By Tommy Kane

Published: June 16th, 2019

The United States Women’s National Team defeated Chile, 3-0, in the 2019 World Cup. The match, which took place in Paris, France on Father’s Day, Jun. 20, 2019, concluded with the U.S. punching their ticket to the knockout round. This is possible because of two wins, despite having one more group stage match left.

Head coach, Jill Ellis, decided to bench a few of the superstars. This was done for rest and preparation for a critical match against Sweden on Jun. 20, 2019. The United States still dominated the game.

Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, and Rose Lavelle were just some of the players benched for the bout. Becky Sauerbrunn also returned on defense, which moved Julie Ertz to midfield.

All Goals Scored in First Half

The Americans scored all three goals in the first half of the match, matching the same scoreline that they had at the half in their first match against Thailand.

Carli Lloyd (shown below kicking the ball) started off strong for the U.S. In the 11th minute, the ball bounced to her in the box and she got enough of the ball to shoot it past Chilean keeper, Christiane Endler. That goal gave Lloyd her sixth straight World Cup match with a goal, slashing that previous record for most consecutive games with goals in the World Cup.

In the 26th minute, the Americans cashed in on a corner kick. Tierna Davidson served in the ball and Ertz (shown above wearing #8) found it, deflecting it off the goalie. That was the first goal of her World Cup career. It also gave the United States a commanding 2-0 lead midway through the first half.

On yet another corner kick in the 25th minute, Davidson served a perfect ball for Lloyd, who was able to get her second goal of the match. Corner kicks were a key for the USWNT in the match, and Chile had a difficult time defending them.

Chile found some chances throughout the first half but was unable to get anything meaningful on the net. They tested out American goalie Alyssa Naeher but were unsuccessful with no shots on net.

Goalless Second Half

The Americans had multiple opportunities to score in the second half of the match, but could not get anything past Endler, who herself had a great game.

Christen Press of the U.S. was buzzing around the net especially, getting a few good looks, but no execution in the end. Mallory Pugh also was a factor in the half, but like Press, she was unable to execute as well.

The action started to pick up later in the half. On a free kick just outside the box for the U.S., a player was taken down inside the box. The play was reviewed by VAR and there was deemed to be a penalty on Chile, giving America an opportunity to score a fourth goal with a penalty kick. Lloyd took the kick, but she missed the net just a hair to the left. If she were to score, she would have had her second ever World Cup hat trick.

After that, the United States cruised to a 3-0 victory against the World Cup debutants of Chile. With the win, they took the lead in Group F with six points, tied with Sweden. Goal differential put the U.S. ahead in the standings, though.

At the end of the match, the Americans had nine shots on target, while the Chileans could not muster a shot to challenge Naher. The U.S. also unsurprisingly controlled the possession and the pace of the match, 68% to 32%.

Huge Match Against the Swedes

To finish off group play, the United States will face a difficult Swedish side on Jun. 20, 2019, at 3:00 PM EST on FOX. Sweden currently has six points and have punched their ticket to the knockout round along with the States. This match has major implications because it will decide who will come out on top of Group F.

If the United States wins or ties that match, then they will win the group. If Sweden wins the match outright, then they will win the group. It is important for the U.S. to expend all their effort into that match, which is why key players like Morgan and Rapinoe were sat out against Chile.

Naeher will definitely be tested in net for the U.S., along with that weaker back-line which has caused issues before, especially in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup. With the return of Sauerbrunn, it will alleviate the young defense a bit, but nonetheless, it is key that they do not give up odd-man opportunities to a Swedish team which is known for their offense. Likewise, Sweden will have to look out for the firepower offense of the States.

These two are familiar foes. In the 2015 World Cup group stage, Sweden drew the United States. In the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, the Swedes knocked out the Americans early. Both of these teams know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It will be an interesting match for sure, and one to look forward to.

GO USA!

Stats Against Chile

Video Highlights Against Chile