France Soccer schedule

U.S. WNT OPENS 2015 SCHEDULE WITH MAJOR TEST AGAINST FRANCE: The U.S. Women’s National Team will face one of the most difficult matches to open a year in its history when it takes on France on Feb. 8 in Lorient to start a 10-game schedule that will lead into the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The match between the world’s second- and third-ranked teams will be played at the Stade du Moustoir and kicks off at 12 p.m. ET live on ESPN2. A crowd of around 14, 000 is expected for the first meeting between the teams since last summer, when the USA won 1-0 in Tampa, Florida, and drew 2-2 in East Hartford, Connecticut. Following the match, the USA will travel to England for a match against the Three Lionesses on Feb. 13 at stadiummk in Milton Keynes. That game will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 at 3 p.m. ET. The USA’s most recent meeting with England was a 2-1 loss in London in April of 2011.

24 TO EUROPE: Following an intense and highly productive three-week training camp in Los Angeles in January, U.S. head coach Jill Ellis named 24 players to travel to Europe for these two matches. Of the 30 players at that camp, Ellis named 23 plus first-time call-up Tori Huster of the Washington Spirit. As the World Cup is just four months away, every roster selection becomes crucial as Ellis and her staff work toward naming the 23-player squad for the Women’s World Cup. Ellis named three goalkeepers, nine defenders, seven midfielders and five forwards for the trip to France and England.