The United States women’s national team claimed their sixth SheBelieves Cup trophy with a 2-1 win over Brazil on Wednesday.
Goals from Alex Morgan and Mallory Swanson kept the Americans in control for most of the second half, but Brazil equalized in the 90th minute thanks to striker Ludmila.
The USWNT went undefeated in the SheBelieves Cup after beating Canada and Japan in their previous matches. But now, the next tournament on the calendar is the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which opens for the Americans on July 22 in New Zealand.
rapid response
first. USWNT wins the SheBelieves Cup and now the World Cup awaits
The US women’s national team didn’t even have to beat Brazil to win their sixth SheBelieves Cup trophy — a one-goal loss was enough for the US team to top the rankings and the USWNT had already crossed that low threshold. and then a decisive win over Brazil on Wednesday.
Winning the SheBelieves Cup is great, and the American players earned a small bonus for it, but ultimately the tournament mainly exists to prepare the USWNT for the World Cup. Finally, there can be some worry that the Americans were never fully focused on a full 90-minute performance in the SheBelieves Cup, including against Brazil.
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As Crystal Dunn said before stepping into the dressing room at halftime: “It wasn’t our best half. We lost some cheap balls, but now it’s about setting up. reset.” Match and tournament results were marked as victories for the USWNT but, as Dunn suggests, the performances did not inspire confidence.
That could be fine — winning the ugly is like winning in style and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is just about winning. The USWNT is sure to win the SheBelieves Cup after last fall’s losses to England, Spain and Germany. But the performance leaves doubts, and the fact remains that the World Cup is a different beast from the SheBelieves Cup.
2. Brazil’s counterattack gives the USWNT an important test
Brazil certainly had chances to score at the USWNT — almost all of them on quick counter-attacks, and often with Kerolin cutting across the midfield.
That led to some tense moments when American centre-backs Becky Sauerbrunn and Naomi Girma were caught alone trying to stop the yellow jersey as team-mates Crystal and Emily Fox were far away on the pitch.
This is not a new concern for the USWNT, and before the Americans won the 2019 World Cup, it seemed like the USWNT’s tendency to get over-caught in attack was their main weakness. Nobody made them pay in France at that World Cup, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t risky. And the fact that Brazil put the US defense in disarray during the transition the way they did gave the US another good stress test after Canada and Japan presented different challenges in the first two games of the SheBelieves Cup.
Obviously, Dunn and Fox, two American full-backs are doing exactly what the American coach Vlatko Andonvoski wants from them. The Americans come forward and they have a very attacking approach, even against the top ranked teams, but if Brazil and especially Adriana have just made the most of their chances, this could be a conversation. other after the game.
3. What is Plan B for the USWNT?
Andonovski has spoken openly of his desire to use the tournament to refine and increase the intensity of the USWNT’s journalism and criticism. Alex Morgan’s goal in the third minute of first-half injury time gave us a glimpse of why the USWNT’s press is so important: after a Brazilian, Hoa’s rotation. Ky converted quickly, Mallory Swanson saved a shot, and Morgan caught up to an own goal with a deft finish that took advantage of Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena who was unable to block her cross. that. Swanson’s goal also comes from a revenue.
But in times when the press isn’t covering teams like Brazil or Japan’s final game and opponents have settled in and been patient, the Americans quickly run out of ideas. When those gaps haven’t been opened up by catching a team in transition, the USWNT usually just looks to play head-to-head in a brute-force attempt, which can sometimes make something out of nothing. but more often is a good way to lose the ball.
Rose Lavelle’s return from a strain injury could help. She has found the links to get the ball in with various successes against Brazil, but often succumbs to pressure when the Brazilian players flock to her. If she can get into her A-match in Australia/New Zealand this summer and the US midfield can click well enough to move the ball faster, that could help open things up. USWNT. Otherwise, in the final third, the USWNT could find that they will need more at the World Cup as teams close those spaces.
Best and worst performers
Best: Alex Morgan, USWNT
No one on the USWNT can be beaten in a match like Alex Morgan can, and the USWNT has relied on her to absorb most of the pressure from a physically fit Brazilian team. Even before her beautiful goal from outside the box, she waved her hand away from a goal that would have stood if she could have watched VAR again.
Best: Mallory Swanson, USWNT
What else is there to say at this point? No one in USWNT is as perfect as she is these days. She has eight goals in her last six games.
Best: Kerolin, Brazil
She matched the USWNT’s backline with her keen dribbling and passing abilities, and she was at the heart of all of Brazil’s promising attacks.
Worst: Debinha, Brazil
Standards were high for the current Kansas City forward, who was once one of the best players in the NWSL and for Brazil, but she was unable to make it to the game and was substituted at halftime. when he only touched the ball 16 times.
Worst: Trinity Rodman, USWNT
Rodman, a bubble player trying to qualify for the World Cup, wasn’t consistent enough to take the spot that was opened up with Sophia Smith missing from the tournament’s roster due to injury. She is often unable to link up with her teammates and end up promising attacks due to loss of ball control.
Worst: Adriana, Brazil
She had opportunities, but she couldn’t complete them. In the end, that could be the difference in this game, Swanson and Morgan were reliable finishers, and Brazil just didn’t have it when they needed it.
Highlights and remarkable moments
Alex Morgan scored the opening goal for the USWNT at the end of first-half injury time.
The USWNT won the ball in the midfield and moved into the transition, with Mallory Swanson making a save. Morgan bounced the ball out of the box just outside the box, twirled around and hit a great finish.
THANH BE, @ALEXMORGAN13 pic.twitter.com/t9KkfIAegn
– United States women’s national soccer team (@USWNT) February 23, 2023
Mallory Swanson doubled the lead for the USWNT in the 63rd minute.
Once again, the USWNT pressurized and won the ball in the middle of the field and then passed it to the Brazilian goal. Rose Lavelle delivered it to Swanson, who placed it very well.
Mallory Swanson does it again! 🫡
: @NBCUuniverso & @peacock for Spanish insurance#SheBelievesCup | #USWNT pic.twitter.com/LpyXNFm51H
– NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 23, 2023
In the 90th minute, Brazil regained the equalizer.
Bruninha passed the ball long to the post and Ludmila headed it into the net of USWNT keeper Alyssa Naeher.
After the game: What players and coaches say
American coach Vlatko Andonovski on winning the SheBelieves Cup: “I don’t think we’re going to talk much about the title. We’re really going to talk a lot about the gameplay and the details and we’re going to use these games to prepare for the World Cup. That’s what’s good about it. this, it doesn’t have to be the title. We love to win the title, but the outcome of this game is what matters more to us. The whole time during the tournament when we were at camp. , we talk about it not only about this tournament, but also about the preparation for the World Cup.”
Mallory Swanson returned to Brazil to play fitness and press: “Yes, I just remember before the game Vlatko said ‘Let’s expect it to happen, expect that they’ll give their all.’ We did that and we didn’t keep up. There were certainly times when they switched and they were running towards our target, but I think that helped me go into the game with hope. wait for that and expect it to be a dogfight, you might say.”
Swanson on winning the SheBelieves Cup and player experience: “First game [against Canada], we started very quickly. Against Japan, we didn’t start so quickly but we still found a way, and today we almost controlled the game. Brazil is a great team and they have really cunning players. Overall, it was just a really good experience for everyone [on the USWNT], especially some young girls who don’t have much experience — they played a lot of minutes. Especially Foxy [Emily Fox], she played brilliantly in this tournament. Lindsey [Horan] played brilliantly — she played almost three consecutive 90-minute matches. So there’s definitely some people who’ve stepped up to big time and that’s going to happen.”
Swanson when he learned his opponent upgraded to play USWNT: “If you change your mind, that’s exciting. We’ll get the best game for everyone, and if we go out and show our best performance – sometimes we do. It’s not going to be possible, sometimes it’s going to be like the match against Japan. grind — but it’s exciting that we’ll get the best game for everyone and we can finally play our game and move on. work with us as well as the details and keep growing.”
Key stats (powered by ESPN Stats & Information research)
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Alex Morgan scored his first goal from outside the box for the US since June 19, 2014 against France.
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Morgan has scored or assisted in four appearances for the US team in 2023.
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Mallory Swanson’s six-game scoring record is the longest record by a USWNT player since Christen Press scored six consecutive goals from November 2019 to February 2020.
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Swanson has scored half (7/14) of the goals for the USWNT in 2023. Rose Lavelle and Alex Morgan are the only players to score more goals (two each).
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Ludmila scored the first goal the United States conceded in five games in 2023 — the United States won the first four games 12-0 on aggregate, ahead of Wednesday’s game.
Next
USA: USWNT has one more international window until the Women’s World Cup. Matches in that window in April have yet to be announced by US Soccer, but reports suggest it will be a tie against Ireland on April 8 in Austin, Texas and April 11 in St. Louis, Missouri. USWNT’s World Cup kicks off on July 22, when the Americans face Vietnam in the opening match of their tournament in New Zealand.
Brazil: Brazil WNT will face England in the women’s final, the match between Copa América Femenina winners (Brazil) and Euro women’s champions (England). That match will take place at Wembley on April 6. Brazil’s World Cup will then begin on July 24.
