U.S. Soccer Announces Format of 2021 SheBelieves Cup
On Monday, January 11th, U.S. Soccer revealed the set up for the 2021 edition of the SheBelieves Cup. The tournament will take place from February 18th to 24th in Orlando, Florida. Exploria Stadium will host all six tournament games. More information can be found on the U.S. Soccer website.
Joining the USWNT in this year’s competition are Brazil, Canada and Japan. In the most recent FIFA World Rankings, Canada and Brazil are tied for eighth. Japan occupies the tenth spot, while the USA currently holds the top position. Number one overall is a position that has become incredibly familiar to the United States over the years.
All eyes on Orlando! 🙌
The 2021 #SheBelievesCup presented by @Visa will be held from Feb. 18-24 at @ExploriaStadium featuring Brazil, Canada, Japan and the USA!
🇧🇷🇨🇦🇯🇵🇺🇸≫ https://t.co/NSvdsQyxeQ pic.twitter.com/5vz40KfiLg
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) January 11, 2021
This year’s competition will be the sixth time the SheBelieves Cup has been held. Notably, it will be the first time the tournament will not feature a European team. This means that England, who won the 2019 tournament and participated in every other edition, will unfortunately not take part.
Tournament Schedule
The 2021 SheBelieves Cup will feature three doubleheaders. The games will take place on the 18th, the 21st and the 24th. FS1 and TUDN will broadcast every game the USWNT plays.
On the 18th, the action will begin with Brazil taking on Japan at 4 p.m. est. The USA will then face off with Canada at 7 p.m. est.
The USA gets the early game on the 21st. Their game against Brazil will kick off at 3 p.m. est. At 6 p.m. est, Japan and Canada will contest the night game.
Canada will play Brazil at 4 p.m. est on the 24th. The USA and Japan will then conclude the tournament at 7 p.m. est.
The winner of the tournament will be decided by total points. Teams will earn three points for a win and one each for a draw. In the event of a tie, there are a series of tiebreakers that included goal difference and goals scored.
Off-Field Features
The 2021 tournament is also the fifth time that the SheBelieves Hero competition will take place.
Are you our next #SheBelievesHero?
You could win a trip to see the #USWNT in action! How to enter » https://t.co/HRMQnF9uQX pic.twitter.com/32WgulVUz2
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) January 11, 2021
The SheBelieves Hero is an individual between the ages of 13 and 17 who best embodies the values of the SheBelieves initiative. The contest will take place between January 11th and March first. The winner will receive an exciting game day experience for a future USWNT friendly. More information about the contest, including the stories of past winners, can be found here.
New this year is the decision process for the tournament MVP. A fan vote at the conclusion of the tournament will decide the winner of the 2021 award.
Some of the top talent in the 🌎 is headed to Orlando this February, but who will be the best of the best? @Visa, presenting sponsor of the #SheBelieveCup, will once again award the MVP trophy to the most outstanding player of the tournament 🏆
*New this year? Fan vote! 🙌
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) January 11, 2021
As the leading sponsor of the tournament, Visa presented this award last year as well. The winner in 2020 was Alexia Putellas of Spain.
In Conclusion
Now in its sixth year, the SheBelieves Cup is part of U.S. Soccer’s SheBelieves initiative. The initiative is designed to “inspire and empower women and girls to achieve their goals in sport and beyond.”
Each year, the SheBelieves Cup provides an opportunity to watch some of the world’s top national teams go head to head in support of a fantastic cause.
In 2021, the USWNT will aim to win their fourth SheBelieves Cup title to match the four Olympic gold medals and four World Cups that they already have in the trophy case.
– Andrew Fasciano (@afasc573)