U.S. Women's National Team Will Face Switzerland In A Friendly Match On Oct. 23 In Minneapolis

Chicago, IL (Aug. 30, 2016) – The U.S. Women’s National Team will make their U.S. Bank Stadium debut against Switzerland, in one of two matches against the rising European side this October. The two matches will be held on Oct. 19 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah (7 p.m. MT on ESPN2) and on Oct. 23 in Minneapolis with kickoff at 12:45 p.m. CT and coverage beginning on FS1 at Noon CT. 

The matches will be the first for the U.S. WNT after the completion of the 2016 National Women’s Soccer League season, which concludes on Oct. 9 with the championship game in Houston.

Tickets for the match at U.S. Bank Stadium go on sale to the public Monday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the Twin Cities area (including many Walmart locations), as well as the U.S. Bank Stadium Ticket Office (open Monday-Friday at 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Wednesday until 7 p.m.). Groups of 20 or more can order at ussoccer.com.

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 for both games exclusively through ussoccer.com. 

The matches against Switzerland will only be the third and fourth meetings between the two countries, with the USA winning both previous contents. The Americans triumphed 4-1 on Aug. 20, 2014 in Cary, N.C. and 3-0 on March 6, 2015 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. 

Switzerland currently sits atop its qualifying group for the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro, taking the full 18 points from six games so far.

U.S. Soccer will offer a four-day Girls’ Fantasy Camp around the match in Minneapolis, running from October 21-24. The camp is open to girls born in 2002, 2003 and 2004. This exclusive opportunity includes training sessions with former Women’s National Team stars, behind-the-scenes access, match tickets, a pre-game stadium tour and field-level access to watch warm-ups, U.S. Soccer training apparel and jersey, hotel accommodations, meals and more. The Fantasy Camp is a fundraiser to support the U.S. Soccer Development Fund and includes a tax-deductible donation. For more information and to register, visit the U.S. Soccer Fantasy Camps web page or contact fantasycamp@ussoccer.org.

Additional Notes:

• The USA is 16-0-3 in 2016 and will next be facing Thailand on Thursday, Sept. 15 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (8 p.m. ET on ESPN2) before traveling to Atlanta to take on the Netherlands on Sunday, Sept. 18 at the Georgia Dome (7 p.m. ET on FS1).
• The match in Utah will mark the USA’s fourth visit to Rio Tinto Stadium – home to Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer — after having played there in 2010, 2012 and 2014, all wins.
• The USA also played at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City back in 2003, a 5-0 win vs. Ireland.
• The match at U.S. Bank Stadium will be the first for a U.S. National Team at the brand new facility built for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. The fixed-roof stadium officially opened on July 22, 2016.
• The U.S. WNT has a long history in Minnesota as the team played many of its earliest home matches in Blaine, Minn., in 1986 and 1987.
• The U.S. Women have played 14 total matches in Blaine, tied with Portland, Ore., for the city that has hosted the most U.S. WNT matches, but the USA has not played there since 2006.
• Switzerland failed to make it out of Group C at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, but had a solid tournament, losing to eventual runners-up Japan 1-0 and defeating Ecuador 10-1 before suffering a fatal setback to Cameroon, 2-1.