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Former PA West Referee Kathryn Nesbitt Voted 2024 US Soccer Female Referee of the Year

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Experienced Officials Claim Federation’s Inaugural Awards Recognizing U.S. Soccer’s Top Referees 

CHICAGO (Jan. 9, 2025) – U.S. Soccer Referees Kathryn Nesbitt and Guido Gonzales Jr. have been voted the 2024 U.S. Soccer Female and Male Referees of the Year after outstanding campaigns officiating at the highest levels of American soccer. The inaugural awards were launched in 2024 as part of U.S. Soccer’s continued mission to foster the best playing environments and grow the number of referees nationally.

“As we continue to emphasize the importance of refereeing to our game, U.S. Soccer is proud to recognize the significant contributions of Kathryn and Guido, who represent the best of officiating in American Soccer,” said JT Batson, U.S. Soccer CEO.

“Growing referee participation across the country is a key goal for the Federation, and these awards recognize referees’ service to the game and give aspiring officials even more to strive for as they continue their referee careers,” said Cindy Parlow-Cone, U.S. Soccer President.

The first person to work both a Men’s World Cup Final (Qatar 2022) and Women’s World Cup Final (Australia/New Zealand 2023), Nesbitt has been a member of the FIFA Panel since 2016 and was an AR in 18 MLS matches, including three MLS Cup Playoffs matches in 2024. Nesbitt’s other high profile assignments during 2024 include officiating a quarterfinal match at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, Second Round Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers, Copa América Group Stage matches, 2024-25 Concacaf Nations League Group Stage and Play-In matches, the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Third-Place Match, Concacaf W Gold Cup Quarterfinal and Semifinal, Concacaf Champions Cup First Round and Quarterfinal and Concacaf Central American Cup Semifinal.

“I am humbled to be the first U.S. Soccer Female Referee of the Year,” Nesbitt said. “It’s such an incredible feeling to have years of hard work acknowledged and respected by my peers and the broader U.S. Soccer community. Thank you to everyone for the support and recognition.”

An MLS Referee since 2018, Gonzales officiated 24 matches in 2024, including the MLS Cup Final between the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls, as well as the MLS All-Star Game in which the league selection took on the top players from Liga MX. Gonzales has served as the Referee in over 100 MLS matches and is now eligible for international assignments after being appointed to the FIFA Panel for 2025.

“I am extremely honored to receive the U.S. Soccer Male Referee of the Year award,” Gonzales said. “This recognition reflects the years of dedication, preparation and passion for the game we all share as referees. I am grateful for my family, mentors and fellow referees that have and continue to share this journey with me. Thank you for this incredible honor — it’s a privilege to serve the beautiful game.”

The awards were determined via weighted vote from PRO Referees, National Referee Coaches, U.S. Soccer Board of Directors and U.S. Soccer Referee Committee members (45 percent); National Professional and International Referees (25 percent); State Referee Committee members (15 percent); and U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Team players that earned a cap in 2024 (15 percent).

For Female Referee of the Year, Nesbitt emerged from a list of nominees that included fellow FIFA Assistant Referee Brooke Mayo, as well as FIFA Referees Alyssa Nichols, Tori Penso and Natalie Simon, winning 26 percent of the weighted vote. For the Male Referee of the Year Award, Gonzales won 29 percent of the weighted vote among a list of nominees that included FIFA Assistant Referees Kyle Atkins and Corey Parker, PRO Referee Ismir Pekmic and FIFA Referee Armando Villarreal.

About the U.S. Soccer Federation

Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future amid an unprecedented moment of opportunity, it has aligned its efforts around five strategic pillars: Grow the game by increasing youth and adult participation and accessibility to the sport; Foster best playing environments through quality of referees and coaches, and commitment to participant safety; Develop winning teams through solidified pathways and success of professional leagues; Grow the soccer economy to fuel reinvestment by increasing membership, fandom and commercial success; and Create a world-class organization through revitalized structure and culture, best-in-class talent, progress in DEIB, and more. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.

– ussoccer.com –

2025 SHEBELIEVES CUP KICKS OFF IN FEBRUARY; WILL FEATURE THE USA, AUSTRALIA, COLOMBIA AND JAPAN

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Tournament Returns to Three-Date Format with Shell Energy Stadium Hosting on Feb. 20; State Farm Stadium Will Host on Feb. 23 and Tournament Will Finish at Snapdragon Stadium on Feb. 26; Ticket Presales Start Today

CHICAGO (November 20, 2024) – As the annual SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa®, hits its 10th year, the teams, venues and dates have been confirmed for one of the most prestigious four-team tournaments in women’s soccer.

In 2025, the world’s top-ranked U.S. Women’s National Team will host Japan (#7 in the current FIFA Women’s World Rankings), Australia (#15) and Colombia (#21) as the competition returns to its traditional six-game, three matchday format after being played in a four-game, two-date format last year due to the new FIFA windows in years that feature the Olympic Games.

The winner of the tournament will once again be determined by total points (three for a win, one for a tie), with the first tiebreaker being overall goal difference, followed by most goals scored, then head-to-head result and lastly, Fair Play ranking if necessary. 

All four teams in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup field were in the women’s tournament at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 with the USA defeating Australia (2-1) in group play and Japan (1-0) in an overtime thriller in the quarterfinal match. Australia and Colombia will make their first appearances in the SheBelieves Cup, while Japan returns to the field for the third consecutive year and the fifth time overall. The USA has won the last five SheBelieves Cups and has seven titles overall, while France won in 2017, and England took top honors in 2019. 

All the U.S. matches will be broadcast on TBS and Universo and streamed on Max and Peacock. All non-U.S. games will also be available on Max and in Spanish on Universo and Peacock. 

The schedule will see the USA open the tournament against Colombia on Thursday, Feb. 20 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston (7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET on TBS, Max and in Spanish on Universo and Peacock) while Japan faces Australia at 4 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. ET (Max, Universo and Peacock). The teams will then move to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the USA faces Australia on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. ET (TBS, Max and in Spanish on Universo and Peacock) and Colombia takes on Japan at Noon MT / 2 p.m. ET (Max, Universo and Peacock). The final two games will take place at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Feb. 26 with the USA facing Japan at 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET (TBS, Max and in Spanish on Universo and Peacock) and Australia taking on Colombia at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET (Max, Universo and Peacock).

The matches of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup will be the first domestic games of the new year as the USWNT continues its preparations to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil. 

“This will be my first SheBelieves Cup, but I’ve followed the tournament, and it always produces close games between top teams,” said U.S. head coach Emma Hayes. “All four of these teams were in the last World Cup and Olympics, and all are in the building process to qualify for the next World Cup, so to get three games against talented teams and players in a format that replicates group play at a world championship is valuable in our process. All the games will be great tests for the teams and fun for all the fans.” 

All three visiting teams feature multiple players who play in the National Women’s Soccer League. 

The SheBelieves Cup will be the second event for the USWNT in 2025 as the team will come together for a January training camp in Los Angeles that will run from January 14-21. No official matches are associated with that camp, but it will run concurrently with the “Futures Camp” that will feature up-and-coming USWNT prospects. Rosters for both camps will be revealed early next year. 

VISA SHEBELIEVES CUP MVP

For the sixth year in a row, Visa, the presenting partner of the SheBelieves Cup, will award the MVP trophy to the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. The award will be announced following the conclusion of the final match. Spain’s Alexia Putellas – the Ballon d’Or winner in both 2021 and 2022 — won the inaugural award in 2020. The USA claimed top honors every year following, as Rose Lavelle won the award in 2021, Catarina Macario won it in 2022, Mallory Swanson took home the trophy in 2023 and Sophia Smith claimed MVP honors in 2024. A new selection committee comprised of representatives from all competing nations will be announced for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup while fans will once again have the opportunity to vote for the Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP award recipient via online ballot to select among a list of finalists chosen by the committee. The fan vote will be incorporated into the overall determination of the 2025 Visa SheBelieves Cup MVP. 

TICKETS

Presales for all three 2025 SheBelieves doubleheaders will begin on Nov. 20 and run through Nov. 21. The public on sale for all venues will commence on Friday, Nov. 22. Circle members supporting the U.S. Soccer Development Fund can receive individual customer support and concierge services for their ticketing needs. Click here or contact circles@ussoccer.org for more information.

EXCLUSIVE PRESALES FOR U.S. SOCCER INSIDERS

For the opportunity to buy tickets before the general public, fans should consider becoming U.S. Soccer Insiders. Membership is free for Standard Insiders. Learn more.

VISA PRESALE

Thanks to Visa, the exclusive payment technology partner of U.S. Soccer, Visa cardholders have the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the public on-sale date. Visa cardholders can purchase tickets from Thursday, November 21 at 1 p.m. local venue time to Friday, November 22 at 8 a.m. local venue time through ussoccer.com. As the preferred card of U.S. Soccer, Visa will be the only payment method accepted during the Visa presale. Terms and conditions apply.

Additional Notes:

  • The USWNT will be playing its 14th all-time match in Houston and 11th at Shell Energy Stadium – formerly known as BBVA Stadium – where the U.S. Women have never lost or even drawn.
  • Shell Energy Stadium is home to the Houston Dash of NWSL and Houston Dynamo of MLS. The USWNT’s most recent matches there came in the summer of 2021 as the sporting world emerged from the global pandemic. The USWNT defeated Portugal, 1-0, on June 10 and then downed Jamaica, 4-0, on June 13.
  • The U.S. Women have not played in Arizona since 2015 and will be playing their fourth match at the home of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale. The most recent match at the venue was a 2-0 win over China PR in December of 2015 as the USA celebrated its third FIFA Women’s World Cup title.
  • Snapdragon Stadium, home to the San Diego Wave of NWSL and San Diego FC of MLS, opened in the fall of 2022 and the USWNT has already played three matches there, two in the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, including the 1-0 victory over Brazil in the championship game, and a 3-0 friendly win over Colombia in Oct. of 2023.
  • Colombia put in an admirable showing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, advancing out of the Group A in third place after a narrow 3-2 loss to France, a 2-0 win over New Zealand and 1-0 loss to Canada. Las Cafeteras had a2-0 lead over reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup winners Spain in the quarterfinal until almost the 80th minute when Las Rojas pulled one back in the 79th and dramatically tied the game seven minutes into second-half stoppage time. Colombia would eventually fall in a penalty kick shootout, 4-2.
  • The USWNT has played Colombia three times over the past two years, drawing 0-0 on Oct. 26, 2023, in Sandy, Utah, and winning 3-0 three days later in San Diego. The teams met earlier this year in the Concacaf W Gold Cup as the USA bounced back from its only loss of the year to defeat Colombia 3-0 in the quarterfinal round. Lindsey Horan, Jenna Nighswonger and Jaedyn Shaw scored for the USA as goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher kept a clean sheet in her 100th
  • This will be the 14th meeting all-time between the USA and Colombia with the Americans holding a 11W-0L-2D record. The other tie in the series prior to the scoreless draw in 2022 came in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, a 2-2 result.
  • The USA and Australia met in the final group match of this summer’s Olympics, a 2-1 U.S. victory that knocked the Matildas out of the tournament. Trinity Rodman and Korbin Albert scored for the USA to finish atop the group. Australia scored a late goal to make it close.
  • Before that game, the teams had not met since the end of 2021 when the Americans went Down Under and picked up a 3-0 win in Sydney and a 1-1 draw in Newcastle.
  • The series with the Matildas runs all the way back to the beginning of the USWNT program. The meeting at this year’s SheBelieves Cup will be the 35th in the history of the teams.
  • The USA holds at 28W-1L-5D all-time record vs. the Aussies, who are currently being coached by former USWNT head coach Tom Sermanni. Currently the interim head coach, Sermanni coached the Matildas from 2005-2012 and was named interim head coach following this summer’s Olympics.
  • Australia, co-host of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, at which it made the semifinals, struggled at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Australia fell to Germany, 3-0, in its first match, had to rally tremendously in one of the wildest games in women’s soccer history for a 6-5 victory over Zambia, then fell 2-1 to the USA the final match of group play. That loss was the final game at the helm for former USWNT assistant coach Tony Gustavsson.
  • The most recent meeting between the USA and Japan is still fresh in people’s minds as the Americans gutted out a 1-0 victory in the quarterfinal of this summer’s Olympics as Trinity Rodman scored the dramatic game-winner in overtime against a highly talented and disciplined Japanese team.
  • The USA faced Japan earlier in the year during the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, a 2-1 come-from-behind win in front of 50,644 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch the USA in a domestic friendly match. Jaedyn Shaw and Lindsey Horan scored for the USA in the semifinal victory.
  • The USA-Japan rivalry is a storied one, dating back to 1986. The teams meet in three straight world finals in the aughts, with Japan winning the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in penalty kicks, while the USA won the London 2012 Olympic Games and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
  • The USA holds a 32W-1L-8D all-time record against the Nadeshiko.
  • The USA has played Japan four times in the SheBelieves Cup and holds a 3W-0L-1D record.
  • The SheBelieves Cup was first played in 2016. The USA won the inaugural edition and France took top honors in 2017. The USA won again in 2018, and England finished first in 2019, but the USA returned to the top of the podium in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

– ussoccer.com –

Five Things To Know: USA vs. Germany

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After opening the 2024 Olympics with a convincing 3-0 win over Zambia on July 25 in Nice, the U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team returns to its training base in Marseille where it will face longtime European foes Germany in the second game of Group B play. The USA and Germany, who enter the match tied atop the Group B standings, are set to square off on Sunday, July 28 at 9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET at Stade de Marseille with broadcast coverage available on USA Network, Telemundo and Peacock.

Get ready for the USWNT’s second group stage game with Five Things to Know about USA vs. Germany.

GERMANY DOWNS AUSTRALIA IN OLYMPIC OPENER

Like the Americans, Germany got off to a fast start at Paris 2024, beating Australia 3-0 at Stade de Marseille to open Group B action.

Germany opened the scoring in the 24th minute on a header at the back post from defender Marina Hegering from a service that came off a corner kick. Germany doubled its lead in the 64th minute, again off a corner kick, this time with forward Lea Schuller rising above the defense to head home. Defender Giulia Gwinn tallied assists on both set-piece goals. In the 68th minute, Germany sealed the victory and made it 3-0 with a beautiful team goal in transition. Schuller started the break in the middle of the field and laid the ball off to defender Sarai Linder making a run into the left side of the penalty area. Linder one-timed the ball back across the face off goal for a one-time finish from 21-year-old midfielder Jule Brand.

Germany outshot Australia 17-8 on the day, with a 4-2 advantage in shots on target and finished the game with seven corners compared to five for the Matildas. One of Australia’s best opportunities of the match came in first half stoppage time. Forward Hayley Raso was fouled just outside the area, setting up a free-kick for the Matildas from 20 yards out, but the ensuing attempt went right to German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

PATHWAY TO PARIS

After missing out on the 2020 Olympics by virtue of its quarterfinal exit at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Germany qualified for the 2024 Summer Games by beating the Netherlands 2-0 in the UEFA Women’s Nations League Third-Place Match on February 28.

The 2024 UEFA Women’s Nations League Finals pitted the four group winners from League A – France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain – against one another to determine which two nations would join hosts France at Paris 2024. Germany lost its semifinal matchup to France in Lyon 2-1 on February 23, falling behind 2-0 in the first half before pulling one back late in the second half as Gwinn converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute.

The defeat set up an all-important Third-Place Match between Germany and the Netherlands, with the victor securing a berth in the Olympics. Despite playing on the road in the Netherlands, Germany proved up to the task and grabbed control of the match in the second half. Midfielder Klara Buhl scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 66th minute and Schuller doubled the advantage in the 78th to qualify Germany for its sixth Olympic games.

GERMANS EYE RETURN TO OLYMPIC PODIUM

Germany, which has competed in every Women’s Olympic Soccer Tournament apart from 2012 and 2020, is one of only three nations to have won both a FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic gold medal, joining the USA and Norway in that elite group.

After winning bronze in 2000, 2004 and 2008, Germany captured gold at Rio 2016, defeating Sweden 2-1 in the gold medal match. Veteran forward Alexandra Popp is the only member of the 2016 gold medalists who returns to the roster for Paris 2024.

Germany, which won back-to-back FIFA Women’s World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007, has not won a major championship since capturing gold in Rio. Germany lost to Sweden in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Cup, finished runners-up to England at the 2022 UEFA Women’s Championship and is coming off a disappointing showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, failing to make it out of the group for the first time in program history after losing to Colombia and drawing Korea Republic in Group H play.

INSIDE THE SERIES: USA VS. GERMANY

The group stage match in Marseille will be the 36th meeting all-time between the U.S. and Germany but their first-ever meeting in the group stage of a World Cup or Olympics and just the second meeting ever between the teams at the Olympic Games. The previous Olympic matchup came in the semifinals of Athens 2004, which the U.S. won 2-1 in extra time, getting a game-winning goal from 19-year-old Heather O’Reilly in the 99th minute.

The U.S. leads the overall series with Germany 23W-5L-7D, including a 4W-1L-0D advantage in meetings at the World Cup and Olympics. Germany’s only win over the U.S. at a world championship came in the semifinals of the 2003 Women’s World Cup, a 3-0 victory in Portland, Ore. on Germany’s path to its first Women’s World Cup title. The most recent meeting between the USA and Germany at a world championship came in the semifinals of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which the USA won 2-0 on the way to its third World Cup title.

The USA and Germany played most recently in two friendlies at the end of 2022, splitting the matches in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and Harrison, N.J. Germany won the first of the two meetings 2-1 on Nov. 10, 2022, powered by a U.S. own goal and a late game-winner in transition in the 89th minute after the Americans equalized in the 85th on a goal from Megan Rapinoe. The teams then travelled to Red Bull Arena, where the U.S. closed out the 2022 campaign on with a stirring 2-1 come-from-behind victory on Nov. 13. Trailing 1-0 at the half after Brand put the Germans in front in the 18th minute, the U.S. responded with two goals in the span of three minutes early in the second half. Sophia Smith equalized for the Americans in the 54th minute with a powerful shot from 12 yards out and Mallory Swanson – playing her final match for the USWNT under her maiden name Pugh – broke in behind the German defense and netted the game-winner with a low finish in the 56th minute.

INSIDE THE ROSTER: GERMANY

Like the USA, Germany was forced to make a change to its Olympic roster before the tournament even began. Standout midfielder Lena Oberdorf, who was named the EURO 2022 Young Player of the Tournament, suffered an ACL and MCL injury in Germany’s UEFA 2025 Qualifying match against Austria on July 16 and was replaced on the 18-player roster by midfielder Janina Minge. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Pia-Sophie Wolter was subsequently added to Germany’s alternate list.

Despite the injury replacement, Germany’s Olympic roster boasts a combination of experienced veterans and up-and-coming players eager to make their mark on the international stage. Popp, a 2016 gold medalist and four-time World Cup veteran, is the most experienced player on this German roster with 140 caps and her 67 international goals rank third all-time in the history of the Germany Women’s National Team. Schuller, who was named the 2022 German Women’s Footballer of the Year, is the second leading scorer on this roster with 43 goals in 63 caps at age 26. Twenty-three-year-old midfielder Buhl is third in scoring with 25 goals in 53 international appearances and was named to the Best XI at the 2022 UEFA Women’s Championship.

Of the 22 players representing Germany at this Olympics, all but four play their clubs soccer in Germany in the Frauen-Bundesliga. Four players – Schuller, Buhl, Gwinn and midfielder Sydney Lohmann – compete for reigning league champions Bayern Munich, while six play for runners up VfL Wolfsburg and five for Eintracht Frankfurt. Two of the four players competing outside of Germany play in the NWSL in goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who is in the midst of a stellar season with NJ/NY Gotham FC after joining the club this spring from Chelsea, and alternate Felicitas Rauch, who has made 16 appearances for the North Carolina Courage. Defender Bibiane Schulze Solano competes in Spain for Athletic Club Femenino and midfielder Sjoeke Nusken plays for Chelsea FC, helping the Blues win the 2023-24 FA Women’s Super League last season under now USWNT head coach Emma Hayes.

GERMANY OLYMPIC WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB)

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Merle Frohms (VfL Wolfsburg, GER), 12-Ann-Katrin Berger (NJ/NY Gotham FC, USA)

DEFENDERS (6):2-Sarai Linder (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), 3-Kathrin Hendrich (VfL Wolfsburg), 4-Bibiane Schulze Solano (Athletic Club Femenino, ESP), 5-Marina Hegering (VfL Wolfsburg), 13-Sara Doorsoun (Eintracht Frankfurt), 15-Giulia Gwinn (FC Bayern München)

MIDFIELDERS (7):6-Janina Minge (SC Freiburg), 8-Sydney Lohmann (FC Bayern München), 9-Sjoeke Nusken (Chelsea FCW, ENG), 14-Elisa Senss (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), 16-Jule Brand (VfL Wolfsburg), 17-Klara Buhl (FC Bayern München), 18-Vivien Endemann (VfL Wolfsburg)

FORWARDS (3):7-Lea Schuller (FC Bayern München), 10-Laura Freigang (Eintracht Frankfurt), 11-Alexandra Popp (VfL Wolfsburg)

ALTERNATES (4): 19-Felicitas Rauch (North Carolina Courage, USA), 20-Pia-Sophie Wolter (Eintracht Frankfurt), 21-Nicole Anyomi (Eintracht Frankfurt), 22-Stina Johannes (Eintracht Frankfurt)