Last competed in 2002, the Nike U.S. Women’s Cup has been the most prestigious women’s event conducted by the U.S. Soccer Federation through their history. It was usually played as a four team, six game international tournament in which the U.S. posted a perfect 24-0-0 record across the nine years of tournament activity against Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Russia and South Korea.

The 2002 tournament was easily won by the U.S., which outscored Australia, Italy and Russia, 13-1, en route to a perfect 3-0 record. However, the battle for second place was epic, with all three teams winning once and losing twice, and Australia outdistancing Italy and Russia on goal difference. The tournament also marked the first time that every team in the tournament earned a victory.

The 2001 Nike U.S. Women’s Cup returned to its four-team round-robin format, with matches scheduled for Chicago, Columbus and Kansas City. With the ill-fated tournament prepared to continue on September 11 after three games had been completed, the world was stunned by the tragic events of that day across America and the teams were left stranded in Ohio, before they (and a nation) could eventually return to their families and a normal routine.

In 2000, the Nike U.S. Women’s Cup was adjusted to accommodate the USA’s hectic schedule. Instead of the normal round-robin tournament, the event was played as two doubleheaders in one venue, Civic Stadium in Portland, where the U.S. Women dominated their two opponents with a 12-0 goal advantage, including an 8-0 rout of Mexico and a 4-0 blanking of Canada.

After winning the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the USA set out to three Midwestern cities to defend their Nike U.S. Women’s Cup perfection. The U.S. continued their dominance in the tournament, scoring more goals, 15, than Brazil, Finland, and South Korea, combined (13).

Nike U.S. Women’s Cup ’98 was held in four East-coast venues, with the U.S. Women continuing their undefeated run by soundly beating three 1999 Women’s World Cup qualifying teams — Mexico (9-0), Russia (4-0) and Brazil (3-0). Mia Hamm scored four goals in the tournament, including the 100th of her career against Russia on Sept. 18, 1998, in front of a capacity crowd at Frontier Field in Rochester, N.Y.

During U.S. Women’s Cup ’97, the U.S. squad held true to form once again to defeat Canada (4-0), Australia (9-1) and upstart European power Italy (2-0). Of the USA’s 15 goals in the tournament, Hamm scored six and assisted on another.

The U.S. won U.S. Women’s Cup ’96 without allowing a goal, while scoring 11 against Canada (6-0), Japan (4-0) and China (1-0). As it usually does, the tournament came down to the final match — against China on May 18, 1996 — in the first-ever live national telecast of a U.S. Women’s National Team match.

Just months after the U.S. Women dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 semifinal result to Norway at the Women’s World Cup, the two teams would face off again at U.S. Women’s Cup ’95. Unfortunately for Australia and Chinese Taipei, two relative newcomers who rounded out the field, the U.S. and Norway were on a crash course to meet in the tournament’s final match. Together, the U.S. and Norway defeated Australia and Chinese Taipei by a combined score of 27-3, setting up a final showdown at Washington, D.C.’s RFK Stadium on Aug. 6. After ending 90 minutes of regulation tied at 1-1, U.S. substitute Tammy Pearman, playing in her first international match for the U.S., scored the “golden goal” to give the U.S. a 2-1 victory.


The original U.S. Women’s Cup was competed in 1994 as the Chiquita Cup, which was organized by the U.S. Youth Soccer’s Region I (East). The U.S. claimed the inaugural tournament against competition that could only be labeled, the best of the best: China, Germany and Norway. After hard-fought victories over Germany (2-1) and China (1-0), the U.S. lashed out on rival Norway, 4-1, in a match played in Worcester, Mass. The tournament was a fitting preview of the 1995 Women’s World Cup in Sweden, with all four competitors advancing to the final four in Sweden.