The U.S. women’s national team’s quick rebuild ahead of the Olympics continues this month at the SheBelieves Cup, where they will battle Japan, Canada and Brazil to win the competition for a seventh time.
Interim head coach Twila Kilgore brought back the bulk of the squad that won the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup last month, with the 19 players who featured in both squads considered part of a group of frontrunners for tickets to Paris. This year’s edition of the SheBelieves Cup, though, could see some new candidates enter the fray, since Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario are back with the USWNT after recovering from long-term injuries and Europe-based youngsters Lily Yohannes and Eva Gaetino are in camp for the first time.
It’s unclear how much experimentation Kilgore will opt for after prioritizing tinkering at the Gold Cup, but the new additions to the roster are full of potential in both the short-term and the long-term. Swanson seemed destined to be the center point of the USWNT’s attack before tearing her patella tendon a year ago, while Macario was poised to be an important of the team’s midfield before a nearly two year absence with an ACL tear. Fitness will play a big deciding factor in their prospects for the Olympics, but it seems likely the pair will get some minutes as they aim to play a big part in a new-look USWNT.
Yohannes and Gaetino, meanwhile, are the latest exciting new prospects in a rebuild that has showcased a handful of them. It’s especially true for the 16-year-old Yohannes, who became the youngest player — male or female — to start a group stage match in the UEFA Champions League and played a big role in Ajax’s run to the quarterfinals. The Virginia-born midfielder is also in the process of obtaining Dutch citizenship and has suitors in the Netherlands national team set-up, making her one of the buzziest young talents in the USWNT’s player pool.
The SheBelieves Cup serves as strong prep for the Olympics, since each of the four participants are also slated to take part in the Games. They might also be the toughest tasks for the USWNT before they make the journey to France, since only four games will be on the schedule in between the SheBelieves Cup and Paris.
A new format
To fit into the FIFA international window, the SheBelieves Cup is swapping its traditional round-robin style for a bracket in 2024. The semifinals will take place on Saturday at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the USWNT will take on Japan and Canada will face Brazil. All four teams will then journey to Columbus’ Lower.com Field on Tuesday, where the third-place match and the final will take place.
Here’s a look at the schedule for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.
All times U.S./Eastern
Semifinals
Saturday, April 6
USWNT vs. Japan, 12:30 p.m. (TNT, Max)
Canada vs. Brazil, 3:30 p.m. (Max)
Third place match
Tuesday, April 9
USWNT/Japan vs. Canada/Brazil, TBD (TBS, Max)
Final
Tuesday, April 9
USWNT/Japan vs. Canada/Brazil, TBD (TBS, Max)
