When do womens soccer play again

Phew.

The U.S. women's national soccer team won its quarterfinals match against the Netherlands Friday in epic nail-biting fashion, avenging a shocking loss on penalty kicks five years ago with an equal Olympic performance of their own in Tokyo.

The squad, beneficiary of the first-ever New York City ticker-tape parade for a professional female team, found itself facing the same fate in Japan that it did in Rio. It wouldn't allow history to repeat itself. Not when the team could be participating in the final Olympic run for a veteran core looking to restore a long-established gold standard.

And it was one of those gold-medal-winning veterans, Megan Rapinoe, who scored the winning PK, firing into the upper corner of the net to send the United States to the semifinals against Canada. So we get to do it all over again early next week.

You'll have to get up early, though. The U.S. women will take on Canada at 4 a.m. ET Monday -- so set your alarm clock. Here's how you can watch it live from bed.

If USWNT wins, they'll take on the winner of the other semifinal between Australia and Sweden (which didn't go so well for Team USA in the first round in Tokyo). That semi starts at 7 a.m. ET Monday (why couldn't we be so lucky?).

No matter -- they need our support. The win could be viewed by many as an upset for a U.S. team not accustomed to being titled the underdog.

After the USWNT won just one of its three group play games – getting shutout in a shocking opener by Sweden and in a scoreless draw with Australia – the team isn't quite the overwhelming favorite it was while winning four of six gold medals since women’s soccer became an Olympic sport in 1996.

But New Yorkers know them well. And might just be willing to get out of bed before dawn to cheer them on.

That first-ever ticker-tape parade for a professional female team came in 2019 when the group won the World Cup. It was the last great spectacle along the Canyon of Heroes before the most recent "Hometown Heroes" parade honoring frontline COVID-19 workers earlier this month.

New York remembers those 2019 champions -- and is rooting for them once again in the Tokyo Olympics, where Rapinoe, New Jersey's Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and company look to avenge their latest losses (or near-losses) on the global stage.

Catch all the action live on NBC

The United States is vying for its fifth overall gold medal at these Olympics.

Christen Press, one of the team's most dangerous assets on offense who also scored a penalty kick, recently acknowledged the realities of playing tournament soccer.

“This tournament is really tough with the amount of games that you need to play without as many days in between as other tournaments. And so I think with that, there has to be tactical sophistication in how we manage," Press said.

MONTERREY, Mexico — The U.S. women’s soccer team plays Canada in the final of the CONCACAF W Championship for a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The U.S. beat Costa Rica 3-0 in the semifinals Thursday night on goals from Emily Sonnett, Mallory Pugh and Ashley Sanchez. Canada downed Jamaica 3-0 in the late game to advance to earn the other spot Monday night in the championship.

The U.S. extended its shutout streak in World Cup or Olympic qualifying matches to 32 games.

The four teams had already qualified for the region’s berths at the 2023 Women’s World Cup as the top finishers in the group stage. The winner of the W Championship additionally earns one of the region’s two spots in the Olympics.

The loser of Monday’s game and the winner of the third-place match between Costa Rica and Jamaica will play in September 2023 for the second and last CONCACAF spot in the Olympic field.

At the Tokyo Games, Canada stunned the U.S. 1-0 in the semifinals, beating the U.S. for the first time since 2001 en route to the gold medal. The U.S. played six matches at the Olympics and failed to score in half of them after coming to Japan having scored in 34 of its last 35 matches in Olympic and World Cup tournaments.

The U.S. won the last two World Cups, but the Americans are heading into next summer’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand with a different look.

Coach Vlatko Andonovski focused on developing young talent since winning bronze in Tokyo, and up-and-coming players including Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh have cracked the starting lineup. Casey Murphy got the starting nod in goal.

A few veterans remain, including Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn, who both started on Thursday, and Megan Rapinoe, who came off the bench. Carli Lloyd retired after the Tokyo Games.

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Photo Copyright Lewis Gettier for The Equalizer

The New Year is here, and it is a busy one in women’s soccer. There are all the major leagues we follow and cover here, from the National Women’s Soccer League and Liga MX Femenil, to the big leagues in Europe. Then there is a load of World Cup qualifying for the 2023 edition of the tournament, which will be the biggest yet at 32 teams. If you haven’t cleared your July, you’ll want to: 11 teams will qualify directly from tournaments that month, in addition to the EUROs taking place.

Need to plan your year? We have you covered. Here’s a (non-exhaustive but comprehensive) list of some major dates to keep an eye.

January USWNT camp

This year’s annual United States women’s national team camp stands to look a lot different than the usual ones, with head coach Vlatko Andonovski evaluating new, young talent to see if those players are ready for World Cup qualifying and the big stage in 2023. We won’t get to see any games, but this camp will shape who makes the SheBelieves Cup roster in February. Subscribers get inside access to Andonovski’s plans for balancing the integration of new players with veterans waiting in the wings.

Jan. 7 – Liga MX Femenil Clausura begins

That’s right, they are right back at it in Mexico, two weeks after C.F. Monterrey prevailed over Tigres in the Apertura final. Opening weekend of the new campaign is spread out over four days.

Jan. 20-Feb. 6 – AFC Women’s Asian Cup (WCQ)

This edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup will take place in India and comes well before the slew of World Cup qualifying tournaments this summer in other confederations. Five teams will qualify directly from this 12-team tournament, while two more will qualify for the intercontinental playoff set for February 2023. How will they qualify? That gets a little complicated based on where Australia finishes, since the Matildas are already qualified as co-hosts of the 2023 World Cup (read full rules here), but in simple terms, winning a quarterfinal after the group stage books a ticket.

Feb. 1 – NWSL preseason

This is the same preseason reporting date as last year, which was the earliest in league history. Many players complained about the extended length of preseason, which was shaped in part by a Challenge Cup that took place before the regular season. This year, the Challenge Cup will be even longer. A major question hanging over this date on the calendar is whether the NWSL Players Association and the league have agreed to a first collective bargaining agreement. If that hasn’t happened, it is possible we don’t see players report on time depending on the nature of those talks. And, of course, there is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which will shape scheduling.

Lauletta: XI hopes for the NWSL in 2022

Feb. 17 – 23 – SheBelieves Cup

Czech Republic, Iceland and New Zealand are the opponents this year in a less glamorous SheBelieves Cup. The first two doubleheaders will be outside of LA and the final set in Frisco, Texas. Again, this is where we can expect to see a bunch of players new to the national team scene. Why the weaker-than-usual opponents? Competing tournaments and travel is one answer, U.S. women’s national team general manager Kate Markgraf explained exclusively to subscribers of The Equalizer.

March 19 – NWSL Challenge Cup begins

The Challenge Cup is back for a third edition and the second time as a tournament before the regular season. Another way of putting that is a preseason tournament. This year, there will be three groups of four in a double round-robin format, with the three group winners and best second-place team making the semifinals.

March 22-31 – UWCL quarterfinals

Bayern Munich vs. PSG, Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Juventus vs. Lyon, and Arsenal vs. Wolfsburg are the quarterfinal matchups, which will play out over two legs. Barcelona are the holders and favorites to repeat. The other three matchups offer varying levels of intrigue.

April 23-30 – UWCL semifinals

The winner of Real Madrid vs. Barcelona will play the winner of Arsenal vs. Wolfsburg, while the winner of Juventus vs. Lyon will play the winner of Bayern Munich vs. PSG. Many might expect yet another all-French semifinal, but Juventus is the dark-horse team here and Bayern Munich might be better on form right now.

Five storylines that will define the rest of the FAWSL season

May 7 – NWSL Challenge Cup final

The 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup final will be broadcast live on big CBS, so the league will be looking to make it a showcase event. One team will win the first trophy of the new season.

Early May – NWSL regular season begins

This season will see 12 teams play a balanced schedule — each with one home game and one away game against each of the other 11 teams — which is a major positive. The league says it will “significantly limit the number of games that occur during FIFA windows, ensuring the league’s most accomplished players are able to compete for club and country with relatively few conflicts compared to recent years,” but you can bet the NWSL isn’t taking all of July off and, well… see below.

Lauletta: 22-game NWSL season is good, early Challenge Cup misses mark

May (?) – UWCL final

The final will be at Juventus Stadium in Turin, but the date still has not been confirmed by UEFA.

May-June – Various league champions crowned

May 8 is the final weekend of play in England’s FAWSL, and it’s May 15 in Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga. Spain’s Liga Iberdrola and Italy’s Serie A each end that same weekend, and they appear to once again be foregone conclusions for Barcelona and Juventus, respectively, to be crowned champions. France’s D1 Arkema wraps on June 4, but the defining PSG-Lyon return fixture takes place May 28. Expect Liga MX playoffs (the Liguilla) to wrap up in early June.

July 2-23 – Africa Women Cup of Nations (WCQ)

Morocco will host the tournament which will see four teams from Africa qualify directly for the 2023 World Cup, while another two will advance to the intercontinental playoff.

July 4-20 – Concacaf W Championship (WCQ)

Guadalajara, Mexico, is expected to host World Cup qualifying, putting the event in Mexico for the first time since that famous World Cup qualifying tournament in 2010, when the U.S. lost to Mexico in the semifinals and had to beat Italy in a two-leg playoff to become the last team to qualify for the 2011 World Cup. This time, four teams will qualify for the World Cup directly, with two more advancing to the intercontinental playoff. This new Concacaf format is also double jeopardy to keep every game interesting right through the final. The tournament winner will also qualify for the 2024 Olympics, while the loser of the final and the winner of the third-place game will play in a playoff later for a second berth to the 2024 Olympics.

‘I look back with a little smile’: Vanessa Gilles took the long road to Angel City FC, NWSL

July 5-31 – Oceania OFC Women’s Nations Cup (WCQ)

Qualification from Oceania is a tall order. New Zealand is already in as a 2023 World Cup co-host, which theoretically opens the door for a first-time participant (Fiji or Papua New Guinea, perhaps?). The best-placed team not named New Zealand will qualify for the intercontinental playoff, where they will then have to win a group to qualify for the World Cup. In other words, there is no direct qualification, and any sort of qualification beyond New Zealand remains unlikely.

July 6-31 – UEFA Women’s EURO

One year after its originally planned date, the UEFA Women’s European Championship will take place in England. The Lionesses will hope to lift the trophy on home soil, guided by head coach Sarina Wiegman — who was in charge of the Netherlands when they won the last edition in 2017. Former Portland Thorns coach Mark Parsons will be in charge of the Dutch on their quest for a repeat.

July 8-30 – Copa America Femenina (WCQ)

South America’s qualifying tournament will see three teams qualify directly, with two more making the intercontinental playoff. Colombia — who vied to host the 2023 World Cup but lost in a vote to Australia/New Zealand — will host the tournament.

Sept. 6: UEFA WCQ group stage concludes

The longest (and most proper) confederation qualifying campaign concludes in Europe on Sept. 6, when the nine group winners will be confirmed as automatic qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup. All nine group runners-up will be entered into a playoff.

‘Soccer is a way of life’: Alexia Putellas on winning the Ballon d’Or and what’s next

Oct. 3-11 – UEFA WCQ playoffs

The six worst runners-up will play in the first round, with the other three teams advancing to the second round. Three winners will emerge from first-round playoff ties to play in the second round. Of those three winners from the second round, two will qualify directly for the World Cup and the third will be entered into the intercontinental playoff. How will the two be determined? Based on an aggregate points total from all group matches (except against sixth-place teams) and playoff results. Complicated? Just a little.

Oct. 13-18 – Copa Libertadores Femenina

South America’s continental club championship in Ecuador, with the champion receiving a record $1.5 million USD. The runner-up will earn $500,000 USD.

October – NWSL playoffs

Six of the 12 NWSL teams will qualify for the playoffs, which will take place in October. The Championship will be the weekend of Oct. 28. There is a FIFA window from Oct. 3-11, so expect the playoffs to start after that.

December – NWSL Draft

It sounds like the NWSL Draft will be in December going forward. That was the case in 2021, the first time that it did not take place in January, which is usually the case for in-person drafts to align with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.