2008 Women's National Team to Play Three Post-Olympic Matches in Philadelphia, New York and Chicago

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

2008 U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM TO PLAY THREE POST-
OLYMPIC MATCHES IN PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK AND CHICAGO

Fall Tour Kicks Off on Sept. 13 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly Before
Heading to Giants Stadium on Sept. 17; Three-Game Set Against Ireland
Concludes on Sept. 20 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

The U.S. Women's National Team will take on Ireland in a three-match tour following the 2008 Olympic Games, hitting stops on the East Coast and Midwest shortly after their return from the 2008 Olympic Games in China.

The Fall Tour gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Philadelphia at 8 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field, and continues on Wed., Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The last of these three games will be played on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. CT at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. Fans can follow all the matches live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

The U.S. Women advanced to the semifinals of the 2008 Olympics with a 1-0 victory in extra time against Canada on Friday, and will face Japan in a semifinal matchup on Mon, Aug. 18, at 9 a.m. ET. The U.S. will then play in a placement match on Thurs., Aug. 21., in either the Gold Medal match or the Bronze Medal match, depending on Monday's result.

Tickets for the matches in Philadelphia and New York go on sale to the public Monday, August 18, at 10 a.m. ET. For the game in Chicago, tickets become available starting Tuesday, August 19, at 10 a.m. CT. For all three contests, tickets can be purchased through ussoccer.com, by phone at 215-336-2000 (Philadelphia), 201-507-8900 (New York/New Jersey) and 312-559-1212 (Chicago), and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers in the metro areas of the three games. Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Ultimate Fan Tickets (a special VIP package which includes a premium ticket, a custom made official U.S. national team jersey with your name and number, VIP access to the field before and after the game, and other unique benefits), are also available exclusively through ussoccer.com.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for these matches before the sale to the general public. This advance sale will take place for the games in Philadelphia and New York from Sunday, August 17, at 8 a.m. ET until Monday, August 18, at 8 a.m. at ussoccer.com. For the game in Chicago, the sale will run from Monday, August 18, at 8 a.m. CT until Tuesday, August 19, at 8 a.m. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

The Fall Tour gets underway when the WNT makes their third visit to Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love hosted the U.S. for their second match of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. responding to the crowd of 31,553 fans by posting a resounding 5-0 victory against Nigeria. The match is a homecoming for midfielder Carli Lloyd, a Delran, N.J., native who won the 2008 Native Son Award from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. U.S. defender Heather Mitts also returns to the city where she played for the Philadelphia Charge from 2001 to 2003.

Four days later, the U.S. moves up Interstate 95 for the game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Forward Heather O'Reilly, from Exit 9 on the New Jersey Turnpike, and defender Christine Rampone, from Exit 98 on the Garden State Parkway, will join Lloyd as the New Jersey natives for this game. The U.S. is no stranger to the arena, having played four games there, including a 3-0 win against Denmark in the opening match of the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The U.S. closes out the three-game set on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. CT at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. The women are playing at the home of the Chicago Fire for the second time, and the first since a 4-1 victory there vs. China in 2006.

The United States and Ireland have met five times in a series dating back to 1999, with the United States collecting an unblemished 5-0-0 record. The teams last faced off on July 23, 2006, in San Diego, the U.S. powering through a 5-0 victory.

- ussoccer.com -

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