U.S. Women to open 2009 domestic schedule with olympic semifinal rematch against Japan at Pizza Hut Park

CHICAGO (March 16, 2009) - The U.S. Women's National Team will open its 2009 domestic schedule on May 20 with a match against surprise 2008 Olympic semifinalist Japan on Wednesday, May 20, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT and fans can follow the action live via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. The game is the first in a two-game series. The U.S. will also host Japan on May 23 in Sandy, Utah, at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Tickets ranging in price levels from $18 to $80, plus special VIP On-Field seats for $125, go on sale to the public Saturday, March 21, at 10 a.m. CT through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Dallas Metroplex (including Fiesta, Macy's and FYE stores), and the Pizza Hut Park ticket office (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages which include a premium ticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, March 19, at 10 a.m. CT and runs until Saturday, March 21, at 8 a.m. CT at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

This marks the first meeting between the two countries since the dramatic 2008 Olympic semifinal encounter in Beijing, won 4-2 by the USA. The Americans fell behind 1-0 in that game, but stormed back to score four goals before Japan pulled a one back in stoppage time. The USA also edged Japan 1-0 in a must-win game during group play.

The game will mark the first international match during the inaugural WPS season, which begins March 29. Several Japanese players will also be playing in the league this year.

"These will be interesting games, not only because my coaching staff and I will get the chance to watch many players in the WPS before picking our roster, but also because of the way Japan played during the Olympics," said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. "The way they move the ball around is to be admired and emulated and, I am sure these will be very entertaining matches for the fans and the players."

The USA's last match in Texas was at Pizza Hut Park was a rousing 6-2 defeat of Canada on May 12, 2007. The U.S. Women have played seven matches in Texas, all at different stadiums, and Frisco will become the first repeat venue.

The USA and Japan have had a long history dating back to 1986, the second year of the U.S. program's existence. The USA played Japan in the 1991 and 1995 FIFA Women's World Cups as well as the quarterfinal stage at the 2004 Olympics. Japan has never defeated the USA, but tied three straight matches played between 2000 and 2004.

Japan is expected to feature its all-time greatest player, midfielder Homare Sawa, who is playing for the Washington Freedom in WPS. Midfielder Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol) and forward Eriko Arakawa (FC Gold Pride) also had excellent Olympic tournaments in China.

The U.S. team just completed another run to the final of the prestigious Algarve Cup, where Sweden edged the Americans on March 11 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie in regulation. At the tournament, the U.S. posted victories against Denmark, Iceland and Norway as Hope Solo was named the tournament's top player, allowing one goal in four games. The U.S. Women are scheduled to play two more domestic matches in July, which will be announced in the near future, and after that will not come together again until after the WPS season

Date	Opponent	Result	U.S. Goal Scorer(s)	Venue
March 6	Jamaica	3-0 W	Marosevic, Duka, Schuler	Dwight Yorke Stadium; Bacolet, Tobago
March 8	Honduras	0-0 T	--	Dwight Yorke Stadium; Bacolet, Tobago
March 10	El Salvador	2-0 W	Shea, Taylor	Dwight Yorke Stadium; Bacolet, Tobago
March 13	Trinidad & Tobago	0-0 T (4-3 pk)	--	Marvin Lee Stadium; Macoya, Trinidad
March 15	Costa Rica	0-3 L	--	Marvin Lee Stadium; Macoya, Trinidad

USA FALLS TO SWEDEN IN PENALTY KICKS IN 2009 ALGARVE CUP FINAL: The U.S. Women's National Team fell in a penalty kick shootout to Sweden in the championship game of the 2009 Algarve Cup after the match ended dramatically with a 1-1 score in regulation. After giving up a goal in the first half, the U.S. was able to send the match into overtime when Shannon Boxx got one past the Sweden goalkeeper in the 90th minute. Mitts earned her 100th cap for the USA in the match, becoming the 25th female player and eighth defender in U.S. history to reach that career milestone. The U.S. players returned to United States to join their WPS clubs in final preparations for the inaugural season that opens March 29 as the Washington Freedom visit the Los Angeles Sol. For complete Algarve Cup results and standings, as well as links to other U.S. content, visit the Algarve Cup competition page.

U.S. WNT Algarve Cup Schedule

Date	Opponent	Result	U.S. Goal Scorer(s)	Venue
March 4	Denmark	2-0 W	Woznuk, DiMartino	Estádio Municipal; Lagos
March 6	Iceland	1-0 W	Kai	Parque Desportiva da Nora; Ferreiras
March 9	Norway	1-0 W	Rapinoe	Parque Desportiva da Nora; Ferreiras
March 11	Sweden	1-1 T (3-4 pk)	Boxx	Estádio Algarve; Faro

U.S. WOMEN TO HOST JAPAN IN MAY: The U.S. Women's National Team will face Japan, the 2008 Olympic semifinalists on Wednesday, May 20, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, and Saturday, May 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The game in Texas kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT and fans can follow the action live via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. The match in Utah will kick off at 4 p.m. MT and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel, with fans also able to follow online via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. Tickets for both matches will go on sale March 21 at 10 a.m. local time in each market. As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for both matches which starts Thursday, March 19, at 10 a.m. local time and runs until Saturday, March 21, at 8 a.m. local time at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply. Information about group tickets, On-Field Seats and Ultimate Fan Tickets is available in the Schedule & Tickets section of ussoccer.com.

TICKETS FOR MNT QUALIFIER AGAINST HONDURAS NOW ON SALE: Tickets for the U.S. Men's National Team's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Honduras on June 6 in Chicago are now available to the general public. Kickoff at Soldier Field is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Galavision. Fans can also follow along live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. Tickets are available by visiting ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout Chicagoland, including Carson Pirie Scott, Hot Tix, FYE and Ritmo Latino stores (Note: Tickets are not sold at Soldier Field except on the day of the event). Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages which include a premium ticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits), are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

TICKET SALES SURPASS 12,000 MARK FOR QUALIFIER IN NASHVILLE: Ticket sales for the U.S. Men's National Team's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago presented by Dodge on April 1 in Nashville have surpassed 12,000, with fans excited at the prospect of seeing Bob Bradley's team play in Music City for the first time since 2006. Similar to February's qualifier in Columbus, where fans from 43 states took in the USA's 2-0 victory over Mexico, a diverse crowd is set to descend on LP Field: already fans from 42 states and three different countries have purchased tickets for the game. Ticket sales for the match are ongoing, and surpassed the 11,000 mark in less than one week. More information can be found in the Schedule & Tickets section of ussoccer.com.

U.S. Men's National Team 2009 Schedule 

Date	Opponent	Time / Result	TV / U.S. Goal Scorer(s)	Venue
Jan. 24	Sweden	3-2 W	Kljestan (3)	The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif.
Feb. 11	Mexico*	2-0 W	Bradley (2)	Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio
March 28	El Salvador*	9 p.m. ET	ESPN2/Telefutura	Estadio Cuscatlán; San Salvador, El Salvador
April 1	Trinidad & Tobago*	6:30 p.m. CT	ESPN2/Galavision	LP Field; Nashville, Tenn.
June 3	Costa Rica*	TBD	TBD	Away (Venue TBD)
June 6	Honduras*	7 p.m. CT	ESPN Classic/Galavision	Soldier Field; Chicago, Ill.
June 15	Italy #	8:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. ET	TBD	Loftus Versfeld; Tshwane/Pretoria
June 18	Brazil #	4 p.m. / 10 a.m. ET	TBD	Loftus Versfeld; Tshwane/Pretoria
June 21	Egypt #	8:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. ET	TBD	Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace; Rustenburg
July 3-26	CONCACAF Gold Cup	TBD	TBD	13 cities across the U.S.
Aug. 12	Mexico*	TBD	TBD	Away (Venue TBD)
Sept. 5	El Salvador*	5:30 p.m. MT	ESPN Classic/Galavision	Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Sept. 9	Trinidad & Tobago*	7 p.m. ET	ESPN Classic/Galavision	Away (Venue TBD)
Oct. 10	Honduras*	TBD	TBD	Away (Venue TBD)
Oct. 14	Costa Rica*	TBD	ESPN2/Galavision	RFK Stadium; Washington, D.C.

* FIFA World Cup Qualifier
# FIFA Confederations Cup

- U.S. YOUTH NATIONAL TEAMS UPDATE -

U.S. U-20 WOMEN FINISH PLAY AT 10 NATIONS TOURNAMENT: The U.S. U-20 Women's National Team opened the 10 Nations Tournament with a 3-2 victory over Norway on Monday, with goals from Kristie Mewis, Maya Hayes and Sydney Leroux helping the Jillian Ellis' team to victory. Two days later, the team tied 1-1 with France on a goal from Casey Short, before dropping the final match 2-0 to Germany. Ellis is preparing the USA to qualify for the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup that will be held in Germany.

U.S. U-20 WNT Schedule

Date	Opponent	Result	U.S. Goal Scorer(s)	Venue
March 9	Norway	3-2 W	Mewis, Hayes, Leroux	La Manga Club; La Manga, Spain
March 11	France	1-1 T	Short	La Manga Club; La Manga, Spain
March 13	Germany	0-2 L	--	La Manga Club; La Manga, Spain

U.S. U-18 WNT WILL HOLD APRIL CAMP AT THE HDC: The U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team will hold its first training camp of the year from April 4-11 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The U-18-aged players were also part of a super camp with the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team earlier in the year in San Diego. The U.S. U-17 Women's National Team will also be at The HDC during that week in April with the roster to be announced in the near future. The two squads will scrimmage each other once during the week. The U-18s, under the guidance of head coach Dave Chesler, will also scrimmage local college sides. The 24-player roster features 16 players born in 1992 and eight players born in 1991. All the players in camp are eligible for the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany, where the age cutoff is Jan. 1, 1990, and all are working towards call-ups to the U.S. U-20s. Three players in camp played significant roles for the USA at the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in midfielders Elizabeth Eddy and Julia Roberts and forward Samantha Johnson.

U.S. U-18 WNT Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Vittoria Arnold (Dallas Texans; Stafford, Va.), Anna Sieloff (Vardar; Troy, Mich.), Sarah Voigt (Ponte Vedra SC; Middleburg, Fla.)
DEFENDERS (8): Torri Allen (Mclean; Stafford, Va.), Elizabeth Eddy (So Cal Blues; Costa Mesa, Calif., Megan Oyster (Windy City Pride; Naperville, Ill.), Mollie Pathman (Triangle FC; Durham, N.C.), Rachel Quon (Eclipse Select; Lake Forrest, Ill.), Kendall Romine (So Cal Blues; Coto de Caza, Calif.), Courtney Smith (Dallas Texans; Houston, Texas), Carrie Whigham (Sereno SC; Phoenix, Ariz.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Kate Bennett (Crossfire; Clyde Hill, Wash.), Alex Crown (Space Coast United; Orlando, Fla.), Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick (San Ramon; Pleasanton, Calif.), Julia Roberts (Mclean; Frederick, Md.), Julia Sandridge (TCSYA Lady Twins; Winston-Salem, N.C.), Annie Steilage (Michigan Hawks; Grand Haven, Mich.), Rebecca Twining (Challenge SC; Houston, Texas)
FORWARDS (6): Hayley Brock (FC Stars of Mass; Acton, Mass.), Michelle Cruz (Slammers; Thousand Oaks, Calif.); Kylie Facinelli (So Cal Blues; Del Mar, Calif.), Samantha Johnson (Real So Cal; Palmdale, Calif.), Natalia Ledezma (Slammers; La Mirada, Calif.), Rachel Nuzzolesse (Rockville Centre; Melville, N.Y.)

- AROUND THE SOCCER NATION -

U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION AWARDS $1.2 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR 2009: The U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States, has awarded $1.2 million in funds to 27 groups in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The awards are part of the Foundation's annual grants program, which focuses on improving the health and well being of children in urban economically disadvantaged areas using soccer as a vehicle for social change. The grants will help pay for field development, uniforms, player equipment, travel costs, facility rental, registration costs, and training for players, coaches and referees. In 2009, the Foundation awarded five grants for the construction of full-size FieldTurf soccer feields, 17 grants for soccer development programs and five grants for field enhancements and upgrades. For more information, visit ussoccerfoundation.org.

JOSH BLUE TO APPEAR ON COMEDY CENTRAL MARCH 27: U.S. Paralympian Josh Blue, who three years ago was the winner of Season Four of Comedy Central's Last Comic Standing, will once again bring his standup to the network as Comedy Central presents Josh Blue, at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, March 27. In 2006, Blue was selected over hundreds of comics to make the show and joined 11 other comedians to live on the cruise ship Queen Mary, where they competed in various contests to determine the top six. Once he made his way to the final six, the public voted to see who would stay and who would go home and Blue won over his audience to win the fourth season of the NBC comedy competition. Fans can check out more about Blue at http://www.joshblue.com/. Blue took time to sit down with ussoccer.com prior to his Comedy Central appearance (listen now).

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIFINALS KICK OFF TUESDAY, MARCH 17: The first leg of the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League semifinals will kick off on Tuesday, March 17, at 8 p.m. ET as the Puerto Rico Islanders host Cruz Azul, with the return leg on Tuesday, April 7. In the other semifinals, Santos Laguna hosts Atlante at 8 p.m. MT, with the second leg taking place Wednesday, April 8. Complete results and schedule are available at http://www.concacaf.com/.

*** CENTER CIRCLE SPOTLIGHT ***

PEAK PERFORMER: U.S. Under-20 goalkeeper Brian Perk led the U.S. through Group A at the 2009 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship posting shutouts in all three Group A matches, as well as another in the semifinals against Trinidad & Tobago where he saved two penalty attempts.

MARQUEE MATCHUP: The 2009 Major League Soccer season officially gets underway on Thursday, March 19, with the Seattle Sounders hosting their first-ever MLS match at 6 p.m. PT. The Sounders will face the New York Red Bulls live on ESPN2 and ESPNDeportes under the helm of former Columbus Crew and U.S. U-20 MNT head coach Sigi Schmid.

SOCCER SHOCKER: Manchester United has been comfortable at the top of the English Premier League table at least since January, but Chelsea and Liverpool are fast on their heels. Both the Blues and the Reds are just four points behind the leaders, courtesy in part to a 4-1 Liverpool win against Manchester United on Saturday. United scored first when Cristiano Ronaldo convered a penalty kick in the 23rd minute, but Liverpool came from behind with Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena all contributing to the score line.

QUOTABLE: "We made a lot of changes tonight to try to put ourselves in a situation to be successful, but also to look at some players under pressure. I'm disappointed in the loss but overall satisfied with the way we've played throughout the finals. Getting to Egypt was our primary goal here, we reached that and to reach a final is a very good accomplishment for a team that came together in a very short amount of time. We did some very good things, and I think this team will represent us well in Egypt."
- U.S. U-20 MNT head coach Thomas Rongen, after the team's 3-0 loss to Costa Rica in the 2009 CONCACAF U-20 Championship title match.