The 2023 SheBelieves Cup kicks off on Thursday. The friendly tournament is a key tune-up for the U.S. women’s national team before the World Cup begins in July.
What is the team’s schedule?
- USA vs. Canada: Thursday, Feb. 16 @ 7 p.m. on HBO Max
- USA vs. Japan: Sunday, Feb. 19 @ 3:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
- USA vs. Brazil: Wednesday, Feb. 22 @ 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
What are the top storylines?
1. The Canadian women’s national team attempted to go on strike this weekend over budget cuts, equal pay grievances and lack of support from Canada Soccer. But Canada Soccer deemed the strike unlawful and threatened legal action, forcing the players to participate in SheBelieves Cup, which begins with Canada’s matchup against the USWNT. Given the history of support between the two teams (Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn voiced their support for Canada on Saturday), expect there to be some form of protest before or during the game.
2. With this being one of the primary tune-up tournaments before the U.S. heads to the World Cup, it’s likely that the players coach Vlatko Andonovski takes to the SheBelieves Cup will be close to the final roster, barring players…
