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USWNT to play Republic of Ireland for two June friendlies

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The United States women's national team will face Republic of Ireland in friendly matches on June 26 outside Denver and June 29 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the federation announced on Monday.

The USWNT will also play a third game during that international window, on July 2.

The opponent and venue for the third match are yet to be announced.

"Ireland is one of the most difficult European teams to play against, so I'm happy we could get these games," U.S. head coach Emma Hayes said in a statement.

"We need to play teams that will push us and create an environment where our players have to solve problems and play under pressure.

"We're still early in our process of building towards World Cup qualifying for '27 and we still have a lot of growth to go as a team and as individuals, so these summer matches at these great soccer venues will once again provide a platform for the players to show their abilities to excel at a high level."

The June 26 match will be played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., where Hayes made her USWNT debut on the sidelines last year. TQL Stadium, the home of MLS' FC Cincinnati, is the venue for the second game.

The three matches in the summer international window will be the final time the USWNT assembles until late October.

UEFA, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC are all staging continental championships in July, which is followed by a long gap in international play.

Next up for the Americans is a pair of friendlies against Brazil in California, in a rematch of the 2024 Olympic gold-medal game, which the USWNT won.

The USWNT will then play China twice, on May 31 and June 3 in St. Paul, Minn., and St. Louis, respectively. Japan defeated the USWNT 2-1 in the Americans' most recent game, handing Hayes her first loss in 18 games in charge.

The victory sealed the 2025 SheBelieves Cup for Japan, marking the first time since 2019 that the USWNT did not win the annual competition on home soil.

The Republic of Ireland has lost all 15 games against the United States.

The teams last played in a pair of games in April 2023, including one that infamously led to a knee injury for Mallory Swanson, who subsequently missed the 2023 World Cup.

The Republic of Ireland failed to qualify for this summer's European Championship after losing to Wales in a playoff.