shebelieves cup - 2025.
- Kenta Hagiwara
- Feb 13
- 6 min read
February 11, 2025 - The 10th edition of the shebelieves cup is here, featuring two first timers to the annual competition.
FORMAT:
Round robin style format is back for the 2025 shebelieves cup, as opposed to the bracket styled 2024 tournament that saw one less matchday than the normal three matchday setup. Each national team will face each other, playing just 90 minutes for a result. Team with the most points after the three matchdays will be crowned the 2025 shebelieves cup champion.
MATCHES:
FEBRUARY 20:
Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, TX
Japan vs Australia, 16:00 local / 17:00 ET
Last H2H: 14 July 2021. Japan 1, Australia 0 (International Friendly).
USA vs Colombia, 19:00 local / 20:00 ET
Last H2H: 3 March 2024. USA 3, Colombia 0 (CONACACF W Gold Cup).
FEBRUARY 23:
State Farm Stadium; Glendale, AZ
Colombia vs Japan, 12:00 local /14:00 ET
Last H2H: 19 July 2024. Japan 1, Colombia 1 (International Friendly).
USA vs Australia, 15:00 local / 17:00 ET
Last H2H: 31 July 2024. Australia 1, USA 2 (Olympic Games).
FEBRUARY 26:
Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, CA
Australia vs Colombia, 16:30 local / 19:30 ET
*no prior H2H matchup found.
USA vs Japan, 19:30 local / 22:30 ET
Last H2H: 3 August 2024. USA 1, Japan 0 (Olympic Games).
*All listed times are the kickoff times in the local time zones of the match venues: Central Time Zone (UTC-6) for Houston, TX; Mountain Time Zone (UTC-7) for Glendale, AZ; Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8) for San Diego, CA. Times following the slash are all in Eastern Time Zone.
TEAMS:
US Women's National Team
10th shebelieves cup appearance.
7 time shebelieves cup champion (2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
FIFA World Rank: 1
Announced shebelieves cup roster (Feb 11, 2025):
GK (2): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 8), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 1)
DEF (8): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 65/3), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 155/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 62/1), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 0/0), Jenna Nighswonger (Arsenal FC, ENG; 18/2), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 2/0), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 103/2), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 0/0)
MID (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 22/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 28/1), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 161/36), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage; 21/8), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 2/1)
FWD (7): Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign FC; 75/21), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 19/8), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 4/0), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 3/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 2/0), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 13/1)
MANAGER: Emma Hayes
THE RUNDOWN:
Emma Hayes' tenure as the US Women's National Team head coach, so far, has been flawless. Quite literally - as the USA have yet to lose a single match since the former Chelsea Women's Head Coach took over the mangerial duties in May 2024.
15 matches, 13-0-2.
Hayes will be without the dynamic trio of attackers, aptly nicknamed Triple Espresso - Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson - as well as Rose Lavelle, who had ankle surgery before the January USWNT camp.
Nadeshiko Japan
5th shebelieves cup appearance.
Best shebelieves cup result: 2023, second place.
FIFA World Rank: 8
Announced shebelieves cup roster (Feb 5, 2025):
GK (3): Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata Ladies, JPN; 9), Akane Okuma (INAC Kobe Reysol Leonessa, JPN; 0), Ayaka Yamashita (Manchester City WFC, ENG; 76)
DEF (7): Rion Ishikawa (Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies, JPN; 9/0), Hikaru Kitagawa (BK Häcken FF, SWE; 14/2), Toko Koga (Feyenoord, NED; 12/1), Saki Kumagai (London City Lionesses, ENG; 157/3) Moeka Minami (AS Roma, ITA; 57/4), Hana Takahashi (Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies, JPN; 31/3), Saori Takarada (Leicester City WFC, ENG; 22/1)
MID (10): Aoba Fujino (Manchester City WFC, ENG; 26/8), Maika Hamano (Chelsea WFC, ENG; 16/4), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City WFC, ENG; 90/20), Honoka Hayashi (Everton WFC, ENG; 36/2), Narumi Miura (Washington Spirit, USA; 32/1), Hinata Miyazawa (Manchester United WFC, ENG; 42/9), Yuka Momoki (Leicester City WFC, ENG; 41/14), Fuka Nagano (Liverpool WFC, ENG; 45/1), Kiko Seike (Brighton and Hove Albion WFC, ENG; 27/7), Momoko Tanikawa (FC Bayern München, GER; 8/2)
FWD (3): Remina Chiba (Eintracht Frankfurt, GER; 16/4), Riko Ueki (West Ham United WFC, ENG; 40/12), Mina Tanaka (Utah Royals FC, USA; 86/39)
MANAGER: Nils Nielsen
THE RUNDOWN:
Nadeshiko Japan's first matches under new manager Nils Nielsen will be at the 2025 shebelieves cup. Futoshi Ikeda resigned and joined the Thailand Women's National Team following Japan's loss to the USWNT at the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024. Japan had interim head coach Norio Sasaki coach their side during the October international break, as they cruised past EAFF rivals South Korea 4-0. Nielsen managed the Switzerland Women's National Team from 2018-2022 prior to taking on the Japanese managerial job in late 2024.
Japan will look to win their first match at the shebelieves cup since 2023, when they defeated Canada 3-0 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. All time, Nadeshiko are 2-8-1 at the shebelieves cup, including a PK loss against Brazil in Columbus, OH just last year.
Matildas (AUSTRALIA)
shebelieves cup debut.
FIFA World Rank: 15
Announced shebelieves cup roster (Feb 8, 2025):
GK (3): Mackenzie Arnold (Portland Thorns FC, USA; 57), Chloe Lincoln (Western United FC, AUS; 1), Teegan Micah (Liverpool WFC, ENG; 18)
DEF (7): Ellie Carpenter (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 84/4), Steph Catley (Arsenal WFC, ENG; 132/7), Charlotte Grant (Tottenham Hotspur WFC, ENG; 28/1), Winonah Heatley (FC Nordsjælland, DEN; 4/0), Clare Hunt (Tottenham Hotspur WFC, ENG; 28/1), Alanna Kennedy (Angel City FC, USA; 131/11), Natasha Prior (Newcastle Jets FC, AUS; 3/2)
MID (6): Kyra Cooney-Cross (Arsenal WFC, ENG; 52/1), Daniela Galic (FC Twente, NED; 4/0), Katrina Gorry (West Ham United FC, ENG; 112/17), Emily Van Egmond (Birmingham City WFC, ENG; 153/31), Clare Wheeler (Everton WFC, ENG; 26/2), Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar FC, AUS; 130/14)
FWD (7): Caitlin Foord (Arsenal WFC, ENG; 130/38), Mary Fowler (Manchester City WFC, ENG; 58/15), Laini Freier (Brisbane Roar FC, AUS; 0/0), Mitchelle Heyman (Canberra United FC, AUS; 74/28), Holly McNamara (Melbourne City FC, AUS; 3/0), Hayley Raso (Tottenham Hotsrpu WFC, ENG; 92/20), Kaitlyn Torpey (San Diego Wave FC, USA; 10/1)
MANAGER: Tom Sermanni
THE RUNDOWN:
This is Australia's first ever appearance at the shebelieves cup, surprisingly. The Matildas failed to make it out of the group stage at the Paris Summer Olympics, being matches up against current World no. 1 USA and World no. 3 Germany, losing to both. Australia did manage to win one of the most entertaining matches of the entire tournament, beating Zambia 6-5 in the group stage. NWSL side Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda recorded a hattrick of goals for Zambia, and Bay FC's Racheal Kundananji recorded a brace - but the five goals between the two NWSL stars wasn't enough to overcome the six goals scored by the Matildas that day.
Australia has also had a managerial change since the Paris Olympics, just like Japan, with Tony Gustavsson making way for Tom Sermanni in November 2024. Australia have played four friendlies under Sermanni - two matches against Brazil, both ending in losses (3-1, 2-1; respectively), before beating Chinese Taipei 9-1 across two matches (3-1, 6-0; respectively). The former New Zealand Women's manager now faces a big test against Colombia, USA, and Japan at the shebelieves cup.
Las Chicas Superpoderosas (COLOMBIA)
shebelieves cup debut
FIFA World Rank: 21
Announced shebelieves cup January camp roster (TBA)
*Colombia have yet to announce a shebelieves cup roster. Marsiglia announced a January training camp roster that trained from late January through the first few days of Februrary, consisting entirely of domestic league players and two US womens' league players - Elexa Marie Bahr of Racing Louisville (NWSL) and Yunaira Lopez of Lexington SC (USL Super League).
MANAGER: Ángelo Marsiglia
THE RUNDOWN:
The Colombian National Team have been a team on the rise the last few years - three Copa América Femenina finals appearances in the last four editions, 2019 Pan American games champions, and most recently a quarter-finalist in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, losing to the Lionesses. Las Chicas Superpoderosas, translating to the Powerpuff Girls, are led by Real Madrid Feminino's Linda Caicedo, a 19 year old midfielder that made her senior national team debut... in 2019. At age 14.
Caicedo and Colombia played in the inagural CONCACAF W Gold Cup in 2024, where they were defeated by the USWNT in the quarterfinals, 3-0, a USWNT that went on to beat Canada and Brazil in route to winning the tournament. At the 2024 Olympics, Colombia took the defending Women's World Cup champions Spain to PKs, losing 4-2 in the shootout.
