We didn't have a thread yet on the tournament, and it starts next week! I expect to see a roster any day now. This tournament is the inaugural event that is expected to be held in years without a WWC or Olympics; next year's tournament is already planned with the same 4 teams. The winner will be determined like the SheBelieves tournament based upon total points across the three games and then with the tiebreakers of goal difference, total goals scored, then head-to-head result, and finally FIFA ranking. July 27: Brazil vs. Japan, CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash.; 4:15 p.m. PT July 27: USA vs. Australia, CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash.; 7 p.m. PT on ESPN July 30: Japan vs. Australia, Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif.; 2:15 p.m. PT July 30: USA vs. Brazil, Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif.; 5 p.m. PT on ESPN2 Aug. 3: Australia vs. Brazil, StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.; 4:15 p.m. PT Aug. 3: USA vs. Japan, StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.; 7 p.m. PT on ESPN2 USSF has announced that the non-US games will not be broadcast by ESPN, but perhaps another network (perhaps in Japan?) will broadcast them and they can be found online. Anyone know?
My only interest is when are the NWSL players who are on the USWNT have to report? I am hoping the USSF has common sense not to pull the USWNT players away from their NWSL teams and let them play this weekend.
All of the other teams have announced their rosters: Australia: http://matildas.footballaustralia.c...urnament-of-nations/vfx03egy1gqd16j0a2wklecai GOALKEEERS: Lydia Williams (Houston Dash), Mackenzie Arnold (Brisbane Roar FC) DEFENDERS: Laura Alleway (?), Steph Catley (Orlando Pride), Caitlin Cooper (Illawarra Stingrays), Clare Polkinghorne (Brisbane Roar FC), Alanna Kennedy (Orlando Pride), Ellie Carpenter (Western Sydney Wanderers FC) MIDFIELDERS: Tameka Butt (Klepp I-L, Norway), Caitlin Foord (Vegalta Sendai, Japan), Alex Chidiac (Adelaide City Women’s), Elise Kellond-Knight (FC Turbine Potsdam), Katrina Gorry (Vegalta Sendai), Chloe Logarzo (Avaldsnes, Norway), Emily van Egmond (VfL Wolfsburg), Gema Simon (Avaldsnes, Norway) FORWARDS: Lisa De Vanna (South Melbourne Women’s), Emily Gielnik (Avaldsnes, Norway), Princess Ibini (Football NSW NTC, Australia), Sam Kerr (Sky Blue FC), Hayley Raso (Portland Thorns) Brazil: http://selecao.cbf.com.br/noticias/...-convoca-para-torneio-das-nacoes#.WW7Tt8Z7HVp GOALKEEPERS: Bárbara (Kindermann), Dani Neuhaus (Santos) DEFENDERS: Andreia Rosa (Avaldsnes), Bruna Benites (Houston Dash), Mônica (Orlando Pride), Jucinara (Corinthians/Audax), Letícia (Sportclub Sand), Maurine (Santos), Tamires (Fortuna Hjørring) MIDFIELDERS: Andressinha (Houston Dash), Fran (Avaldsnes), Djenifer (Iranduba), Maria (Santos), Gabi Nunes (Corinthians/Audax), Camila (Orlando Pride), Debinha (North Caroline Courage) FORWARDS: Bia Zaneratto (Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels), Chu (São José E.C), Ludmila (São José E.C), Marta (Orlando Pride) Japan: http://www.jfa.jp/eng/news/00014205/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter GOALKEEPERS: Ayaka Saitoh (Vegalta Sendai), Sakiko Ikeda (Urawa Red Diamonds), Ayaka Yamashita (NTV Beleza) DEFENDERS: Aya Sameshima (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Kaede Nakamura (Albirex Niigata), Riho Sakamoto (AC Nagano Parceiro), Hikari Takagi (Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara), Ayumi Oya (Ehime FC), Hikaru Kitagawa (Urawa Red Diamonds), Nana Ichise (Vegalta Sendai) MIDFIELDERS: Mizuho Sakaguchi (NTV Beleza), Madoka Haji (Iga FC Kunoichi), Rumi Utsugi (Seattle Reign FC), Emi Nakajima (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Hikaru Naomoto (Urawa Red Diamonds), Yu Nakasato (NTV Beleza), Rin Sumida (NTV Beleza), Yui Hasegawa (NTV Beleza) FORWARDS: Shiho Tomari (AC Nagano Parceiro), Yuika Sugasawa (Urawa Red Diamonds), Kumi Yokoyama (1.FFC Frankfurt), Mina Tanaka (NTV Beleza), Yuka Momiki (NTV Beleza)
Mc - Skillz <clap> <clap> Mc - Skillz <clap> <clap> Mc - Skillz <clap> <clap> We want Mc - Skillz <clap> <clap> <clap clap clap> We want Mc - Skillz <clap> <clap> <clap clap clap> We want Mc - Skillz <clap> <clap> <clap clap clap>
The games (at least the ones involving Japan) should be broadcast in Japan, but I don't know the details yet.
As it often happens, in this very "transitional" year (no big tournaments whatsoever at the horizon), Nadeshiko Japan side will have some experimental element. Also: Olympique Lyonnais didn't want to release Saki Kumagai, maybe our current best player, for unknown reasons. Looks like club summer training for next season is more important than an international tournament with some of the best NTs around... Consider that, in the same span of time, most OL players are playing Euro 2017 with France NT, so I don't really see why they had to keep Kumagai at all costs instead (to train with youngsters? ).
Is the Red Stars Japanese player, who we haven't seen yet, not on this list? Is she too old, too hurt, no longer in Japan's plans?
Yuki Nagasato had written on her Twitter account that she's now ok and cleared to play, after her recent injury. Not sure why she hasn't played yet for Chicago, unless the coach doesn't actually think that she isn't physically at her best yet. About her NT career, before Algarve Cup this year she expressly asked Nadeshiko Japan's coach not to call her, because at the moment she wanted to concentrate on her club career. After that, she's been injured for long, so it isn't clear if her request was just for Algarve Cup or if it was a form of "polite" retirement from NT: it's a fact that she hasn't been called for this tournament; on the other hand, she hasn't played a minute in the last months, so making an out-of-form well-know player skip these games to try instead some other players who keep being unknown quantities at the international level would make sense. In other words, she's not on the list but I am not sure myself about what's the answer to your second question. By the way, for what concerns the other Japanese players in NWSL, North Carolina's Yuri Kawamura is out for the whole season with a torn ACL, Seattle Reign's Rumi Utsugi is back after a short hamstring injury and has been called as expected, and Nahomi Kawasumi, despite her quite brillant season in Seattle, has been cut from NT along with others over-30 veterans from WWC 2011 when new coach Asako Takakura grabbed the reins last year: it's not impossible that she changes her mind about Naho in the future (she already did that for another veteran, Aya Sameshima) but frankly I wasn't holding my breath for this tournament (although it's really a shame that Nadeshiko Japan will play in Seattle without her! ).
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...s-23-players-for-tournament-of-nations-roster First senior call up for Midge Purce. Taylor Smith with a second call up. Meghan Klingenberg left out.
Apparently Huerta is also getting called in to train with the team: http://chicagoredstars.com/four-red-stars-make-roster-for-2017-tournament-of-nations/: "Chicago Red Stars forward Sofia Huerta will train with the U.S. team for the entire tournament. Huerta, who played for Mexico at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and has five caps for the senior team, is not currently eligible to play for the United States, but U.S. Soccer is pursuing a change of association with FIFA on her behalf which, if approved, would make her eligible to play for the USA in the future. Huerta was born in Boise, grew up in Idaho, and attended Santa Clara University with U.S. defender Julie Ertz."
New info: non-US games will be on ESPN3 Tournament of Nations schedule. All non-US games will be aired on ESPN 3#USWNT pic.twitter.com/Deg93Ywcut— Backline Soccer (@BacklineSoccer) July 20, 2017
The team will honor Tony DiCicco in the first game of the tournament: "During the USA's first 2017 Tournament of Nations match against Australia on July 27 in Seattle, U.S. Soccer and the U.S. Women's National Team will honor former U.S. WNT head coach Tony DiCicco, who passed away on June 19. The team will wear black armbands emblazoned with "TD", and during the ninth minute the crowd will be asked to rise and honor DiCicco with a minute of applause from 8:00-8:59 in recognition of his work in guiding the USA to the 1999 Women's World Cup title. The minute of applause will celebrate the life of a man who had a tremendous impact on women's soccer in the USA and around the world."
This kid We got our game faces on. #USAvAUS at 7PM PT on ESPN. #ToN2017 pic.twitter.com/6au4F043A4— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) July 28, 2017
2017/07/27 Thu USA - Australia You've been waiting. We've been waiting. Let's play.Introducing today's #USWNT Starting XI.Lineup Notes: https://t.co/FcRSXEJY7G. pic.twitter.com/P7EjtjypeF— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 28, 2017 Here is how we line up for today's #ToN2017 opener! #GoMatildas #USAvAUS pic.twitter.com/MdXZAyQis6— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) July 28, 2017 Dahlkemper and T.Smith. Horan up top in a 4-4-2. Kellond-Knight at LB (no Catley), Gorry at RM. Kerr is RF, matched up Short at LB.
22' 0-0 USA has had some good diagonal passes to switch field and exploit Australia's lines, but the weights and angles are just a bit behind their targets. There's been a lot of pulling-up-and-waiting, not much of running on in full stride. Kerr in on goal for a couple of rushed clearances. Rapinoe with a stinging shot or two. We still can't find Press on the move, and she's not a good static target. T.Smith is like an extra right winger in attack she's got wheels. Horan, um ... does not have wheels. Nor acceleration from a standing start 27' 0-0 Foudy teases Ian Darke about his memorable (and spontaneous) play-calls: c'mon do it again -- Darke: no, no -- only the moment can produce it
33' 0-0 Pugh shields to receive just past midfield mid-right, toe-pokes ball away from self, steps forward behind Kellond-Knight's left shoulder. Kellond-Knight lightly tugs Pugh's right forearm to pull her over. Pugh grabs right knee, stays down. Brief stoppage, trainer does a stretch test: she gets up with a wince, walks into near touch. 36' 0-0 Pugh returns.
38' 0-0 De Vanna pings a backpass to Kerr dribbling left-to-center at 24m. Sharp ground pass to box top mid-left, T.Smith clears it. Gorry collects at 27m arc right, blasts a low shot to 1/4 right low, Naeher smothers. 39' 0-0 AUS fast cross bends past 10m center, Kerr dummies a chest-trap, Butt runs on to collect -- but somebody's offside. 40' 0-0 De Vanna turns T.Smith down wide left to 3m, fast cross -- but she was offside to receive it?
40' 0-0 Williams quacks a clearance to Horan's chest at arc top mid-left. Horan can't accelerate away from 1, gets leg-jammed, falling slide-poke pass goes nowhere. Press is trapped in her own 1-v-1 standing backshield at 16m mid-left, can't get separation either. That's how not to use both of them 41' 0-0 Horan dribbles at 30m box right, bends a good inswinging pass to 22m arc top for Press splitting the CBs. Williams charges out to spot, Press flicks one-touch weakly wide left, Williams jogs and collects. That's better -- I could see Horan as the killer passer, where the ball moves fast and she doesn't have to
Momentum felt like it was swinging in Australia's favor at the end of the half. Hopefully, the halftime talk is inspiring.
Well, the US started well -- and faded away to nothing. I am impressed with Taylor Smith's speed and range. Horan looks slow. Maybe she's a better 10 than a forward. Move her back to midfield and put a faster forward in -- Morgan, Dunn, or Leroux. Press has never had much chemistry with the rest of the team and isn't showing much tonight, . Australia won the first half -- and that pint-sized Gorry is giving us trouble. Kerr and Devanna have both looked dangerous on occasion.