Children’s Mercy Park to host U.S. Women’s National Team in 2018 Tournament of Nations doubleheader on July 26

Children’s Mercy Park will host the United States Women’s National Team in a 2018 Tournament of Nations doubleheader on July 26, U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday.

The three-time World Cup champion U.S. WNT will face Japan at 6 p.m. CT on the opening matchday of an elite four-team tournament that will take place at three different venues in a round-robin format between July 26-Aug. 2. The first match of the day at Children’s Mercy Park will feature Brazil against Australia, kicking off at 3:15 p.m. CT.

“We are thrilled to be hosting four of the best women’s teams in the world at Children’s Mercy Park,” Sporting KC President and CEO Jake Reid said. “The U.S. Women’s National Team has played a tremendous role in growing and advancing the sport in this country, and Kansas City is proud to welcome them again in a premier international tournament alongside Australia, Brazil and Japan.”

Tickets for the doubleheader will go on sale to the public Friday, June 1, at 10 a.m. CT through ussoccer.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Exclusive pre-sale opportunities for Sporting KC Season Ticket members will be announced at a later date. Tournament of Nations VIP Packages — which include a premium ticket, tournament t-shirt and scarf, access to the field before the game, and other unique benefits — are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

The U.S. WNT has played in Kansas City seven times since its inaugural visit in 1999, winning four and drawing three. Children’s Mercy Park will play host to its fourth U.S WNT contest, having welcomed crowds for a 1-1 friendly draw against Canada in 2011, a 1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, and a 4-0 friendly victory over Costa Rica in 2016. The U.S. Women's and Men's National Teams are 10-0-4 in 14 combined visits to Kansas City, including a 6-0-2 mark at world-class Children's Mercy Park.

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM IN KANSAS CITY

• Oct. 7, 1999 vs. Finland: W 6-0 at Arrowhead Stadium
• Aug. 20, 2000 vs. Canada: T 1-1 at Arrowhead Stadium
• Oct. 22, 2003 vs. Italy: T 2-2 at Arrowhead Stadium
• Oct. 16, 2004 vs. Mexico: W 1-0 at Arrowhead Stadium
• Sept. 17, 2011 vs. Canada: T 1-1 at Children’s Mercy Park
• Oct. 15, 2014 vs. Trinidad and Tobago: W 1-0 at Children’s Mercy Park
• July 22, 2016 vs. Costa Rica: W 4-0 at Children’s Mercy Park

The 2018 Tournament of Nations will feature four of the top 11 women’s teams in the latest FIFA rankings, with No. 1 USA followed by No. 6 Australia, No. 8 Brazil and No. 11 Japan. The tournament winner will be based on total points — three for a win, one for a tie. FS1 will televise all three U.S. WNT matches during the competition, which will take teams to Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford Connecticut (July 29) and Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois (Aug. 2) following the first round of games in Kansas City.

2018 TOURNAMENT OF NATIONS SCHEDULE

The U.S. WNT and Japan notably met in the 2011 and 2015 FIFA World Cup Finals as well as the gold medal match at the 2012 Olympics. Japan edged the Americans in a penalty shootout to hoist their first World Cup title seven years ago, but the U.S. exacted revenge the following summer with a 2-1 win to secure Olympic gold and prevailed 5-2 to take the 2015 World Cup crown.In addition to winning a record three World Cup titles — including the most recent edition in 2015 — the U.S. WNT is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and an 11-time Concacaf champion. Currently led by head coach Jill Ellis, the Americans own a 5-0-1 record in 2018 with 18 goals scored and five conceded. In the U.S. WNT’s most recent match on April 8, 22-year-old midfielder and Overland Park, Kansas, native Haley Hanson made her senior international debut.

Each of the United States’ opponents in the 2018 Tournament of Nations has qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup next summer in France. The U.S. will take its shot at qualifying for the quadrennial event when it hosts the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship in October.

Brazil was a 2007 FIFA World Cup finalist and a two-time Olympic silver medalist, while Australia is the defending Tournament of Nations champion, having won the inaugural 2017 edition. The two teams recently locked horns in the 2015 World Cup Round of 16 (a 1-0 win for Australia) and the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics (a penalty shootout win for Brazil following a 0-0 draw).

GIRLS FANTASY CAMP 

U.S. Soccer will offer a four-day Girls Fantasy Camp around the matches in Kansas City, running from July 24-27. The camp is open to girls born in 2004, 2005 and 2006. This exclusive opportunity includes training sessions with former Women’s National Team stars Lindsay Tarpley and Lori Lindsey at U.S. Soccer's National Development Center, VIP match tickets, behind-the-scenes access, field-level access to watch warm-ups, personalized U.S. Soccer jersey and training apparel, hotel accommodations and all meals, ground transportation and more. The Fantasy Camp is a fundraiser to support the U.S. Soccer Development Fund and includes a special tax-deductible donation. Space is very limited for the camp and filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information and to register, visit ussoccer.com/fantasycamp.