April 20, 2001

U.S. National Team to play its first home match of 2001 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota, against Canada

The U.S. National Team will play its first home match of 2001 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota, against Canada on July 3.

The match kicks off at 12 p.m. Central Time and will be televised live on ESPN. Tickets will go on sale in early May. For ticket information, please call the Minnesota Thunder at 763/785-3668.

The match is part of a two-game Independence Day Series that will feature home-and-home matches between the long-time confederation rivals. The USA will play Canada in Toronto at Varsity Stadium on June 30 before traveling to Minnesota. The match in Canada will be preceded by a game featuring the Under-19 National Teams of both countries.as part of their preparation for the first-ever FIFA U-19 Women's World Championships which will be staged in Canada in 2002. The USA's match in Canada comes the day before Canada Day, which celebrates the events that occurred on July 1, 1867, when the British North America Act created the Canadian Federal Government. The match in Blaine comes one day before the USA's Independence Day.

The U.S. women have not played a domestic game since December 17, 2000, when they tied Japan, 1-1, in Phoenix, Arizona. Although the USA and Canada have played each other 26 times, the Independence Day Series carries some added spark as USA have not beaten Canada in the last three meetings.

The U.S. roster is expected to be a mix of 2000 Olympic veterans, up and-coming WUSA stars and some of the young talent in the national team program.

With the formation of the WUSA and a reduced international schedule on tap for the U.S. women in 2001, each national team game carries an added significance as U.S. head coach April Heinrichs begins preparations for 2003 Women's World Cup qualifying.

"I'm looking forward to coming to Blaine," said Heinrichs who played in the first ten national team matches there. "It will be the first time the full women's national team will be together with the players competing for the spots on the 2003 Women's World Cup roster. Our history started in Blaine and after the boom of the last 5 years, it only seems appropriate that we go back to the land of 10,000 lakes and a tremendous soccer facility."

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