Four Pride players-- two on each side of the pitch-- will face off on Thursday night in the second match of the inaugural Tournament of Nations. Steph Catley and Alanna Kennedy of Australia will come in as underdogs, looking to snatch a win from the best in the world. The U.S roster features Ali Krieger and Alex Morgan.
While the U.S come into the match as predicted frontrunners, Australia is ready to prove the world wrong. With a talented, young roster that averaged 23-years-old at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Australia is constantly getting better with each tournament appearance. They currently sit in 7th place in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings and they are ready to keep climbing the table.
The match between the U.S and Australia will feature some of the best goal-scorers from around the world, including Sam Kerr for Australia and Megan Rapinoe for the U.S (hint: they are the two top goal-scorers in the NWSL). We’ll see if the goalkeepers can keep this match tight, but there can be no doubt that both sides will have their chances.
Full Tournament Rosters and Match Schedule
But before that match kicks off, Brazil and Japan will open the tournament. Brazil’s roster features three Pride players-- Marta, Camila, and Monica-- and again is a roster ready to prove themselves on the international stage. Japan has struggled since their appearance in the 2015 World Cup Final, failing to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Brazil was close to getting a medal last year, and they will be ready to build off that success and continue to prove themselves.
Again, this match has an opportunity to be high-scoring. Brazil will come out looking to prove that they are one of the best in the world, while Japan will be determined to beat their rivals-- the United States-- on their home soil. That all starts with this match, and Japan will be looking to come out strong.
The first match, between Brazil and Japan, will kick off at 7:15PM EST and will air on the WatchESPN app. The second match-- the U.S vs. Australia-- will kickoff t 10:00PM EST and will air on ESPN.
