The work never ends when you’re a women’s footballer, as the 2019 USWNT victory tour makes abundantly clear.
After a 10-match pre-World Cup schedule and seven grueling games at the Women’s World Cup in France, the USWNT will be trotted out five more times in 2019. U.S. Soccer has announced all five dates on a moneymaking USWNT victory tour, including stops in Philadelphia, St. Paul, Minnesota, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cincinatti, Ohio.
The celebration continues
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\_in Philadelphia & St. Paul #VictoryTour x @Allstate: https://t.co/9pZGtGErUX pic.twitter.com/4ncuE5nSR4
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 24, 2019
Queen City + Windy City
Ready to celebrate with U.S. ?#VictoryTour x @Allstate » https://t.co/MKnmtIGy8j pic.twitter.com/4Z8obiXHFi— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) August 1, 2019
The first USWNT Victory Tour match will be against Ireland at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, for Aug. 3.
The USWNT will play Portugal twice on its victory tour. First the teams will meet at the Linc in Philly on Aug. 29 followed by a match at the lovely Allianz Field in St. Paul on Sept. 3.
The USWNT Victory Tour will conclude with two friendlies against South Korea on Oct. 3 and Oct. 6. The Oct. 3 match is at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, followed by a match at Soldier Field in Chicago on Oct. 6.
USWNT Victory Tour Dates
- Aug. 3, 10 p.m. ET — Republic of Ireland, Rose Bowl; Pasadena, California (ESPN2, Galavision)
- Aug. 29, 7 p.m. ET — Portugal, Lincoln Financial Field; Philadelphia (FS1)
- Sept. 3, 8 p.m. ET — Portugal, Allianz Field; St. Paul, Minnesota (ESPN2)
- Oct. 3, 8 p.m. ET — Korea Republic, Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, North Carolina (FS1, Univision Networks)
- Oct. 6, 2 p.m. ET — Korea Republic, Soldier Field, Chicago (ESPN)
These post-Women’s World Cup friendlies are a chance for USWNT fans across the country to celebrate the team’s accomplishments. All 23 USWNT players will be on the roster for these friendlies, so all the stars will be there, from Golden Boot/Golden Ball winner Megan Rapinoe to third-string goalie Adrianna Franch.
A couple of CHAMPS have something to say...
But for real, if @CarliLloyd, @julieertz, @roselavelle and super fan @ZERTZ_86 want to see you there, you better be there! pic.twitter.com/vFBumPDm5P— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 24, 2019
The USWNT victory tour is ostensibly a moneymaker for U.S. Soccer. With these friendlies on the books, USWNT will play 22 matches in 2019. That’s four more than the USMNT will play this year even with the men reaching the Gold Cup final, but the USWNT still gets paid less. U.S. Soccer will also likely add two more friendlies in November apart from the USWNT victory tour, bringing the total to 24 matches.
Aside from the unannounced November games, all of these matches fall during the NWSL season, which runs through October, adding up for an exhausting year for these athletes. On a recent trip home to Colorado, 21-year-old winger Mallory Pugh told us the most surprising aspect of the Women’s World Cup was how physically tiring it all was.
“It was very taxing on your body,” Pugh said. “I didn’t expect that, and I know I’m young and it shouldn’t have, but it was a lot. We had a game and then travel and just the schedule.”
But the players probably won’t complain too much about the USWNT victory tour — they just won the freakin’ Women’s World Cup and they wanna show it off.