Tournament of Nations

Tournament of Nations. The Tournament of Nations was an annual invitational women's association football tournament contested by four national teams. Organized by the United States Soccer Federation, it was held in the United States in 2017 and 2018 as a high-level preparation event for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. The competition featured some of the world's top-ranked teams, including the United States, Australia, Japan, and Brazil.

History

The tournament was created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2017 to fill a competitive void in the women's international calendar, providing top-tier opposition in the lead-up to major global events. It served as a successor to previous invitational events like the Women's Cup and was explicitly designed to offer challenging matches for the host United States team. The inaugural 2017 edition was notable for a dramatic 1–0 victory by Australia over the United States, a result that ended a long home unbeaten streak for the American side. Following the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, the tournament was discontinued, with its role in the schedule largely supplanted by the SheBelieves Cup.

Format

The competition followed a straightforward round-robin format, with each of the four participating nations playing one match against the other three. All matches were held in a series of host cities across the United States, such as Seattle, San Diego, Kansas City, and Bridgeview. The tournament winner was determined solely by total points accumulated, with standard FIFA rules applying for wins and draws. There was no knockout stage or final match, and tiebreakers, including goal difference and head-to-head results, were used to determine the final standings if teams were level on points.

Results

In the 2017 edition, the Australia team, known as the Matildas, won the title after securing victories over both the United States and Japan, and a draw with Brazil. The following year, the United States, led by head coach Jill Ellis, claimed the championship with a perfect record of three wins. Key matches included a 4–2 victory over Japan and a 3–1 win against Australia, with notable performances from players like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. Brazil, featuring stars like Marta, finished as runners-up in 2018.

Participating nations

The four nations invited for both editions were consistently among the elite in women's international football. The United States, the host and reigning FIFA Women's World Cup champion at the time, was a permanent participant. Australia, a powerhouse from the Asian Football Confederation, and Japan, the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup winner, provided strong competition from the AFC. Brazil, a perennial contender from CONMEBOL and a finalist in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, rounded out the field. All four teams were regularly ranked within the top ten of the FIFA Women's World Rankings during the tournament's existence.

See also

* SheBelieves Cup * Algarve Cup * Cyprus Women's Cup * Four Nations Tournament (women's football) * 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

Category:Women's association football tournaments Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2017 Category:Defunct international association football competitions