U.S. women to play Japan at Chester

CHICAGO » The United States women’s soccer team will open next year with games at World Cup host France and Spain and finish a 10-game schedule leading to the tournament with a send-off match against Mexico at Harrison, New Jersey, on May 26.

The defending world champion Americans play France at Le Havre on Jan. 19 and face Spain at Alicante three days later, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Thursday.

Japan, which beat the U.S. in the 2011 World Cup final and lost the final to the Americans in 2015, plays the U.S. on Feb. 27 at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester.

The top-ranked U.S. plays England on March

2 at Nashville, Tennessee, and Brazil three days later at Tampa, Florida, then meets Australia on April

4 at Commerce City, Colorado, and Belgium three days later at Los Angeles.