SAN DIEGO (March 6, 2024) – The U.S. Ladies’s Nationwide Group battled via extraordinarily troublesome circumstances brought on by a closely water-logged pitch to defeat Canada 3-1 in a penalty kick shootout following a 2-2 draw via 120 minutes. With the victory, the USA advances to the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup Ultimate in opposition to Brazil in San Diego at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, March 10 (8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 p.m. PT; Paramount+, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes). Brazil defeated Mexico 3-0 within the first semifinal on Wednesday night time.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made three huge saves within the shootout and transformed her personal penalty kick try and ship the USA to the championship match. Ahead Jaedyn Shaw tallied her team-leading fourth objective of the match to open the scoring within the 20th minute, with the 19-year-old changing into the primary USWNT participant ever to attain in every of her first 4 begins. Substitute Sophia Smith scored her 16th profession objective within the 99th minute off a feed from Rose Lavelle.
U.S. interim head coach Twila Kilgore went with the very same lineup that sparked Sunday’s 3-0 quarterfinal win in opposition to Colombia. Given the moist circumstances, which made dribbling and even kicking the soccer ball an journey, the USA and Canada discovered it troublesome to string a number of passes collectively because the ball would typically get held up by patches of standing water current all around the discipline.
Regardless of the problem, these circumstances contributed mightily to the USA’s opening objective when Canada defender Vanessa Gilles’ again move for goalkeeper Kaelin Sheridan received held up within the puddles, permitting Shaw to sneak in and tuck residence the USA’s opening rating within the 20th minute.
Few extra alternatives had been had via a lot of the primary half, however the USA did come shut once more within the 39th minute when Sam Coffey’s nook kick from the correct discovered Lindsey Horan whose header on the again publish was properly held by Sheridan.
Stadium discipline operations labored vigorously all through halftime to rid the pitch of as a lot water as potential, however circumstances remained troublesome within the second half.
Within the second half, the USWNT was the beneficiary of attacking the dryer finish of the sector – if there was such a factor — and created early on as halftime substitute Lynn Williams collected the ball on the correct and swung a cross for Horan, however the captain’s header sprayed huge of the correct publish within the 51st minute.
Few possibilities got here via a lot of the second half, however Canada hung robust and equalized off a pleasant passing sequence within the 82nd minute as Ashley Lawrence’s cross from the correct discovered Jordyn Huitema who positioned her header previous Naeher to make it 1-1.
The USA triggered hazard as soon as earlier than additional time, when Lavelle’s 90th minute nook kick was nodded throughout objective by Canada’s Kadeisha Buchanan and popped up within the air by Coffey, however Gilles headed the ball away from the objective line earlier than it was cleared from the penalty space.
The match went into half-hour of extra time, the primary time that had occurred in opposition to Canada because the USA’s memorable 4-3 win within the 2012 Olympic Semifinal, and the USWNT restored its lead within the 99th minute as three substitutes linked up. Emily Sonnett’s looping ball was flicked on by the pinnacle of Lavelle on the high of the realm permitting Sophia Smith to run into the penalty space and end previous Sheridan. The objective was the 16th of Smith’s worldwide profession and in addition the primary USWNT objective in additional time since Alex Morgan’s 123rd minute winner in that 2012 Olympic Semifinal.
There was little risk at both finish for many of the remainder of additional time because the groups slogged it out on the drenched pitch, however Canada offered another piece of drama within the first minute of stoppage time. Jade Rose lumped the ball ahead on the lookout for Gilles, who received her head to it as Alyssa Naeher got here out and collided with the Canada defender earlier than the ball pinged huge proper of the objective. After VAR overview, referee Katia Garcia awarded a penalty kick and confirmed Naeher a yellow card, earlier than Leon slotted residence the dramatic spot kick to pressure the match to be determined in penalties.
After Smith gave the USA a 1-0 lead within the shootout, Naeher took over, saving back-to-back makes an attempt from Leon and Huitema earlier than changing her personal take within the third spherical. After Horan transformed the third of 4 USA makes an attempt, Naeher dove to her proper to cease Canada captain Jessie Fleming’s spot kick to dramatically ship the USA to the ultimate.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
USA – Jaedyn Shaw, twentieth minute: Lindsey Horan’s lofted ball excessive via midfield appeared routine sufficient to deal with for Canada’s Vanessa Gilles, however a seemingly regular again move from the middle again received held up on the water-logged pitch and allowed Shaw to run onto the ball earlier than chipping it residence along with her left foot from 12 yards out. USA 1, CAN 0
CAN – Jordyn Huitema (Ashley Lawrence), 82nd minute: Canada hung robust within the match and equalized via a powerful sequence. A ball excessive was collected by Adriana Leon on the left. Discovering the USA chasing numbers again, Leon swung it to Lawrence simply contained in the field on the correct earlier than she crossed for Huitema who headed again throughout objective to beat Naeher. USA 1, CAN 1
USA – Sophia Smith (Rose Lavelle), 99th minute: The USA clawed again the lead when Emily Sonnett popped the ball up at midfield and Lavelle rose within the air to nod it into the field for Smith, who took it in stride and coolly completed to the correct of Sheridan. USA 2, CAN 1
CAN – Adriana Leon (Penalty Kick), 120+6 minute: After Alyssa Naeher was dominated to have fouled Vanessa Gilles within the field, Leon stepped up and positioned her spot kick to the correct of the U.S. ‘keeper to pressure penalty kicks. USA 2, CAN 2 FINAL.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- The USWNT improves to 54W-7D-4L in opposition to Canada all-time.
- This was the second time the USA and Canada have gone to penalty kicks, the one different such occasion coming within the closing of 2008 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying, which the USA received 6-5.
- Jaedyn Shaw’s 20th minute objective was her team-leading fourth of the match and made her the primary participant in USWNT historical past to attain in every of her first 4 begins. The objective got here 129 days after scoring her first worldwide objective, additionally coming at Snapdragon Stadium within the 3-0 pleasant win in opposition to Colombia on Oct. 29, 2023.
- Sophia Smith’s 99th minute winner was the 16th of her worldwide profession and first of the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
- Smith’s objective was additionally the USWNT’s first in additional time since Alex Morgan’s 123rd minute winner within the 4-3 victory in opposition to Canada within the 2012 Olympic Semifinal.
- Rose Lavelle’s help on Smith’s winner was her second of the match, tying her with Midge Purce for the crew lead.
– U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: U.S. Ladies’s Nationwide Group vs. Canada
Date: March 6, 2024
Competitors: Concacaf W Gold Cup – Semifinal
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, Calif.
Attendance: 15,245
Kickoff: 7:15 p.m. PT (10:15 p.m. ET)
Climate: 56 levels, wet
Scoring Abstract: 1 2 OT1 OT2 F PK
USA 1 0 1 0 2 3
CAN 0 1 0 1 2 1
USA – Jaedyn Shaw 20th minute
CAN – Jordyn Huitema (Ashley Lawrence) 82
USA – Sophia Smith (Rose Lavelle) 99
CAN – Adriana Leon (penalty kick) 120+7
Penalty Abstract:
USA: Sophia Smith (Objective), Korbin Albert (Missed), Alyssa Naeher (Objective), Lindsey Horan (Objective)
CAN: Adriana Leon (Saved), Jordyn Huitema (Saved), Quinn (Objective), Jessie Fleming (Saved)
Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 23-Emily Fox, 4-Naomi Girma, 12-Tierna Davidson, 3-Jenna Nighswonger (20-Casey Krueger, 46); 17-Sam Coffey (14-Emily Sonnett, 85), 15-Korbin Albert, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.); 22-Trinity Rodman (11-Sophia Smith, 65), 7-Alex Morgan (16-Rose Lavelle, 72), 8-Jaedyn Shaw (6-Lynn Williams, 46)
Substitutes not used: 18-Casey Murphy, 21-Jane Campbell, 2-Abby Dahlkemper, 5-Becky Sauerbrunn, 9-Midge Purce, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 19-Crystal Dunn
Head Coach: Twila Kilgore
CAN: 1-Kailen Sheridan; 12-Jade Rose, 14-Vanessa Gilles (4-Shelina Zadorsky, 120), 3-Kadeisha Buchanan (23-Olivia Smith, 90); 10-Ashley Lawrence, 13-Simi Awujo (9-Jordyn Huitema, 56), 17-Jessie Fleming (Capt.), 16-Gabby Carle (21-Clarissa Larisey, 105); 6-Deanne Rose (11-Evelyne Viens, 68), 19-Adriana Leon, 20-Cloe Lacasse (5-Quinn, 68)
Substitutes not used: 18-Sabrina D’angelo, 22-Lysianne Proulx, 2-Bianca St Georges, 7-Julia Grosso, 8-Marie-Yasmine Alidou
Head Coach: Beverly Priestman
Stats Abstract: USA / CAN
Pictures: 9 / 6
Pictures on Objective: 4 / 4
Saves: 2 / 2
Nook Kicks: 6 / 4
Fouls: 12 / 15
Offside: 1 / 3
Misconduct Abstract:
CAN – Adriana Leon (Warning) 90+2 minute
USA – Alyssa Naeher (Warning) 120+5
Officers:
Referee: Katia Garcia (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Karen Diaz (MEX)
4th Official: Karen Hernandez (MEX)
VAR: Daneon Parchment (JAM)
AVAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)
Michelob Extremely Lady of the Match: Alyssa Naeher