With domestic football on pause, West Ham United’s Women’s internationals have jetted off to represent their respective national teams all over Europe and beyond.
Eleven Hammers have received call-ups and will be in action at a variety of tournaments across the globe.
With qualification for this summer’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand all but complete, a number of invitational four-team competitions take centre-stage during the February international break.
The fixtures will ensure the eleven Irons will return match-ready for West Ham's Women's FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Aston Villa on Sunday 26 February. Kick-off at Dagenham is at 3pm and tickets are available to buy now here!
Who has been called-up?
Captain Dagný Brynjarsdóttir of Iceland and Scotland pair Lisa Evans and Kirsty Smith are off to the Pinatar Cup in Spain, while Denmark’s Emma Snerle and France duo Hawa Cissoko and Viviane Asseyi are taking part in the Tournoi de France, and Risa Shimizu and Honaka Hayashi are in the Japan squad for the SheBelieves Cup in the United States.
Mackenzie Arnold is in the Australia squad for the Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by the Matildas in New South Wales, and Izzy Atkinson and the Republic of Ireland have a training camp, followed by friendly international with fellow World Cup qualifiers China.
At age-group level, Mel Filis is in the England U23s squad for two friendly matches on home turf.
Where and when will they play?
For simplicity, we’ll use UK times when listing kick-off times!
OK, so the round-robin Pinatar Cup will take place in San Pedro del Pinatar on Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
There, Brynjarsdóttir, Evans and Smith could all be involved in the opening fixture between Iceland and Scotland, which kicks-off at 2pm on Wednesday 15 February. Scotland then take on the Philippines on Saturday 18 February at 2pm, followed by Iceland’s fixture with Wales at 7.30pm on the same day. Matchday three sees Scotland take on Wales at 2pm and Iceland tackle the Philippines at 7.30pm. on Tuesday 21 February.
The Tournoi de France will be hosted in the western French city of Angers and town of Laval. Again, the opening match round could see three West Ham players in action, as Snerle’s Denmark meet the host nation at the Stade Francis Le Basser in Laval at 8.10pm on Wednesday 15 February.
Saturday 18 February sees Denmark meet Norway in Laval at 5pm, before France face Uruguay at the Stade Raymond Kopa in Anges at 8.10pm. The final round of matches on Tuesday 21 February sees Denmark square off with Uruguay at 5pm in Laval, before France face Norway in Angers at 8.10pm.
At the SheBelieves Cup in the United States, Shimizu, Hayashi and Japan kick-off by taking on Brazil in Orlando on Thursday 16 February at 9pm, before travelling to Nashville, Tennessee, to face the host nation on Sunday 19 February at 8.30pm.
Japan’s tournament will end with a fixture against Canada in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday 22 February at 9pm.
Arnold and the Matildas host yet another four-country tournament, the Cup of Nations. Australia kick-off against Czechia in Gosford, New South Wales, at 8.10am (7.10pm local time) on Thursday 16 February.
Spain visit CommBank Stadium in Sydney on Sunday 19 February at 7am (6pm local time) on Sunday 19 February, before Jamaica form the opposition at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Wednesday 22 February at 8.10am (7.10pm local time).
Closer to home, Atkinson’s Republic of Ireland have a training camp in south western Spain before facing China in Cadiz, also on Wednesday 22 February but at the earlier time of 1pm.
Filis is in England U23s’ squad for a behind closed doors fixture with Spain U23s at St George’s Park on Thursday 16 February, and a friendly with Belgium at Tranmere Rovers’ Prenton Park on Monday 20 February at 7pm.
How can I watch the Hammers on TV?
Wednesday 15 February
Brynjarsdóttir/Evans/Smith – Iceland v Scotland, Pinatar Cup, 2pm – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website
Saturday 18 February
Evans/Smith – Scotland v Philippines, Pinatar Cup, 2pm – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website
Brynjarsdóttir – Iceland v Wales, Pinatar Cup, 7.30pm – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website
Tuesday 21 February
Evans/Smith – Scotland v Wales, Pinatar Cup, 2pm – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website
Brynjarsdóttir – Iceland v Philippines, Pinatar Cup, 7.30pm – BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport Website
