The seventh edition of the SheBelieves Cup, an invitational women's football tournament held every year in the USA, will take place in Carson, Calif., and Frisco, Texas, from Feb. 17 through Feb. 23.
The four-team round-robin tournament sees teams play one another once in group-stage style. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. The team with the most points wins the tournament. A tie in points is decided by goal differential, goals scored, head-to-head results and fair play ranking, in that order.
The USA, Czech Republic, Iceland and New Zealand are the four participating nations in the 2022 SheBelieves Cup.
2022 SheBelieves Cup participants
Czech Republic – Debutants
The Czech Republic will make its SheBelieves Cup debut against reigning champions USA on Thursday night. Captain Lucie Martinkova is the most capped player in the team's history with over 100 appearances. She will lead her nation ranked 24th in the world.
Five of the 23 players on the roster play football in their home country. Goalkeeper Barbora Votikova plays for Paris Saint-Germain, midfielder Katerina Svitkova plays for West Ham United, midfielder Klara Cahynova plays in Sevilla, midfielder Kamila Dubcova and forward Andrea Staskova plays in Juventus. These five players, along with Martinkova, will look to impress in their first-ever appearance in a SheBelieves Cup.
Iceland – Debutants
Ranked 16th in the world, Iceland enters the 2022 SheBelieves Cup as the second-highest ranked nation behind the United States. They will use the tournament to prepare for the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.
Head coach Thorsteinn Halldorsson's roster consists of players who play club football in six different countries – England, Germany, Iceland, Norway, United States, Sweden. The most familiar names from the roster to fans in the U.S. are midfielder Dagny Brynjarsdottir, who spent three years in the NWSL with the Portland Thorns, and midfielder Gunnhildur Yrsa Jonsdottir, who plays for the Orlando Pride.
New Zealand – Debutants
Czech manager Jitka Klimkova will see her team in tournament action for the first time after being appointed in September 2021. Klimkova selected 17 of the 22 players who played in Tokyo during the Olympic Games returned to the roster.
One of the headlines going into the tournament is the story behind experienced defender Rebekah Stott, who was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodkin's Lymphoma early last year and has since undergone successful treatment. Defenders Abby Erceg and Ali Riley are two standout players traveling to the USA.
United States – Hosts
The USWNT is the winningest team in SheBelieves Cup history, with four wins in six appearances as host. The Americans enter the tournament ranked No. 1 in the world and are the clear favorites to win it all.
Coached by Vlatko Andonovski, the Stars and Stripes boast a star-studded roster. Current USWNT Sports Female Player of the Year Lindsey Horan and veteran Abby Dahlkemper sustained injuries and were omitted from the roster. National Women's Soccer League Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman and two-time MAC Hermann Trophy winner Jaelin Howell are exciting replacements for Horan and Dahlkemper. Among other promising prospects like Ashley Sanchez and Ashley Hatch, the roster houses star midfielders Catarina Macario and Rose Lavelle center-back Becky Sauerbrunn and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Important dates in the 2022 SheBelieves Cup
February 17, 2022
- Iceland vs. New Zealand at 8 p.m. ET
- United States vs. Czech Republic at 11 p.m. ET
February 20, 2022
- United States vs. New Zealand at 3 p.m. ET
- Czech Republic vs. Iceland at 6 p.m. ET
February 23, 2022
- New Zealand vs. Czech Republic at 6 p.m. ET
- United States vs. Iceland at 9 p.m. ET
