The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) has confirmed a pair of friendlies against Brazil in California in April 2025, making a re-match of the 2024 Paris Olympics final. The USWNT defeated Brazil 1-0 to claim the gold medal in that tournament.
The matches are both set to be played in California. The first match will be at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 5th — set to be the first-ever women’s soccer match held at the NFL’s Los Angeles Ram’s home stadium. Three days later on April 8th, they will play each other again at PayPal Park in San Jose. These games will follow the SheBelieves Cup in February, where they are set to play Japan, Australia, and Colombia.
The matches will be significant for players native to the Bay Area. San Jose native and defender Naomi Girma is part of the local contingent, alongside Stanford alum Sophia Smith and Tierna Davidson. Bay FC’s Alyssa Malonson earned her first cap this fall for the national team.
“These are matches against a top team in fantastic stadiums that will be as fun for the players as they are for the fans,” said coach Emma Hayes.
The USWNT last met Brazil in the 2024 Olympic gold medal match, where the USA won 1-0 thanks to a Mallory Swanson goal. The victory ended their 12-year gold medal drought. Following the win, the USWNT reclaimed the top spot in the official FIFA rankings, after slipping to their lowest-ever position earlier this year. Now, the team is on an impressive streak of 15 games unbeaten, including a recent impressive 2-1 win over the Netherlands.
New coach Emma Hayes has played an instrumental role in this turnaround, especially thanks to her tactical expertise. She operates the USA in a 4-4-2 formation that transitions to a 3-2-5 during possession, which allows more dynamic play and defensive stability. Previously, the USWNT often relied on individual brilliance to win games, which led to disjointed attacking play. Now, Hayes has the team attacking as a cohesive unit and makes them a much more formidable side.
