2021 SheBelieves Cup schedule confirmed as USWNT joined by Olympic qualifiers Brazil, Canada, Japan
USA women's football players currently in training camp in Florida, with Rapinoe and Lloyd among attendees.
Football
This year's SheBelieves Cup, an annual international women's football (soccer) exhibition tournament hosted by the United States, will go ahead in Florida next month with three invited teams in the top 10 of the world rankings.
South American champions Brazil and Asian champions Japan, as well as joint-world number eight Canada, will play against the United States Women's National Team (USWNT) in a round-robin format from 18–24 February to crown the sixth SheBelieves Cup winner.
All four teams have qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games tournament to be held in July and August 2021.
This year's edition will be the first not to include a European team.
Rapinoe, Lloyd among stars at USWNT training camp
In preparation for the tournament, the USWNT has been holding a training camp in Orlando, which will run until 22 January and include two friendlies against Colombia on 18 and 22 January.
Olympic and World Cup champions Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd, two of the three co-captains of the United States Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT), form part of the ongoing camp after both stars sat out the last two team gatherings, including the USWNT's 2–0 win over the Netherlands in November.
"Both of them are a little bit ahead of what we expected for them to be for January camp, from the physical standpoint," coach Vlatko Andonovski said in quotes reported by ESPN.
Also re-called to the side is Mallory Pugh, who was also absent from the Americans' trip to play the Dutch.
However, names missing include the side's third co-captain, Alex Morgan, who recently tested Covid-19-positive, and Manchester United players Christen Press and Tobin Heath, who will both remain in England.
Lloyd is six caps away from winning her 300th cap, a feat which would make her the third player to do so after Kristine Lilly and Christie Rampone, both of whom also did so for the USWNT.
SheBelieves Cup and USWNT schedule 2021
All six games of the SheBelieves Cup, as well as the USWNT's two friendlies against Colombia, will take place at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando. The stadium also hosted two games of the 2020 SheBelieves Cup.
The SheBelieves Cup fixtures in 2021 will be held as double-headers, with two matches each on 18, 21, and 24 February.
Fans are expected to be in limited attendance during the tournament, with U.S. Soccer announcing that it intends to release a small number of tickets for each doubleheader.
"It will be a bit different this year with limited fans, but with the Olympics once again on the horizon our players will be highly motivated and there’s no better way to prepare for the tournament than to play teams that will be in Japan," Andonovski said.
18 January 2021, 7 p.m. ET: USA vs Colombia (exhibition game)
22 January 2021, 7 p.m. ET: USA vs Colombia (exhibition game)
18 February 2021, 4 p.m. ET: Brazil vs Japan
18 February 2021, 7 p.m. ET: USA vs Canada
21 February 2021, 3 p.m. ET: USA vs Brazil
21 February 2021, 6 p.m. ET: Japan vs Canada
24 February 2021, 4 p.m. ET: Canada vs Brazil
24 February 2021, 7 p.m. ET: USA vs Japan