New Zealand has been confirmed as the opponent for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s game on May 16 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. 

The addition of New Zealand to the USA’s 2019 schedule means that eight of the 10 Countdown to the Cup opponents will be at the World Cup next summer and that the USA will play teams from all six FIFA Confederations: Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, Oceania and Concacaf before heading to France.

2019 U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM SCHEDULE

DID YOU KNOW...

• New Zealand is coached by former Australia and USA head coach Tom Sermanni.
• The Football Ferns recently won the Oceania Women’s Cup in dominating fashion, outscoring its opponents 43-0 over five games to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.

• The USA most recently played New Zealand in a pair of friendlies in 2017, winning both games by 3-1 and 5-0 scores. Before then, the WNT beat the New Zealand, 2-0, in group play at the 2016 Olympics.

• New Zealand was also the USA’s opponent at Busch Stadium during its preparation for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, winning 4-0 on a special afternoon in front of more than 35,000 fans as St. Louis native Lori Chalupny scored one of the goals.
• The match will mark the 14th time the U.S. WNT has played at a baseball park, but it will be just its fourth game at a Major League Baseball venue. 

COUNTDOWN TO THE CUP TICKETS
Tickets for USA vs. New Zealand and all eight domestic matches of Countdown to the Cup, go on sale to the public Thursday, Dec. 13 through ussoccer.com at 10 a.m. local time for that venue. Groups of 20 or more can order directly at ussoccer.com.

For all eight domestic matches of Countdown to the Cup, Ultimate Fan Tickets (special VIP packages that include a premium ticket, a custom-made official U.S. National Team jersey with name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits) are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will open its 2019 schedule in the country where it hopes to find success during the summer, taking on 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup host France on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Stade Océane in Le Havre (8:30 p.m. local / 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and the Fox Sports App). 

 France is currently fourth in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings and is one of the heavy favorites on home soil next summer.

Le Havre, which is located on the northern coast of France, is one of nine venues for next summer’s tournament. Stade Océane seats around 25,000 fans and will host seven Women’s World Cup matches, including a Round of 16 game and a Quarterfinal.

“To play France in France was an essential part of our scheduling preparations for next summer, and it will be an exciting and challenging match to kick off the year,” U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis said. “They are a top team, in the middle of their domestic league, and playing on home soil, so this is the type of experience we need to be ready for the World Cup in 2019.”

The USA also opened its 2015 Women’s World Cup year in France, falling 2-0 in Lorient, a result that the USA avenged just over than a month later, downing France 2-0 in the championship game of the Algarve Cup. The USA’s most recent meeting with France came earlier this year at the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, a 1-1 draw in front of more than 25,000 fans at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., in which Mallory Pugh scored for the USA and Eugénie Le Sommer tallied for the French. 

 The USA is 18-2-2 all-time vs. France. The teams have played 10 times since 2011, starting with the USA’s 3-1 win against France in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal. Over those last 10 games, the USA is 7-2-2 while scoring 15 goals to France’s 10.

As host, France did not have to go through qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup but has played a competitive schedule of matches this year against many World Cup or potential World Cup teams, including games vs. Italy, England, Germany, the USA, Nigeria, Mexico, Cameroon, Australia and Brazil.

After facing France, the USA will play a second match in Europe. That opponent and venue will be announced in the near future. The U.S. team will be abroad most of January as it will hold its annual January training camp in Europe.