U.S. Women’s National Team will play a match at UCSB in late January against Chile
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - The U.S. Women’s National Team will finish its January training camp with a match against Chile on Jan. 27 at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif. (7 p.m. PT / 10 pm ET on TBS and HBO Max in English, Universo and Peacock in Spanish, and on the radio in English on Westwood One and in Spanish on Futbol de Primera).
The USA’s first training camp of the year will run from Jan. 17-27 at the Dignity Health Sports Park (DHSP) and the clash against Chile will cap a two-game set that will kick off the 2026 USWNT schedule.
As previously announced, the first match will take place on Jan. 24 at DHSP against Paraguay (2:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV and HBO Max in English, on Universo and Peacock in Spanish, on Westwood One radio in English and on Futbol de Primera radio in Spanish).
The match at the campus of UC Santa Barbara marks the first-ever international match for the USWNT on the Central Coast of California and just the second-ever match in the state of California being played north of Los Angeles and south of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Emma Says
“One of the goals of U.S. Soccer is to take our National Teams to new markets around the country, and I applaud that,” said U.S. head coach Emma Hayes. “Playing in a city for the first time is not a common occurrence at this point in our history so I know our players will enjoy being in beautiful Santa Barbara and our staff are really looking forward to January camp and these two matches against South American countries. This is the start of an important year for our team and as always, we’re focused on maximizing every minute we get with the players.”
Chancellor Dennis Assanis Says
“UC Santa Barbara is honored to host the United States Women’s National Soccer Team – one of the most successful teams in the world,” said Assanis. “We are proud to host an event that will highlight competitive excellence, energize and bring our community together, showcase beautiful UC Santa Barbara, and celebrate the next generation of athletes and leaders. We look forward to a memorable experience at Harder Stadium for the campus and the greater Santa Barbara communities."
History with Chile
Chile is ranked 45th in the world and fifth in South America behind Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay. The U.S. and Chile have met just three times, the first two in a pair of friendlies in 2018, which were also in California. The most recent meeting came during group play at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a hard-fought 3-0 win for the USA in Paris, France.
The USWNT-Santa Barbara Story
While the Jan. 27 game will be the USWNT’s first-ever international match in Santa Barbara, the U.S. women have some history in the city that has a link to the first of USA’s four FIFA Women’s World Cup titles. The USWNT first held a training camp at UCSB in the fall of 1991 prior to leaving for the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China PR and played two exhibition games at Harder Stadium, including an extremely rare match for the USWNT against a collegiate side. The U.S. defeated a UCSB Women’s Soccer Team that was ranked in the top five in the country by a 10-0 score on Oct. 19 before downing a team of Southern California Women’s All-Stars the next day. Just a few weeks later, the USA departed for China and the first FIFA Women’s World Cup, which it would win to earn the program’s first star above the crest.
Carin Jennings, now known as Carin Jennings-Gabarra, stands as one of the most storied athletes to emerge from UC Santa Barbara, forging a powerful connection between the Gauchos and the United States Women’s National Team. A standout at UCSB from 1983–1986, Jennings became the program’s first true national superstar, earning All-America honors and rewriting the school’s record book. She still stands as the programs career leader in goals (102), assists (62) and points (266).
Her excellence continued on the world stage, where she became a pivotal figure for the USWNT, helping lead the United States to its historic 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup title and earning the tournament’s Golden Ball as its top player.
The USWNT also held training camps in Santa Barbara in March of 2019 prior to a series of April friendlies and in late June/early July of 2023, leading up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The USWNT trained at Harder Stadium in 2019 and at Westmont College in adjacent Montecito in 2023. The USMNT played an international match at Harder Stadium in 1993 during early preparations for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, drawing Romania, 1-1, in front of 9,127 fans.
The Arnhold Director of Athletics, Kelly Barsky Says
“Bringing the U.S. Women’s National Team to Harder Stadium means more than just hosting a match,” said Barsky. “It’s a celebration of connection, community and excellence. Sport has the ability to unite and coalesce around something bigger than ourselves. It doesn’t get any bigger and more special on a National and international stage than the USWNT. At UC Santa Barbara, we are deeply honored to host the exceptional national team athletes and coaches, continue our storied tradition of soccer excellence and celebrate our greater Santa Barbara community by bringing this special game to Harder Stadium, Soccer Heaven. Go Gauchos!”
ABOUT HARDER STADIUM
Harder Stadium, UC Santa Barbara’s iconic outdoor venue, has long been celebrated as “Soccer Heaven.” In addition to serving as the home of UCSB Men’s and Women’s Soccer, the stadium has welcomed some of the sport’s most prestigious events, including the NCAA College Cup in 2010 and 2018. Harder Stadium also hosted an international friendly between Wrexham AFC and AFC Bournemouth during its “2024 Wrex Coast Tour,” and in the coming years will become the home pitch for USL League One’s newest club, the Santa Barbara Sky.
Visit Santa Barbara Says
“Visit Santa Barbara was honored to support the scouting crew and source accommodations for the teams in partnership with UCSB,” said Kathy Janega-Dykes, president/CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, the area’s destination marketing organization. “Our hospitality community is grateful for the opportunity to host the teams and their fans, and appreciates the meaningful economic impact it will have on our region.”
TICKETS
The presale for these matches will begin on Wed., Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. PT and run to Friday, Dec. 12 at 8 a.m. PT.
Tickets for both matches will go on sale to the public on Friday, Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. PT.
Circle Insider members supporting the U.S. Soccer Development Fund can receive individual customer support and concierge services for their ticketing needs. Click here or contact circles@ussoccer.org for more information.
UC SANTA BARBARA EXCLUSIVE OFFERS
UC Santa Barbara, in coordination with U.S. Soccer, will make 500 discounted tickets available to UCSB students at a $20 face value beginning Thursday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. PT. Additionally, UCSB Faculty and Staff will have access to purchase tickets in a presale that will also begin on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. PT. More information will become available at that time.
EXCLUSIVE PRESALES FOR U.S. SOCCER INSIDERS
For the opportunity to buy tickets before the general public, fans should consider becoming U.S. Soccer Insiders. Membership is free for Standard Insiders. Learn more.
Sales Schedule Presale Date & Start Time
Circle Insiders Presale (Circle Insiders) Wednesday, Dec. 10 | 10 a.m. PT
VIP Insiders Presale (VIP Insiders) Wednesday, Dec. 10 | 1 p.m. PT
Premium Insiders Presale (Premium & Premium Family Insiders) Wednesday, Dec. 10 | 4 p.m. PT
Standard Insiders Presale (Standard Insiders) Thursday, Dec. 11 | 10 a.m. PT
Visa Presale (Visa cardholders only) Thursday, Dec. 11 | 1 p.m. PT
Public Sale Friday, Dec. 12 | 10 a.m. PT
VISA PRESALE As the official payment technology sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa is offering cardholders an opportunity to purchase tickets ahead of the public on-sale date. Visa cardholders can purchase tickets from Thursday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. PT to Friday, Dec. 12 at 8 a.m. PT through ussoccer.com. As the preferred card of U.S. Soccer, Visa will be the only payment method accepted during the Visa presale.
(Article courtesy of U.S. Soccer).
