USA women to face Costa Rica in Olympic sendoff match

Four-time Olympic women's football champion United States will play host to Costa Rica on July 16 at Washington in a final sendoff match before the Paris Olympics, US Soccer said Tuesday.

The US national team will have four matches under incoming coach Emma Hayes before leaving for France.

Hayes, a 47-year-old manager from England, is completing the English Women's Super League season as coach of Chelsea before taking over the American squad in June.

She will have the chance to guide the US women against South Korea on June 1 in suburban Denver and June 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota, as well as against Mexico on July 13 at Harrison, New Jersey, before the final tuneup with Las Ticas at Audi Field, home of MLS side DC United.

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Football

The US women are 17-0 all-time against Costa Rica.

The Americans won Women's World Cup titles in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019 and captured Olympic gold in 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012.

After the Washington match, the US women's national team will have nine days before facing Zambia at Nice in its Olympic opener on July 25.