The USWNT has a fascinating year ahead of them, as they attempt to put a rough 2021 behind them before defending their World Cup championship in Australia and New Zealand next summer.
The United States underwhelmed in their first major competition under Vlatko Andonovski, falling to Canada in the semi-finals of the Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament for the first time in 20 years.
The players did eventually depart Japan with medals around their necks after defeating Australia in the bronze medal match, but this year’s performance will be expected to be better.
What are the USWNT’s fixtures for 2022?
The USWNT’s first match of the year was in February at the SheBelieves Cup. The Covid-19 pandemic, the long journey required for nations, and new tournaments – such as England’s Arnold Clark Cup – have all made it difficult for US Soccer to host elite opposition in the tournament this year.
This year’s opponents for the United States were Iceland, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic, who were rated 16th, 22nd, and 24th in the world, respectively.
The USWNT’s competition did not start off as smoothly as some might have hoped, though, with a goalless draw against the Czech Republic. But it was Andonovski’s who would take the championship home after winning the next two games.
In 2022, what fixtures does the USWNT have?
The USWNT has scheduled two friendly with Uzbekistan in April. Uzbekistan is rated 45th in the world and failed to qualify for the Women’s World Cup final round in Asia.
This was another illustration of the difficulty in a world still grappling with the effects of Covid-19, after having to secure elite opposition for the SheBelieves Cup. According to The Equalizer, “a top team from Asia” was supposed to face the US in that window, but quarantines and restrictions made it impossible.
Andonovski’s team will compete in the Concacaf Women’s Championship later this year in Mexico. The defending world champions, as well as Olympic gold medalists Canada, qualified automatically for the event. The rest of the confederation’s qualification process begins in February and ends in April, therefore no fixtures have been set yet.
If Andonovski’s team finishes in the top two in the group rounds of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, they will be guaranteed a spot in the tournament. In the extremely improbable event that this does not occur, and the US finishes third in its group, it may still be able to qualify for the tournament via the play-off system.
If the United States wins the Concacaf Championship for the eighth time, the country will be guaranteed a spot in the women’s soccer competition at the 2024 Olympic Games. If the holders do not retain the title, a play-off scenario may be used to qualify for the Games.
What additional games may the United States participate in?
Friendlies will be organized by US Soccer during the international breaks of June, September, October, and November to help the national team get in the best possible shape for the World Cup.
With UEFA’s qualification process for that tournament wrapping up in September, the amount of opponents available in the October and November windows will be more diverse than they were in late 2021.
However, U.S. Soccer has not yet announced any fixtures for those dates.
Fixtures and results for the United States Women’s National Team in 2022
| Date | Match | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17 | USWNT 0-0 Czech Republic | SheBelieves Cup | Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson |
| Feb 20 | USWNT 5-0 New Zealand | SheBelieves Cup | Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson |
| Feb 23 | USWNT 5-0 Iceland | SheBelieves Cup | Toyota Stadium, Frisco |
| Apr 9 | USWNT vs Uzbekistan | Friendly | Lower.com Field, Columbus |
| Apr 12 | USWNT vs Uzbekistan | Friendly | Subaru Park, Chester |
