HOUSTON — Shell Energy Stadium, the home of the Houston Dash, has been named one of four venues to host 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup matches.
Concacaf described the new tournament as a "flagship competition for women's national teams."
The tournament runs from February 17 through March 10. The first of six matches at Shell Energy Stadium will be on February 22.
Other host stadiums include Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego and BMO Stadium in Las Angeles.
Here are the dates for the matches in Houston:
- February 22
- Match 8: C2 vs. C3
- Match 9: Canada (C1) vs. C4
- February 25
- Match 14: C4 vs C2
- Match 15: C3 vs Canada (C1)
- February 28
- Match 20: C3 vs. C4
- Match 21: Canada (C1) vs C2
The remaining teams will be decided on December 11 during the official draw. That's also when tickets will go on sale. You can get your tickets on Concacaf's website.
How the tournament works
The inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup will be split into three phases - prelims, a group stage, and a knockout stage.
Prelims
During prelims at Dignity Health Sports Park, six teams will compete for a spot in the group stage. There will be three single-match elimination pairings. The winner of those pairings will have earned a spot in the group stage.
Group stage
Twelve teams will compete in the group stage split between three groups of four. Round-robin play will happen from February 20 through February 28. The group winners, runners-up and the two best third-place teams will move on to the knockout stage.
- Group A will play at Dignity Health Sports Park.
- Group B will play at Snapdragon Stadium.
- Group C will play at Shell Energy Stadium.
Knockout stage
Knockout matches will start with quarterfinals at BMO Stadium on March 2 and 3. The semifinals and finals will take place at Snapdragon Stadium on March 6 and 10.
The quarterfinal pairings will be determined by the results of the group stage.
Who's playing?
As of November 28, seven national teams have qualified, according to Concacaf, including the following:
- Group stage
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Canada
- Colombia
- Paraguay
- United States
- Prelims
- El Salvador
