The 2021 SheBelieves Cup begins tomorrow! As the sixth installment is about to launch, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the United States are preparing for their chance of winning a trophy! This year the tournament kicks off with the renewal of old rivalries!
Renewal of old rivalries
The first matches of this four-team tournament are juicy matchups between historic rivals. On Thursday, Feb 18, 2021, Argentina will take on Brazil at 4:00 pm EST, and the USA will face off against Canada at 7:00 pm EST. These will be great games to have at the start of the competition. All four teams will be looking to get that leg up on the others, who will be able to do make this a reality? Let’s start by looking at The Argentina-Brazil matchup, then focus on the USA-Canada tie!
Argentina vs Brazil
While this game is normally touted on the men’s side, this rivalry spans over to their women’s national teams as well. Brazil is tied with Canada for the eighth spot in the FIFA world rankings. They’ll have a leg up on 31st ranked Argentina.
Argentina has had trouble besting Brazil in the past. Most recently, these troubles were shown in the Copa America Femenina. Argentina fell short 3-0 to Brazil in the group stage and 3-1 in the final stage of that competition. The Argentinian side will be the main underdog in this fight. With few players with big experience, they will have to rely on grit to beat their biggest rivals Brazil.
Brazil is the best team from South America. They won the Copa America Femenina, and are looking to use this tournament as a tune-up for their involvement in the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Brazil has superstar Marta on their roster, and has up-and-coming star Ivana Fuso currently playing with Manchester United) on their roster. For Brazil, they will need to go about their business. If they do so they should keep ahead of rivals Argentina.
USWNT vs Canada
The most heated Concacaf rivalry gets another installment in the 2021 SheBelieves cup. The USA take on Canada in a match that will have some key players missing from one side, but not the other.
Canada will be without all-time leading goal scorer Christine Sinclair. Also absent are prominent players like goalkeeper Erin Mcleod, fullback Bianca St-Georges and midfielder Diana Matheson. Canadas head coach has said that this is an opportunity for the next generation of players to come up and take their chances. It won’t take much to get those players up for a match against the heavily favored USWNT.
The USWMT has brought in a powerful and proven roster. The number one ranked team is not taking this tournament lightly. The US will look to win this tournament while also preparing and evaluating for this summer’s Olympic tournament. Prominent players missing on Canada’s squad, and the USA has recently dominated Canada. All signs point to the USWNT being the better of the two sides. But, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Canada made this a tightly contested match. We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out!
For more on the USWNTs roster, check out our in-depth look at those chosen to represent the USA in the SheBelieves Cup:
Be sure to catch all of the action of this renewal of old rivalries in the 2021 SheBelieves Cup! Philly Sports Network will have previews like this article, and recaps after each game to keep you up to date!
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