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Jeff Kassouf
The United States women’s national team is set to make history by playing its first official match at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California, against Chile on January 27.
This college soccer venue, which accommodates 17,000 spectators, is located on the UC Santa Barbara campus and required the USWNT Players Association’s approval, as it is not pre-approved in the team’s collective bargaining agreement.
Prior to this match, only one USWNT game has occurred between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, marking this historic event as the first for the Central Coast region.
“One of the goals of U.S. Soccer is to expand our national teams’ reach to new markets across the country, and I commend that effort,” said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes. “It’s rare for us to play in a city for the first time at this stage of our history, so I know our players will relish the chance to be in the stunning setting of Santa Barbara. Our staff is eagerly anticipating January camp and these matches against two challenging South American opponents.”
“This marks the beginning of a crucial year for our team, and as always, we aim to make the most of every moment we spend with the players.”
Three days before facing Chile, the USWNT will take on Paraguay at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, a regular venue located just outside Los Angeles and also home to MLS’s LA Galaxy.
The USWNT will hold a training camp in Carson from January 17 to January 27, likely consisting entirely of domestic players since it falls outside an official FIFA window.
Harder Stadium is a notable, albeit somewhat outdated venue by professional standards, cherished for its collegiate significance.
The men’s soccer team at UC Santa Barbara typically enjoys robust fan support and clinched the national championship in 2006. The stadium has also hosted the men’s NCAA College Cup in 2010 and 2018.
Renovations are planned for the venue to accommodate a new USL Championship men’s team, the Santa Barbara Sky, to meet professional standards for the second division. However, the start of that team has faced delays.
Approval from the USWNT Players Association for this smaller, less modern venue is not without precedent; it was necessary for the team’s friendly match at CPKC Stadium in October, which has a capacity of 11,500, below the 15,000-seat minimum requirement.
Historically, the USWNT played two unofficial exhibition matches at Harder Stadium in 1991, prior to the inaugural Women’s World Cup. According to U.S. Soccer, they defeated the UCSB women’s soccer team and a Southern California all-star team in back-to-back matches that October. The USWNT also held training camps in Santa Barbara in 2019 and 2023.
The US Men’s National Team (USMNT) has played one international match at Harder Stadium, resulting in a 1-1 draw against Romania in 1993, ahead of the home World Cup the following year.
Chile, the USWNT’s opponent for this match, is currently ranked No. 45 globally and fifth in South America.
The game next month will be just the fourth encounter between Chile and the USWNT, following their last meeting during the group stage of the 2019 World Cup in Paris, where the USWNT secured a 3-0 victory on their way to capturing a second consecutive World Cup title.