POSTED: Friday February 11th 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. WOMEN TO PLAY FIRST MATCH IN ENGLAND ON APRIL 2
USA vs. England Will Take Place at Leyton Orient in East London; Clash in London Will be Shown Live on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET
CHICAGO (Feb. 7, 2011) - The U.S. Women’s National Team will play its
first match in England when it faces the host on April 2 at Matchroom
Stadium in east London, home to English League One side Leyton Orient.
Matchroom Stadium, also known as Brisbane Road, seats just more than
9,000 fans. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET.
Fans can also follow the match via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on
Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.
The match will be a part of a 20-day training camp in the U.K. for the
U.S., which is preparing for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in
Germany from June 26-July 17.
“First of all, England is a soccer country and the atmosphere while
playing a game there will be wonderful,” said U.S. Women’s National
Team head coach Pia Sundhage. “The World Cup is being played in Europe
so the more time we can spend there the better.”
The U.S. has met England just 10 times in its 27-year history. Four of
the games have been in Europe (two in Italy, one in France, one in
Portugal) and four in the United States. The last two matches took
place in China, including the most recent meeting, a 3-0 quarterfinal
victory for the USA at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Sundhage will bring 23 players to England on a trip that will also
feature training matches against England and Scotland.
England features one of the world’s best players in midfielder Kelly
Smith, who plays for the Boston Breakers in Women’s Professional
Soccer. Smith, who played her college soccer at Seton Hall in New
Jersey, finished fourth in the voting for FIFA Women’s World Player of
the Year in 2010.
“England has an interesting way of attacking and some talented wing
players,” said Sundhage. “Seeing how we deal with Kelly Smith will
also be an important experience for our team.”
The U.S. team is currently finished up a training camp in Florida,
after which Sundhage will chose a roster for the 2011 Algarve Cup in
Portugal. The USA will face Japan (March 2), Norway (March 4) and
Finland (March 7) in group play during the tournament. The placement
matches are on March 9. Following the Algarve Cup, the U.S. team will
have 10 days off before the team leaves for England on March 21.
“I’ve been on this team for almost 15 years and to be finally going to
England is really exciting for our players and staff,” said U.S.
captain Christie Rampone. “It will not only be a great experience for
our team, but a competitive match against a country that’s also in the
World Cup. I’ve played with and against a bunch of English players in
WPS and we all have great respect for their commitment to the game.”
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Keywords · US · Womens Soccer · Kelly Smith · England · 2011 FIFA Womens World Cup
Name: Us Soccer
Organization: US Soccer
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