Path to 2019 Women's World Cup will begin at home for U.S. team

The United States will host the CONCACAF Women's World Cup qualifying tournament next fall, The Washington Post has learned.

The regional governing body said Monday that it's too early to confirm details of the host nation or sites. The U.S. Soccer Federation, which would play a major role in staging the event, did not want to comment. However, sources familiar with the planning said organizers have begun evaluating potential venues.

FIFA's website says the tournament will run Oct. 4-17, but a CONCACAF spokesman said the dates have not been determined. Three CONCACAF teams will receive automatic berths to the 2019 Women's World Cup in France, while a fourth will enter a two-leg playoff against South America's third-place side.

The CONCACAF tournament will involve eight teams: United States, Canada, Mexico and five zonal qualifiers from Central America and the Caribbean.

Three of the previous four qualifying tournaments took place at U.S. venues. The exception was 2010 in Cancun, Mexico, where the decorated U.S. squad finished third and consequently relegated into an intercontinental playoff in order to qualify for Germany 2011.

In October 2014, group matches were played at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas; Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois; and RFK Stadium in Washington. Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania, hosted the semifinals, third-place game and final. The Americans won all five matches by a 21-0 scoring margin, then won the 2015 world title in Canada the following summer.

The qualifying tournament is among three notable competitions on the U.S. team's 2018 calendar: The USSF is preparing to announce details of the third annual SheBelieves Cup in March and will arrange the second Tournament of Nations in the summer. This year, the SheBelieves Cup was played on the East Coast and the Tournament of Nations on the West Coast. France and Australia were the respective winners.

The U.S. side will open the 2018 schedule with a Jan. 21 friendly against Euro runner-up Denmark in San Diego.