Heinrichs Plans to Give Starters a Test in Exhibition With Russia

The defending gold medalist U.S. Olympic women’s soccer team plays the first of three “send-off” games today when it faces Russia at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

The match will be televised live by ABC at 11 a.m.

Although it is only a “friendly,” Coach April Heinrichs will use the game to give her starting lineup the chance to fine-tune its play before the Olympic opener against Norway on Sept. 14 in Melbourne, Australia.

“Russia is a great team for us to have right now,” Heinrichs said. “In all honesty, Russia really should be in the Olympics. They qualified, in my mind, by being one of the top eight teams in the World Cup last summer, but because Australia is the host team, they got the eighth position.

“So we’re approaching Russia with the same conviction that we would any team. This first game will be an opportunity for us to put the [Olympic] starting lineup on the field. Then we’ll evaluate it after that how we’re going to approach the second game.”

The U.S. plays Canada in Kansas City Aug. 20 and Brazil in San Jose Sept. 1 before leaving for Australia Sept. 4.