and Iceland once each. The USA is now 3-2-3 against UEFA foes during that span, including a 1-1-1 mark in matches played in Europe.
The 2022 U.S. Women’s National Team Media Guide is available for download. The Media Guide features all the history and statistic for the USWNT, as well as full bios on technical staff and the current top players, information on the USA’s Youth Women’s National Teams and general important information on U.S. Soccer.
With the opening match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup less than a year away, 27 teams have already qualified for the tournament, which has been expanded to now feature 32 teams, up from 24 in both 2015 and 2019. The nations that have already punched their tickets Down Under are co-hosts Australia and New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China PR, Philippines and Vietnam from Asia, and Sweden, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, England, Norway, Italy and the Netherlands from Europe, the USA, Costa Rica, Canada and Jamaica from Concacaf, Zambia, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa from Africa and Brazil, Colombia and Argentina from South America. This will be the first Women’s World Cup at any level the Philippines and Vietnam, who qualified through the AFC Asian Women’s Cup, as well as Morocco and Zambia, who qualified through the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations. Still to be filled are two remaining slots from Europe – two of which will come from the UEFA Qualifying playoffs tomorrow which feature Switzerland-Wales, Scotland-Ireland and Portland Iceland – and three slots from the 10-team playoff tournament that will feature two teams from Asia (Chinese Taipei and Thailand), two from Africa (Cameroon and Senegal), two from Concacaf (Haiti and Panama), two from South America (Chile and Paraguay), one from Oceania (Papua New Guinea) and one from Europe.
The USA has qualified for its ninth consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup, having played in every tournament since the competition’s inception in 1991 and winning a record four titles. Brazil, Japan, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Nigeria have also qualified for a ninth Women’s World Cup.
The draw for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held on October 22 in Auckland as all the competing nations will find out their group play schedules and path through the tournament.
IN FOCUS: SPAIN | FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
Current FIFA World Ranking: 8
UEFA Ranking: 6
FIFA Country Code: ESP
World Cup Appearances: 2 (2015, 2019)
Best World Cup finish: Round of 16 (2019)
Record vs. USA: 0-3-0
Last Meeting vs. USA: March 8, 2020 (1-0 win for USA in Harrison, N.J.)
Head Coach: Jorge Vilda (ESP)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Sun Quiñones (Athletic Bilboa), Enith Salon (Valencia CF), Misa Rodriguez (Real Madrid)
DEFENDERS (8): Oihane Hernandez (Athletic Bilboa), Lucia Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Rocio Galvez (Real Madrid), Ivana Andres (Real Madrid), María Méndez (Levante), Laia Codina (FC Barcelona), Olga Carmona (Real Madrid), 20-Nuria Rábano (FC Barcelona)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Anna Torroda (Valencia CF), Maitane López (Atletico Madrid), Matie Orzo (Real Madrid), Teresa Abelleira (Real Madrid), Irene Guerrero (Atletico Madrid), Claudia Zornoza (Real Madrid)
FORWARDS (6): Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid), Andrea Falcón (Club America, MEX), Alba Redondo (Levante), Ane Azkona (Athletic Bilbao), Marta Cardona (Atletico Madrid), Esther Gonzale (Real Madrid)
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