Alyssa Thompson goal secures USWNT’s eighth SheBelieves Cup victory
· Yahoo Sports
A go-ahead goal in the 82nd minute by U.S. women’s national team forward Alyssa Thompson sent the team to the top of the podium in the final fixture of the SheBelieves Cup against Colombia at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J.
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The USWNT won all three of its matches and kept three clean sheets in the 11th edition of the round-robin tournament, defeating Canada 1-0 in Columbus, Ohio, on March 4 and Argentina 2-0 on March 1 in Nashville, Tenn.
Thompson’s goal resulted from quick passes between her, Lindsey Heaps, who wore the captain’s armband when she came onto the pitch in the second half, and Jaedyn Shaw. The 21-year-old Chelsea player received the ball at the top of the penalty box, and after taking one controlling touch, released a powerful shot that smashed the upper corner of the goal before rippling down the back of the net.
“I wanted to get another shot on goal,” Thompson, who was named SheBelieves Cup MVP, said of her game-winner in a TNT postgame interview. A similar opportunity presented itself earlier in the second half, but Thompson’s attempt curled wide of the net.
Last September, Thompson signed a five-year contract with Chelsea in the middle of her third season at Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League. That meant parting ways with her younger sister Gisele (who was also named to the USWNT SheBelieves Cup roster but did not feature in the Colombia game), but joining center back Naomi Girma and striker Catarina Macario, both central players on the national team. Thompson credited her new club teammates and experience of playing overseas for adding to her game.
“I think it’s grown a lot just knowing what I can do at international and also at club,” Thompson said of her confidence. “Being able to go to Chelsea was a huge move for me. And honestly, (Girma) and (Macario) have been really helpful at Chelsea and just getting my confidence up.”
Meetings between the U.S. and Colombian women — who were Copa América Femenina finalists last summer in a thriller against Brazil — are increasingly billed as appointment viewing. Both sides seem to draw the villain out of each other; Colombian defender Manuela Vanegas clearly enjoyed her defensive assignment on Trinity Rodman, star striker Linda Caicedo and USWNT midfielder Sam Coffey exchanged jousts in the first half, and both sides made several appeals to the center official as the physicality of the match heated up.
At halftime, Coffey said that the team needed to be better at managing their emotions, something head coach Emma Hayes and several other players pointed out following their opening SheBelieves Cup match against Argentina, and to not allow Colombia to disrupt their game plan. Colombia also outshot the U.S. in the first half despite the hosts maintaining 60 percent possession.
Girma subbed off at halftime due to calf tightness, according to TNT commentators Julie Foudy and Luke Wileman. She was replaced by Tara Rudd, who did well taking up the mantle of defending Caicedo.
There were moments throughout the match — overhit passes, questionable decisions in the final third, shots that missed the frame — that served as reminders that many of the USWNT players are in preseason with their clubs. Hayes’ body language from the touchline revealed some frustration as she gestured passionately and was seen shouting directions throughout the match, something she did less of in the previous two games against Canada and Argentina.
Around the 60th minute, Hayes made sweeping changes to the lineup: Heaps came on for Lily Yohannes in midfield, Shaw replaced Ally Sentnor in the attack, Olivia Moultrie subbed in for Rose Lavelle, and Emma Sears swapped for Rodman. Hayes could be heard directing all the substitutes to increase the tempo of the match.
The USWNT will next face Japan — who got the better of them in last year’s SheBelieves Cup — across three consecutive friendly fixtures in April.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
US Women's national team, Women's Soccer
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