The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will open up play in Austin’s Q2 Stadium on June 16, three days before the Major League Soccer franchise it was built for — the Austin FC — gets its chance.
“It’s always exciting for us to take our game and everything that the women’s team stands for into a new market and get in front of new eyes,” U.S. star Megan Rapinoe said. “Obviously, with how soccer is growing, as well, I think it’s really cool that we get to break in this stadium.”
The women’s team will take on Nigeria as part of a final series of tuneups before the Tokyo Olympics in July. Rapinoe says the pandemic and safety protocols put some impediments to training and playing as a team.
“That’s just the reality of what it is,” she said. “We’re lucky to have this tournament and to be able to continue to compete as COVID continues to rage across the world.”
Historic first match for our stadium.
— Q2 Stadium (@Q2Stadium) May 6, 2021
👋 @alexmorgan13 pic.twitter.com/pPeKeQZK2y
Rapinoe said she thinks Austin is also ripe for a professional women’s team.
“Austin would be an incredible city for a [National Women’s Soccer League] franchise,” she said. “You have a brand new training facility, I’m sure, that could house another 23 people. A beautiful stadium. I think if the ownership group in Austin is committed to equality and committed to growing the game on both sides, I would very much encourage them to look into a NWSL franchise.”
The USWNT will play two other friendlies — against Portugal and Jamaica — in Houston next month.
U.S. Soccer has not yet released details on ticket sales. The game is the first of what Austin FC hopes to be many that don't include the MLS team. Austin will host a CONCACAF Gold Cup game (think World Cup for this hemisphere) later this summer.
