By Kenta Hagiwara
FORMAT
In past years, the SheBelieves Cup was formatted in the traditional “group stage” format for tournaments. Four team would play each other once, round robin style, across three match days. The winner would be determined by who ended up on top of the table after the final matchday. With the introduction of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup just a month ago, a tournament where the US Women’s National Team won, the SheBelieves Cup lost a matchday and is now just two matches for each nation.
Matchday 1 will be hosted at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA on April 6, 2024. The USWNT plays Japan, kicking off at 12:30pm EDT, followed up with Brazil playing Canada, kicking off at 3:30pm EDT. Matchday 2 will be hosted at Lower.com Stadium in Columbus, OH on April 9, 2024. The winners of the two matches in Atlanta will face each other for the SheBelieves Cup Final at 7:00pm EDT, while the other two teams will play for third place prior to the final at 4:00pm USA (US Women’s National Team)
FIFA RANK: #42023 SheBelieves Cup Result: First place (9 points, +4 GD). 2-0 W vs Canada, 1-0 W vs Japan, 2-1 W vs Brazil.
The US Women’s National Team, ranked fourth in the world at the moment, their lowest ever FIFA ranking. This comes after winning the first ever edition of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, losing only once to Mexico. Despite the results and the trophy won, three European countries are currently ranked higher than the USWNT – Spain (#1), England (#2), and France (#3).
Another tournament on home soil for the USWNT, but some new faces are eager to earn their first cap for the national team. One to keep an eye out for – 16 year old midfielder Lily Isabella Yohannes, currently playing in the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen for Ajax. Yohannes’ assist against Feyenoord in February was… special.
USA have participated in all editions of the SheBelieves Cup as the hosts, winning six of eight, including the last four tournaments.
Roster
Goalkeepers:Jane Campbell (Houston Dash, USA)Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage, USA)Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars, USA)
Defenders:Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC, USA)Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC, USA)Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC, USA)Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, England)Eva Gaetino* (Paris Saint-Germain, France)Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC, USA)Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit, USA)Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC, USA)
Midfielders:Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, France)Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC, USA)Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, France)Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC, USA)Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC, USA)Lily Yohannes* (AFC Ajax, Netherlands)
Forwards:Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, England)Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC, USA)Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit, USA)Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC, USA)Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC, USA)Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars, USA
*First senior team call-up.
Japan (Nadeshiko Japan)
FIFA RANK: #72023 SheBelieves Cup Result: Second place (3 points, +1 GD). 0-1 L vs Brazil, 0-1 L vs USA, 3-0 W vs Canada.
Nadeshiko Japan is the only team in the SheBelieves Cup that did not participate in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup held here in the USA, instead, winning the AFC Summer Olympics Qualification over North Korea. Japan qualifies alongside Australia (#12), who beat Uzbekistan 13-0 in a two legged matchup.
Of course, whenever one talks about Nadeshiko Japan, the first name that comes to mind is midfielder Kumagai Saki from Roma. Kumagai scored the winning penalty against the USWNT in the 2011 World Cup Final to win Japan their first ever Women’s World Cup trophy. Also scored the decisive penalty for Lyon in the 2016 UEFA Women’s Champions League Final.
Nadeshiko had a dominant group stage in the Women’s World Cup last summer, beating Costa Rica (#44) 2-0, current FIFA World Rank #1 Spain 4-0, and Norway (#16) 3-1, and crashed out in the Round of 16 to Sweden (#6).
Japan have participated three times in the SheBelieves Cup, most recently in 2023, where they finished second.
Roster
Goalkeepers:Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata Ladies, Japan)Shu Ohba (University of Mississippi, USA)Ayaka Yamashita (INAFC Kobe Leonessa, Japan)
Defenders:Rion Ishikawa (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies, Japan)Hikaru Kitagawa (INAC Kobe Leonessa, Japan)Toko Koga (Feyenoord Rotterdam, Netherlands)Moeka Minami (AS Roma, Italy)Miyabi Moriya (INAC Kobe Leonessa, Japan)Risa Shimizu (West Ham United, England)
Midfielders:Aoba Fujino (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza, Japan)Maika Hamano (Chelsea FC, England)Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City, England)Honoka Hayashi (West Ham United, England)Saki Kumagai (AS Roma, Italy)Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United FC, England)Fuka Nagano (Liverpool FC, England)Momoko Tanikawa (FC Rosengard, Sweden)
Forwards:Kiko Seike (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies, Japan)Hina Sugita (Portland Thorns FC, USA)Mina Tanaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa, Japan)Riko Ueki (West Ham United, England)Mami Ueno (Sanfreece Hiroshima Regina, Japan)
Canada (Canucks)
FIFA RANK: #92023 SheBelieves Cup Result: Fourth place (3 points, -3 GD). 0-2 L vs USA, 2-0 W vs Brazil, 0-3 L vs Japan.
Canada lost against the USWNT in a match affected heavily by weather. A 2-2 draw through 120 minutes saw the two sides go to PKs, where Alyssa Naeher’s heroics won the USA a trip to the W Gold Cup final, a match they went on to win.
Arsenal Women’s winger Cloe Lacasse won her first trophy with the English club, hoisting the 2024 Conti Cup at the end of March. Lacasse also had four goal contributions in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup… in a single match against El Salvador. Sparkplug.
Canada have participated twice in the SheBelieves Cup, most recently in 2023, where they finished last.
Roster
Goalkeepers:Sabrina D’Angelo (Arsenal FC, England)Lysianne Proulx (Bay FC, Australia)Kailen Sheridan (San Diego Wave FC, USA)
Defenders:Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea FC, England)Gabrielle Carle (Washington Spirit, USA)Vanessa Gilles (FCF Olympique Lyonnais, France)Ashley Lawrence (Chelsea FC, England)Emma Regan (HB Koge, Denmark)Jade Rose (Harvard University, USA)Bianca St-Georges (North Carolina Courage, USA)Shelina Zadorsky (West Ham United FC, England)
Midfielders:Marie-Yasmine Alidou (SL Benfica, Portugal)Simi Awujo (University of Southern California, USA)Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns FC, USA)Julia Grosso (Juventus FC, Italy)Desiree Scott (Kansas City Current, USA)
Forwards:Janine Beckie (Portland Thorns FC, USA)Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign FC, USA)Cloe Lacasse (Arsenal FC, England)Clarissa Larisey (BK Hacken FF, Sweden)Adriana Leon (Aston Villa WFC, England)Deanne Rose (Leicester City FC, England)Evelyne Viens (AS Roma, Italy)
Brazil (As Canarinhas)
FIFA RANK: #102023 SheBelieves Cup Result: Third place (3 points, -2 GD). 1-0 W vs Japan, 0-2 L vs Canada, 1-2 L vs USA.
Brazil is coming off a tough loss to the US Women’s National Team in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup Final on… March 10th. Brazil DOMINATED their way through the tournament – including a 5-0 win against Panama, a 5-1 win against Argentina, and a 3-0 win against Mexico. After crashing out in the group stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup with a loss to France and a draw to Jamaica (#42), Brazil are 5-1-0, with their only loss coming at the hands of the US Women’s NT.
Will this be the last SheBelieves Cup for Brazilian legend Marta? She’s started her 2024 season in NWSL with Orlando with a goal in late March against Angel City FC. Now age 38, this could be the last SheBelieves Cup Marta participates in. Marta, with 175 national team caps, has the second most in Brazil women’s national team history, only behind Formiga (206).
Brazil have participated three times in the SheBelieves Cup, most recently in 2023, where they finished third.
Roster
Goalkeepers:Gabi Barbieri (Flamengo, Brazil)Lorena (Gremio, Brazil)Tainá (América-MG, Brazil)
Defenders:Tarciane (Corinthians, Brazil)Lauren (Kansas City Current, USA)Antonia (Levante UD, Spain)Thais Ferreira (Tenerife, Spain)Tamires (Corinthains, Brazil)Yasmim (Corinthians, Brazil)Fernanda Palermo (Palmeiras, Brazil)
Midfielders:Ana Vitória (Atletico Madrid, Spain)Luana (Orlando Pride, USA)Angelina (Orlando Pride, USA)Duda Sampaio (Corinthians, Brazil)Lais Estevam (Palmeiras, Brazil)Yaya (Corinthians, Brazil)
Forwards:Jaque (Corinthians, Brazil)Jheniffer (Corinthians, Brazil)Gabi Portilho (Corinthians, Brazil)Cristiane (Flamengo, Brazil)Ludmilla (Atletico Madrid, Spain)Marta (Orlando Pride, USA)Priscila (Internacional, Brazil)
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