The U.S. women’s national team will play nine matches on the “Nike Road to Pasadena” during its final preparations for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The nine games are the final matches in an unprecedented 19-game 1999 schedule, which will take the USA across the country and into four Women’s World Cup venues. It is the most ambitious preparation schedule ever assembled for a women’s national team in training for a World Cup. Seven of the nine “Road to Pasadena” games are against Women’s World Cup-qualified teams. The USA has already played two games this year, defeating Portugal twice in Florida at the end of January. “The Road to Pasadena games come at a crucial time for the team as we fine-tune and smooth out the last details of our Women’s World Cup preparations,” said U.S. coach Tony DiCicco, who will use the games to make final evaluations before choosing his World Cup roster. “We are facing World Cup opponents that are equal to the quality we will see in the World Cup and the teams are certainly diverse in their styles of play, which will help us. We are excited about the opportunity that NIKE and U.S. Soccer has given us to prepare to regain the World Cup trophy.” The tour opens on March 28 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. — site of the 1999 Women’s World Cup Final on July 10 — when the USA will take on Mexico as part of a doubleheader with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. The USA returns to action on April 22 in Hershey, Pa., to take on World Cup qualifier China, then faces the Asian power again three days later at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, site of the opening game of the Women’s World Cup on June 19. The game will be played as part of a doubleheader with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. China is one of the top seeds in the 1999 Women’s World Cup along with Germany, Norway and the USA. The U.S. team will then travel to Charlotte, N.C. for an April 29 match against a Japan team preparing for its third Women’s World Cup. The match will be played at Ericsson Stadium, site of the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Men’s College Cups, and will be a homecoming of sorts for the numerous U.S. players who played their college soccer at UNC-Chapel Hill. The USA will then complete the two-game set against Japan in Atlanta at Dekalb Memorial Stadium, returning for the first time to Georgia since winning the Olympic gold medal in Athens, Ga., in 1996. The tour moves onto Milwaukee, Wis. on May 13 as the USA faces Holland at Uihlein Soccer Park before playing the Dutch again on May 16 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., as part of a doubleheader with the Chicago Fire. The Americans will face Brazil on May 22 at a site to be determined and then play Canada on June 6 at Civic Stadium in the final match before starting Women’s World Cup play. The historic send-off match is expected to draw an electric crowd and will be televised live on ABC. It will also be the first game of a doubleheader featuring Women’s World Cup teams Australia and Brazil. The USA will also take one tour abroad in 1999, traveling to Portugal in March to participate in the Algarve Cup, an eight-team tournament featuring six teams qualified for the 1999 Women’s World Cup. The USA has never won the Algarve Cup in four attempts. Following is the complete schedule for the U.S. Women’s National Team leading up to the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The USA will also play two closed-door full-international matches in their preparation schedule. Feb. 14 — vs. FIFA World Stars at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif. Kickoff at 8:00 p.m. (ET). Televised on espn2. TIckets: (408) 924-4086. Feb. 27 — vs. Finland at Pepin/Road Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Kickoff at 4:00 p.m. (ET). Televised on espn2. Tickets: (813) 287-8844. March 14-20 — at Algarve Cup in Portugal. March 28 — vs. Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (doubleheader with Los Angeles Galaxy). Kickoff at 5:00 p.m. (ET). Televised on ESPN. Tickets: (310) 445-1260. April 22 — vs. China at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa. Kickoff at 7:00 p.m. (ET). No television. Tickets: (717) 534-8900 April 25 — vs. China at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (doubleheader with MetroStars). Kickoff at 4:30 p.m. (ET). Televised on espn2. Tickets: (201) 583-7000. April 29 — vs. Japan at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Kickoff at 7:00 p.m. (ET). No television. Tickets: (704) 522-6500. May 2 — vs. Japan at Dekalb Memorial Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Kickoff at 2:00 p.m. (ET). Televised on espn2. Tickets: (404) 377-5575. May 13 — vs. Netherlands at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee, Wis. Kickoff at 8:00 p.m. (ET). No television. Tickets: (414) 3580-2510. May 16 — vs. Netherlands at Soldier Field in Chicago (doubleheader with Chicago Fire). Kickoff at 1:00 p.m. (ET). Televised on espn2. Tickets: (888) 657-3473. May 22 — vs. Brazil at site TBD. Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. (ET). Televised on espn2. Tickets: TBD. June 6 — vs. Canada at Civic Stadium in Portland, Ore. (doubleheader with Australia vs. Brazil). Kickoff 2:00 p.m. (ET). Televised on ABC. Tickets: (503) 535-8800.