By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

The Tokyo Olympics is the center of the U.S. women’s national team universe in 2021.

That would be before and after the Summer Games, which run from July 21 through Aug. 6 for women’s soccer.

Prior to the tournament, the USWNT is scheduled to play seven games. The Americans could participate as few as three matches and as many as six in Tokyo.

In all, the team could play as few as 22 contests and as many as 25 this year.

Regardless how they fare in Japan, the USA is slated to play seven friendlies from September through the end of 2021. Four of those games are supposed to be at home. If the two-time defending Women’s World Cup champions capture the gold medal, those four contests could turn into a Victory Tour, unlike what has transpired in the past.

The Americans have won four gold medals in the six previous Olympic women’s soccer tournaments.

The 2020 Olympics was pushed back a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The USA already has played in five matches this year, a pair of wins over Colombia in January. They completed a victorous SheBelieves Cup with three consecutive triumphs.

USWNT general manager Kate Markgraf announced the 2001 schedule during the U.S. Soccer board of directors meeting Friday.

The schedule:

Saturday, April 10 – Friendly (away)

Tuesday, April 13 – Friendly (away)

Tournament of Nations

Thursday, June 10 (home)

Sunday, June 13 (home)

Wednesday, June 16 (home)

Friendlies

Game 1 – Late June/Early July

Game 2 – Late June/Early July

Tokyo Olympics

July 21-Aug. 6

Friendlies

Saturday, Sept. 18 (home)

Tuesday, Sept. 21 (home)

Saturday, Oct. 23 (home)

Tuesday, Oct. 26 (home)

Thursday, Nov. 25 (away)

Sunday, Nov. 28 (away)

Wednesday, Dec. 1 (away)

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.