Kansas, Connecticut and Illinois to Host 2018 Tournament of Nations
Posted On: May 16, 2018 By :
U.S. Soccer will stage the 2018 Tournament of Nations, its second elite four-team women’s international tournament of the year following the SheBelieves Cup in March, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City; Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut; and Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. Each venue will host the United States Women’s National Team and World Cup contenders Australia, Brazil and Japan as each of the four teams participate in three double-header events over an eight-day period.
“Hosting world class teams in both the SheBelieves Cup and the Tournament of Nations is exactly what we need to test ourselves and to compete to get on the top of a podium,” said U.S. Head Coach Jill Ellis. “Friendlies are important, but there’s nothing like the competitive format these tournaments provide us. Australia, Brazil and Japan are three very different teams that challenge us with their respective styles and personnel and it will be another fantastic tournament for our fans to watch.”
Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City will host the first match featuring Brazil against Australia on July 26 followed by USA against Japan. The teams will then travel to East Hartford where Japan will compete against Brazil on July 29, followed by USA taking on Australia at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. The tournament will finish at Toyota Park on August 2 as Australia faces Japan and the USA takes on Brazil.
Additionally, US. Soccer will offer a four-day Girls Fantasy Camp around the matches in Kansas City, July 24–27. Open to girls born in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the camp includes training sessions with former Women’s National Team stars, VIP match tickets, field-level access to watch warm-ups, personalized U.S. Soccer apparel, hotel accommodations and all meals.
The Tournament of Nations will be televised by Fox Sports, home of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This will be the second edition of the Tournament of Nations after last year’s competition, which featured the four same teams. Australia finished first, followed by USA, Japan and Brazil.
U.S. Soccer plans to host the Tournament of Nations every summer during years that do not feature a World Cup or Olympic Games. The next edition will be held in 2021.
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