Friendly tournaments do not always inspire but the SheBelieves Cup has gone beyond the standard fare. Now in its fourth year, the tournament brings together four of the top international teams in women’s football, with the USA – the host nation – the constant.
This year, as the USA, England, Japan and Brazil prepare to take the field in Philadelphia, Nashville and Tampa, the competition offers a glimpse at their World Cup credentials. The decision of the BBC to broadcast all of England’s pre-World Cup friendlies – split between BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four – means all of the SheBelieves Cup will be free to air.
As well as a look at how Phil Neville’s Lionesses stack up against the World Cup holders, the USA, we will also see how well they handle the 2015 World Cup runners-up, Japan, whom they will also face in Group D this June in France.
The England manager is sticking with players already in the fold, yet to be swayed by the form of Chelsea’s top scorer, Beth England, or Birmingham’s defensive rock Aoife Mannion.
Neville’s decision not to include the 24-year-old England – who has signed a new deal at Chelsea that keeps her at Kingsmeadow until 2021 – in his plans could prove costly, despite his insistence that his team is picked on form and performance.
The Lionesses benefit from some of the finest attacking talent in the world, with the WSL’s all-time top scorer, Nikita Parris, and Barcelona’s Toni Duggan currently the squad’s in-form forwards. But is that enough? Faith in Birmingham’s Ellen White and Chelsea’s PFA player of the year, Fran Kirby, poses challenges. They are both credible starters when fit but have struggled with injury. White only recently returned from a back problem while Kirby is not long back after damaging a hamstring in November. Their fresher legs could well be a boon come June, but they need to find their feet quickly and to be match fit straight away. It is a risk.
The loss of Jordan Nobbs to an ACL rupture at Everton in November was a huge blow to England’s hopes in France. As a precaution, Jill Scott – who is even more vital to the midfield in the absence of the creative powerhouse Nobbs – has been left behind “in order to manage her return to full fitness ahead of this summer’s World Cup”, according to the FA.