USA to play in Women's Kirin Challenge Cup

• by Soccer America , Dec 26, 2011

[DATEBOOK] The Japan Football Association announced that the world champion Nadeshiko will host the USA and Brazil in the USA and Brazil in the newly created Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup in early April.

Japan will play the USA on April 1 at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai and meet Brazil on April 5 at Homes Stadium in Kobe. The USA and Brazil will face each other on April 3 at Fukuda Denshi Arena in Chiba.

“This is something we wanted to have,” said Coach Norio Sasaki, who led Japan to the Women’s World Cup title over the USA on penalties. “Brazil has a different playing style than the others and we haven’t played them at the world championship, so by playing them I hope we can learn what we can do and what we cannot do. It’ll be also nice if we can give a playing opportunity to those players who haven’t played the U.S. before.”

The Nadeshiko will start 2012 with a training camp in Wakayama in February and then head to Portugal to compete in the Algarve Cup from Feb. 29-March 7.