Cymru to face World Cup holders USA
Ceri Holland of Wales celebrates scoring her sides fourth goal. Wales v Greece in a FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifier at Parc y Scarlets on the 26th November 2021. Credit: Lewis Mitchell
Cymru will face World Cup holders USA in a friendly in San Jose, California on Sunday July 9th.
This will be the first international meeting between the two and the game will take place at the PayPal Stadium.
The game will be the USA’s final game before they attempt to defend their world title in Australia and New Zealand. For Cymru, it will be their final game before the start of their Nations League campaign.
“To be able to play against the reigning World Champions before they head out to the World Cup is a fantastic opportunity for us,” Gemma Grainger explained.
“To be asked by them to play against them is a real compliment to the players in this team and we want to make sure we go over there and have the opportunity to play against the best in the world.
“In the Nations League, we will be playing against the best teams in Europe, and the USA are one of the best teams in the world. It gives us an opportunity to prepare and deliver a gameplan to compete and win the game.”
Of course, Cymru legend Jess Fishlock currently plies her trade on the west coast with OL Reign, and she will come up against some of her teammates in the fixture.
For others in the squad, Grainger says it will be a game that will stay in their memory for years to come.
“Jess is playing out in America week in and week out with the majority of these players.
“Having someone like Jess in the squad and the team is great. We see the mentality that she has when she plays out there.
“But for many members of the squad, it’ll be a memory that lasts a lifetime.
“Playing the World Champions on their own turf will be great, but as a team, we will be very much focused on the performance.”
