In just one week, the inaugural match of the Tournament of Nations will kick off in Seattle, Washington. At 4:15pm, Brazil will play their first match against Japan. Later that evening, the United States will host Australia.
This will be the first Tournament of Nations, but similar to the SheBelieves Cup, the tournament could become a regular part of the cycle. The matches will feature seven Pride players-- Alex Morgan and Ali Krieger will play for the United States, Marta, Camila, and Monica will all travel to the West Coast to represent Brazil, and that both Alanna Kennedy and Steph Catley will be representing Australia.
This tournament could be massive for these two nations. Both are national teams on the rise, with a lot of young talent that is continuing to grow. They both gave good performances at the 2016 Rio Olympics-- with Australia going out in the Quarterfinals and Brazil coming in 4th after dropping the Bronze Medal match to Canada.
Both teams feature some of the best players in the NWSL. Australian Sam Kerr is the league’s leading goal-scorer, followed by U.S international Megan Rapinoe and Brazilian striker Marta. Alanna Kennedy just scored her second goal of the NWSL season. Marta and Camila each have four assists on the year.
For Japan, the tournament will represent the first time American audiences have seen their former foes since the U.S defeated them in the 2015 Women’s World Cup Final. Japan did not qualify for the Rio Olympics, suggesting that there might be a decline in their program. They have yet to announce their roster, but four Japanese internationals play in the NWSL.
The United States brought out a roster that combines experience and youth. Three players on the roster-- Boston Breakers Goalkeeper Abby Smith, North Carolina Courage Defender Taylor Smith,, and Boston Breakers Midfielder Margaret Purce-- are all still looking for their first cap. In total, all of the U.S players except for Crystal Dunn play in the NWSL (Dunn, a former Spirit player, plays for Chelsea FC).
The Tournament of Nations will feature numerous players from across the NWSL. And they won’t all be playing for the U.S team. The Pride will have seven players featured in the tournament-- two from the United States, two from Australia, and three from Brazil. It is expected that NWSL players will be represented across all four rosters.
For Brazil and Australia, the Tournament of Nations presents an opportunity. An opportunity to bring the world’s attention to them, to show that they are one of the brightest stars in global women’s soccer. For Japan, the tournament represents an opportunity to defend their legacy and show that they are still a great soccer nation. And the United States? The tournament provides an opportunity to mix young and old talent, to guarantee a seamless transition to the next generation of U.S players.
It all starts next Thursday, July 27th, at 4:15pm. You can catch the first match for the United States-- at 7:00pm EST-- on ESPN.
