United States women's national soccer team

The passing of Title IX in 1972, which outlawed gender-based discrimination for federally-funded education programs, spurred the creation of college soccer teams across the United States at a time when women's soccer was rising in popularity internationally.[8] The U.S. Soccer Federation tasked coach Mike Ryan to select a roster of college players to participate in the 1985 Mundialito tournament in Italy, its first foray into women's international soccer.[9] The team played its first match on August 18, 1985, losing 1–0 to Italy, and finished the tournament in fourth place after failing to win its remaining matches against Denmark and England.[10][11]

University of North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance was hired as the team's first full-time manager in 1986 with the goal of fielding a competitive women's team at the next Mundialito and at future tournaments.[11] In their first Mundialito under Dorrance, the United States defeated China, Brazil, and Japan before finishing as runners-up to Italy.[12] Dorrance gave national team appearances to teenage players, including future stars Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Kristine Lilly, instead of the college players preferred by the federation.[13] The United States played in the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament in China, a FIFA-sanctioned competition to test the feasibility of a regular women's championship, and lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Norway.[11]

Following the 1988 tournament, FIFA announced plans for a new women's tournament, named the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup until it was retroactively given the "World Cup" name. The United States qualified for the tournament by winning the inaugural CONCACAF Women's Championship, hosted by Haiti in April 1991, outscoring their opponents 49–0 for the sole CONCACAF berth in the tournament.[11][14] The team played several exhibition matches abroad against European opponents to prepare for the world championship, while its players quit their regular jobs to train full-time with meager compensation.[15][16] Dorrance utilized a 4–3–3 formation that was spearheaded by the "Triple-Edged Sword" of forward Michelle Akers-Stahl and wingers Carin Jennings and April Heinrichs.[17]

At the Women's World Cup, the United States won all three of its group stage matches and outscored its opponents 11–2. In the opening match against Sweden, the U.S. took a 3–0 lead early in the second half, but conceded two goals to end the match with a narrower 3–2 victory. The U.S. proceeded to win 5–0 in its second match against Brazil and 3–0 in its third match against Japan in the following days, clinching first place in the group and a quarterfinal berth.[18] The United States proceeded with a 7–0 victory in the quarterfinals over Chinese Taipei, fueled by a five-goal performance by Akers-Stahl in the first fifty minutes of the match.[18]

In the semifinals against Germany, Carin Jennings scored a hat-trick in the first half as the team clinched a place in the final with a 5–2 victory.[19] The team's lopsided victories in the earlier rounds had brought attention from American media outlets, but the final match was not televised live in the U.S.[18] The United States won the inaugural Women's World Cup title by defeating Norway 2–1 in the final, played in front of 65,000 spectators at Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, as Akers-Stahl scored twice to create and restore a lead for the Americans.[20] Akers-Stahl finished as the top goalscorer at the tournament, with ten goals, and Carin Jennings was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.[21]

Despite their Women's World Cup victory, the U.S. team remained in relative obscurity and received a small welcome from several U.S. Soccer Federation officials upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.[22] The team were given fewer resources and little attention from the federation as they focused on improving the men's national team in preparation for the 1994 men's World Cup that would be hosted in the United States.[23] The women's team was placed on hiatus after the tournament, only playing twice in 1992, but returned the following year to play in several tournaments hosted in Cyprus, Canada, and the United States, including a second CONCACAF Championship title. The program was still supported better than those of the former Soviet Union, where football was considered a "men's game".[24][23][25]

The United States played in several friendly tournaments to prepare for the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup and its qualification campaign. The first was the inaugural staging of the Algarve Cup in Portugal, which saw the team win its two group stage matches but lose 1–0 to Norway in the final. It followed by a victory in the Chiquita Cup, an exhibition tournament hosted in August on the U.S. East Coast against Germany, China, and Norway.[26][27] Dorrance resigned from his position as head coach in early August and was replaced by his assistant, Tony DiCicco, a former professional goalkeeper who played in the American Soccer League.[23][28] DiCicco led the United States to a berth in the Women's World Cup by winning the 1994 CONCACAF Championship, where the team scored 36 goals and conceded only one.[26]

In February 1995, the U.S. women's program opened a permanent training and treatment facility in Sanford, Florida, and began a series of warm-up friendlies that were paid for by American company Nike.[29] The team topped their group in the Women's World Cup, despite a 3–3 tie with China in the opening match and losing goalkeeper Brianna Scurry to a red card in their second match. The United States proceeded to beat Japan 4–0 in the quarterfinals, but lost 1–0 to eventual champions Norway in the semifinals. The team finished in third place, winning 2–0 in its consolation match against China.

The team won the gold medal in the inaugural Olympic women's soccer tournament in the 1996 Summer Olympics, defeating China 2–1 in the final before a crowd of 76,481 fans.[30] Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, and the rest of the 1999 team started a revolution towards women's team sports in America. An influential victory came in the 1999 World Cup, when they defeated China 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out following a 0–0 draw after extended time.[31] With this win they emerged onto the world stage and brought significant media attention to women's soccer and athletics. On July 10, 1999, over 90,000 people (the largest ever for a women's sporting event and one of the largest attendances in the world for a tournament game final) filled the Rose Bowl to watch the United States play China in the Final. After a back and forth game, the score was tied 0–0 at full-time, and remained so after extra time, leading to a penalty kick shootout. With Briana Scurry's save of China's third kick, the score was 4–4 with only Brandi Chastain left to shoot. She scored and won the game for the United States. Chastain dropped to her knees and whipped off her shirt, celebrating in her sports bra, which later made the cover of Sports Illustrated and the front pages of newspapers around the country and world.[32] This win influenced many girls to want to play on a soccer team.[33]

In the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. defeated Norway 1–0 in the quarterfinals but lost 0–3 to Germany in the semifinals. The team then defeated Canada 3–1 to claim third place.[34] Abby Wambach was the team's top scorer with three goals, while Joy Fawcett and Shannon Boxx made the tournament's all-star team. In the 2004 Olympics, the last major international tournament for Hamm and Foudy, the U.S. earned the gold medal, winning 2–1 over Brazil in the final on an extra time goal by Wambach.[35]

At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. defeated England 3–0 in the quarterfinals but then suffered its most lopsided loss in team history when it lost to Brazil 0–4 in the semifinals.[36] The U.S. recovered to defeat Norway to take third place. Abby Wambach was the team's leading scorer with 6 goals, and Kristine Lilly was the only American named to the tournament's all-star team.

The team won another gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, but interest in the Women's National Team had diminished since their performance in the '99 World Cup. However, the second women's professional league was created in March 2009, Women's Professional Soccer.

In the quarterfinal of the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany, the U.S. defeated Brazil 5–3 on penalty kicks. Abby Wambach's goal in the 122nd minute to tie the game 2–2 has been voted the greatest goal in U.S. soccer history and the greatest goal in Women's World Cup history.[37][38] The U.S. then beat France 3–1 in the semifinal, but lost to Japan 3–1 on penalty kicks in the Final after drawing 1–1 in regulation and 2–2 in overtime. Hope Solo was named the tournament's best goalkeeper and Abby Wambach won the silver ball as the tournament's second best player.

In the 2012 Summer Olympics, the U.S. won the gold medal for the fourth time in five Olympics by defeating Japan 2–1 in front of 80,203 fans at Wembley Stadium, a record for a women's soccer game at the Olympics.[39] The United States advanced to face Japan for the gold medal by winning the semifinal against Canada, a 4–3 victory at the end of extra time.[40] The 2012 London Olympics marked the first time the USWNT won every game en route to the gold medal and set an Olympic women's team record of 16 goals scored.[40]

A ticker tape parade in Manhattan celebrating the USWNT's 2015 World Cup victory

The National Women's Soccer League started in 2013, and provided competitive games as well as opportunities to players on the fringes of the squad.[41][42] The U.S. had a 43-game unbeaten streak that spanned two years – the streak began with a 4–0 win over Sweden in the 2012 Algarve Cup, and came to an end after a 1–0 loss against Sweden in the 2014 Algarve Cup.[43][44]

The USA defeated Japan 5–2 in the final of the 2015 World Cup, becoming the first team in history to win three Women's World Cup titles. In the 16th minute, Carli Lloyd achieved the fastest hat-trick from kick-off in World Cup history, and Abby Wambach was greeted with a standing ovation for her last World Cup match.[45] Following their 2015 World Cup win, the team was honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City, the first for a women's sports team, and honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.[46] On December 16, 2015, however, a 0–1 loss to China in Wambach's last game meant the team's first home loss since 2004, ending their 104-game home unbeaten streak.[47]

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, the U.S. drew against Sweden in the quarterfinal; in the following penalty kick phase, Sweden won the game 4–3. The loss marked the first time that the USWNT did not advance to the gold medal game of the Olympics, and the first time that the USWNT failed to advance to the semifinal round of a major tournament.[48]

After the defeat in the 2016 Olympics, the USWNT underwent a year of experimentation which saw them losing 3 home games. If not for a comeback win against Brazil, the USWNT was on the brink of losing 4 home games in one year, a low never before seen by the USWNT. 2017 saw the USWNT play 12 games against teams ranked in the top-15 in the world.[49]

Throughout 2018, the U.S. would pick up two major tournament wins, winning both the SheBelieves Cup[50] and the Tournament of Nations.[51] The team would enter qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup on a 21-game unbeaten streak and dominated the competition, winning all five of its games and the tournament whilst qualifying for the World Cup as well as scoring 18 goals and conceding none.[52] On November 8, 2018, the U.S. earned their 500th victory in team history after a 1–0 victory over Portugal.[53] The start of 2019 saw the U.S. lose an away game to France, 3–1, marking the end of a 28-game unbeaten streak and their first loss since a 1–0 defeat to Australia in July 2017.[54]

The USWNT started off their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign with a 13–0 victory against Thailand, setting a new Women's World Cup record. Alex Morgan equaled Michelle Akers' record of scoring five goals in a single World Cup match, while four of her teammates scored their first World Cup goals in their debut at the tournament.[55] The U.S. would win its next match against Chile 3–0[56] before concluding the group stage with a win of 2–0 over Sweden.[57] The team emerged as the winners of Group F and would go on to face Spain in the Round of 16, whom they would defeat 2–1 thanks to a pair of Megan Rapinoe penalties.[58] The team would achieve identical results in their next two games. With 2–1 victories over France[59] and then England[60] seeing them advance to a record third straight World Cup final, they played against the Netherlands for the title. They beat the Netherlands 2–0 in the final on July 7, 2019, becoming the first team in history to win four Women's World Cup titles.

On July 30, 2019, Jill Ellis announced that she would step down as head coach following the conclusion of the team's post-World Cup victory tour on October 6, 2019.[61]

Vlatko Andonovski was hired as head coach of the USWNT in October 2019, replacing Ellis.[62]

The USWNT began the new decade by winning both the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament (which qualified the team for the 2020 Summer Olympics) and the 2020 SheBelieves Cup titles.[63][64][65]

In early March 2020, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the USSF cancelled previously scheduled USWNT friendlies against Australia and Brazil.[66] Later that same month, it was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that the 2020 Summer Olympics were to be postponed until July 2021.[67]

U.S. TV coverage for the five Women's World Cups from 1995 to 2011 was provided by ESPN/ABC and Univision,[68][69] while coverage rights for the three Women's World Cups from 2015 to 2023 were awarded to Fox Sports and Telemundo.[70][71] In May 2014 a deal was signed to split TV coverage of other USWNT games between ESPN, Fox Sports, and Univision through the end of 2022.[72] The USWNT games in the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship and the 2015 Algarve Cup were broadcast by Fox Sports.[73][74] NBC will broadcast the Olympic tournament through 2032.[75]

The 1999 World Cup final set the original record for largest US television audience for a women's soccer match with 18 million viewers on average[76][77] and was the most viewed English-language US broadcast of any soccer match until the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final between the United States and Japan.[78]

The 2015 Women's World Cup Final between the US and Japan was the most watched soccer match – men's or women's – in American broadcast history.[79] It averaged 23 million viewers and higher ratings than the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup finals.[79][80] The final was also the most watched US-Spanish language broadcast of a FIFA Women's World Cup match in history.

Overall, there were over 750 million viewers for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, making it the most watched Women's World Cup in history. The FIFA Women's World Cup is now the second most watched FIFA tournament, with only the men's FIFA World Cup attracting more viewership.[81]

The 1999 World Cup final, in which the USA defeated China, set a world attendance record for a women's sporting event of 90,185 in a sellout at the Rose Bowl in Southern California.[82] The record for Olympic women's soccer attendance was set by the 2012 Olympic final between the USWNT and Japan, with 80,023 spectators at Wembley Stadium.[83]

The following 23 players were named to the squad for the 2020 SheBelieves Cup.[89]

Caps and goals are current as of March 11, 2020, after match against  Japan.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Alyssa Naeher	(1988-04-20) April 20, 1988	63	0	Chicago Red Stars
18	1GK	Ashlyn Harris	(1985-10-19) October 19, 1985	25	0	Orlando Pride
21	1GK	Adrianna Franch	(1990-11-12) November 12, 1990	4	0	Portland Thorns
4	2DF	Becky Sauerbrunn	(1985-06-06) June 6, 1985	177	0	Portland Thorns
5	2DF	Kelley O'Hara	(1988-08-04) August 4, 1988	131	2	Utah Royals
7	2DF	Abby Dahlkemper	(1993-05-13) May 13, 1993	61	0	North Carolina Courage
11	2DF	Ali Krieger	(1984-07-28) July 28, 1984	107	1	Orlando Pride
12	2DF	Tierna Davidson	(1998-09-19) September 19, 1998	26	1	Chicago Red Stars
14	2DF	Emily Sonnett	(1993-11-25) November 25, 1993	45	0	Orlando Pride
19	2DF	Crystal Dunn	(1992-07-03) July 3, 1992	104	24	North Carolina Courage
20	2DF	Casey Short	(1990-08-23) August 23, 1990	32	0	Chicago Red Stars
3	3MF	Sam Mewis	(1992-10-09) October 9, 1992	67	18	North Carolina Courage
6	3MF	Andi Sullivan	(1995-12-20) December 20, 1995	16	0	Washington Spirit
8	3MF	Julie Ertz	(1992-04-06) April 6, 1992	102	20	Chicago Red Stars
9	3MF	Lindsey Horan	(1994-05-26) May 26, 1994	86	19	Portland Thorns
16	3MF	Rose Lavelle	(1995-05-14) May 14, 1995	45	12	Washington Spirit
2	4FW	Mallory Pugh	(1998-04-29) April 29, 1998	63	18	Sky Blue FC
10	4FW	Carli Lloyd (co-captain)	(1982-07-16) July 16, 1982	294	123	Sky Blue FC
13	4FW	Lynn Williams	(1993-05-21) May 21, 1993	28	9	North Carolina Courage
15	4FW	Megan Rapinoe (co-captain)	(1985-07-05) July 5, 1985	168	52	OL Reign
17	4FW	Tobin Heath	(1988-05-29) May 29, 1988	168	33	Portland Thorns
22	4FW	Jessica McDonald	(1988-02-28) February 28, 1988	19	4	North Carolina Courage
23	4FW	Christen Press	(1988-12-29) December 29, 1988	138	58	Utah Royals

The following players were also named to a squad in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Jane Campbell	(1995-02-17) February 17, 1995	3	0	Houston Dash	2020 SheBelieves Cup PRE
GK	Aubrey Bledsoe	(1991-11-20) November 20, 1991	0	0	Washington Spirit	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
GK	Casey Murphy	(1996-04-25) April 25, 1996	0	0	OL Reign	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
DF	Margaret Purce	(1995-09-18) September 18, 1995	1	0	Sky Blue FC	2020 SheBelieves Cup PRE
DF	Alana Cook	(1997-04-11) April 11, 1997	1	0	Paris Saint-Germain	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
DF	Imani Dorsey	(1996-03-21) March 21, 1996	0	0	Sky Blue FC	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
DF	Hailie Mace	(1997-03-24) March 24, 1997	3	0	North Carolina Courage	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
DF	Maycee Bell	(2000-09-18) September 18, 2000	0	0	North Carolina Tar Heels	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
DF	Malia Berkely	(1998-02-13) February 13, 1998	0	0	Florida State Seminoles	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
DF	Sarah Gorden	(1992-09-13) September 13, 1992	0	0	Chicago Red Stars	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
DF	Kiara Pickett	(1999-04-30) April 30, 1999	0	0	Stanford Cardinal	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
DF	Kaleigh Riehl	(1996-10-21) October 21, 1996	0	0	Sky Blue FC	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
DF	Emily Fox	(1998-07-05) July 5, 1998	3	0	North Carolina Tar Heels	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019 PRE
DF	Naomi Girma	(2000-06-14) June 14, 2000	0	0	Stanford Cardinal	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019 PRE
MF	Jordan DiBiasi	(1996-10-28) October 28, 1996	0	0	Washington Spirit	2020 SheBelieves Cup PRE
MF	Morgan Brian	(1993-02-26) February 26, 1993	87	8	Chicago Red Stars	Training camp; January 5–15, 2020
MF	Allie Long	(1987-08-13) August 13, 1987	51	8	OL Reign	Training camp; January 5–15, 2020
MF	Kristie Mewis	(1991-02-25) February 25, 1991	15	1	Houston Dash	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
MF	Vanessa DiBernardo	(1992-05-15) May 15, 1992	0	0	Chicago Red Stars	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
MF	Jaelin Howell	(1999-11-21) November 21, 1999	0	0	Florida State Seminoles	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
MF	Brianna Pinto	(2000-05-24) May 24, 2000	0	0	North Carolina Tar Heels	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
MF	Sarah Killion	(1992-07-27) July 27, 1992	0	0	Sky Blue FC	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
MF	Ashley Sanchez	(1999-03-16) March 16, 1999	0	0	Washington Spirit	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
MF	Danielle Colaprico	(1993-05-06) May 6, 1993	2	0	Chicago Red Stars	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019 PRE
FW	Sophia Smith	(2000-08-10) August 10, 2000	0	0	Portland Thorns	Training camp; January 5–15, 2020
FW	Ashley Hatch	(1995-05-25) May 25, 1995	2	0	Washington Spirit	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
FW	Kristen Hamilton	(1992-04-17) April 17, 1992	1	0	North Carolina Courage	2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers PRO
FW	Bethany Balcer	(1997-03-07) March 7, 1997	0	0	OL Reign	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
FW	Makamae Gomera-Stevens	(1999-03-17) March 17, 1999	0	0	Washington State Cougars	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
FW	Paige Monaghan	(1996-11-13) November 13, 1996	0	0	Sky Blue FC	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
FW	Ally Watt	(1997-03-12) March 12, 1997	0	0	Unattached	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
FW	Morgan Weaver	(1997-10-18) October 18, 1997	0	0	Unattached	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019
FW	Madison Haley	(1998-10-25) October 25, 1998	0	0	Stanford Cardinal	Training camp; December 9–14, 2019 PRE
FW	Alex Morgan (co-captain)	(1989-07-02) July 2, 1989	169	107	Orlando Pride	v.  South Korea; October 6, 2019

Notes:

• PRE: Preliminary squad
• PRO: Provisional roster

United States  v TBD

TBD Olympics GS	United States	v	TBD	Japan
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United States  v TBD

TBD Olympics GS	United States	v	TBD	Japan
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United States  v TBD

TBD Olympics GS	United States	v	TBD	Japan
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• USWNT Schedule
• USWNT Results
• USA: Fixtures and Results – FIFA.com

As of March 11, 2020

Sources[90][91][92][93][94]

The two highest-profile tournaments the U.S. team participates in are the quadrennial FIFA Women's World Cup and the quadrennial Olympic Games.

The team has participated in every World Cup through 2019 and won a medal in each.

Year	Result	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	GF	GA	Coach
1991	Champions	6	6	0	0	25	5	Anson Dorrance
1995	Third place	6	4	1	1	15	5	Tony DiCicco
1999	Champions	6	5	1	0	18	3
2003	Third place	6	5	0	1	15	5	April Heinrichs
2007	Third place	6	4	1	1	12	7	Greg Ryan
2011	Runners-up	6	3	2	1	13	7	Pia Sundhage
2015	Champions	7	6	1	0	14	3	Jill Ellis
2019	Champions	7	7	0	0	26	3
Total	8/8	50	40	6	4	138	38

The team has participated in every Olympic tournament through 2016 and reached the gold medal game in each until 2016, when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals on a penalty shootout loss to Sweden.

Year	Result	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	GF	GA	Coach
1996	Gold medal	5	4	1	0	9	3	Tony DiCicco
2000	Silver medal	5	3	1	1	9	5	April Heinrichs
2004	Gold medal	6	5	1	0	12	4
2008	Gold medal	6	5	0	1	12	5	Pia Sundhage
2012	Gold medal	6	6	0	0	16	6
2016	5th place	4	2	2	0	6	3	Jill Ellis
2020	Qualified	0	0	0	0	0	0	Vlatko Andonovski
2024	TBD-not yet qualified
2028	Qualified as host
Total	6/6	33	26	5	2	63	25

Year	Result	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	GF	GA	Coach
1991	Champion	5	5	0	0	49	0	Anson Dorrance
1993	Champion	3	3	0	0	13	0
1994	Champion	4	4	0	0	16	1	Tony DiCicco
1998	Did not participate1
2000	Champion	5	4	1	0	24	1	April Heinrichs
2002	Champion	5	5	0	0	24	1
2006	Champion	2	2	0	0	4	1	Greg Ryan
2010	Third place	5	4	0	1	22	2	Pia Sundhage
2014	Champion	5	5	0	0	21	0	Jill Ellis
2018	Champion	5	5	0	0	26	0
Total	8/9	39	37	1	1	199	6

¹ The US team directly qualified for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup as hosts of the event. Because of this, they did not participate in the 1998 CONCACAF Championship, which was the qualification tournament for the World Cup.

The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it has been one of the more prestigious women's football events other than the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football.[95] Since 2016, the SheBelieves Cup replaced it on the US team's schedule.

The SheBelieves Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football hosted in the United States.

The Tournament of Nations is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football hosted in the United States in non-World Cup and non-Olympic years.