ESPN2 and ESPN3 will present live two U.S. Women’s National Team matches this week: vs. 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Japan on Sunday, April 1, at 6:30 a.m. ET, and vs. Brazil on Tuesday, April 3, at 7 a.m. from Japan. The matches are part of the inaugural Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup, which features three of the top four teams on FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Both contests are rematch of elimination round games that ended in penalty shootouts during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011.
Japan Women’s National Team won the Women’s World Cup via shootout after a thrilling 2-2 tie in the title match vs. the U.S. Women, the most-watched soccer event on cable television. In the quarterfinal stage, the U.S. won in a shootout over Brazil following a 2-2 tie. ESPN’s presentation of the USA–Brazil World Cup match earned a nomination for the 2012 Sports Emmy Awards. The three teams will face each other in a round-robin pre-Olympic series at the Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup.
Play-by-play commentator Adrian Healey and analyst Julie Foudy will call the matches.
International Friendlies schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network(s) |
| Sun, April 1 | 6:30 a.m. | #1 USA vs. #3 Japan (Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup)Adrian Healey and Julie Foudy | ESPN2 / ESPN3 |
| Tue, April 3 | 7 a.m. | #1 USA vs. #4 Brazil (Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup)Healey and Foudy | ESPN2 / ESPN3 |
All matches and times subject to change
# – FIFA Women’s World Ranking
More Soccer on ESPN Platforms: 15 Additional Matches Saturday through Monday
In addition to the Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup, ESPN media platforms (ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes) will carry 15 matches live beginning Saturday at 9:55 a.m. through Monday. Highlights:
- Premier League: The top two teams in league standings – Manchester City vs. Sunderland on Saturday at 9:55 a.m. and Blackburn Rovers vs. Manchester United on Monday at 2:55 p.m. – will be on ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes
- La Liga: Osasuna will host La Liga giant Real Madrid on Saturday at 2 p.m., one of three league matches on ESPN platforms this weekend
- Serie A: ESPN3 will carry six Serie A matches highlighted by Catania hosting league-leading AC Milan on Saturday at 11:55 a.m. and No. 2 Juventus vs. No. 4 Napoli on Sunday at 2:40 p.m.
Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network(s) |
| Sat, March 31 | 9:55 a.m. | Manchester City vs. Sunderland (Premier League) | ESPN2 / ESPN3/ESPN Deportes |
| 11:55 a.m. | Catania vs. AC Milan (Serie A) | ESPN3 | |
| 1:50 p.m. | Osasuna vs. Real Madrid (La Liga) | ESPN3/ESPN Deportes | |
| 2:40 p.m. | Parma vs. Lazio (Serie A) | ESPN3 | |
| 4:15 p.m. | Benfica vs. Braga (Portuguese Liga) | ESPN3 | |
| 6:25 p.m. | Cruz Azul vs. San Luis (Mexican Primera Division) | ESPN Deportes | |
| Sun, April 1 | 6:25 a.m. | AS Roma vs. Novara (Serie A) | ESPN3 |
| 8:55 a.m. | Inter Milan vs. Genoa (Serie A) | ESPN3 | |
| 8:55 a.m. | Siena vs. Udinese (Serie A) | ESPN3 | |
| 9:25 a.m. | Hannover 96 vs. Borussia Monchengladbach (German Bundesliga) |
ESPN3/ESPN Deportes | |
| 10:30 a.m. | Vitesse vs. AZ Alkmaar (Dutch Eredivisie) | ESPN3 | |
| 11:50 a.m. | Valencia vs. Levante (La Liga) | ESPN3/ESPN Deportes | |
| 2:40 p.m. | Juventus vs. Napoli (Serie A) | ESPN3 | |
| 3:20 p.m. | Villarreal vs. Espanyol (La Liga) | ESPN3/ESPN Deportes | |
| Mon, April 2 | 2:55 p.m. | Blackburn Rovers vs. Manchester United (Premier League) | ESPN2 / ESPN3/ESPN Deportes |
All matches and times subject to change
– 30 –
