By Tommy Kane

Published: March 6th, 2019

Volume III: Issue III

The United States Women’s National team defeated Brazil at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, FL. The match was the final match of the 2019 SheBelieves Cup and took place on Mar. 5, 2019.

The U.S. won by a lone goal early on in the match, making the victory 1-0.

With a win against Japan by a score of 3-0, England became the 2019 SheBelieves Cup champions. They earned seven points in the three games they played.

Let’s take a look below at what the United States needed to do if they were to win the 2019 SheBelieves Cup.

Needed Results and Help

The United States was not in the best position in terms of winning the cup. Due to tying Japan and England in their first two matches, they needed a huge win against Brazil.

Along with having to win by three or more goals, the U.S. needed England and Japan to tie their match. If that scenario were to happen, then the two teams will have five points each.

If the U.S. won against Brazil, then they would have five points total and there would be a three-way tie with England and Japan. The tiebreaker would be goal differential, so that is the reason why the U.S. needed to beat Brazil by three or more goals.

This is not a great scenario in soccer, as winning by three or more goals against a top-ranked national team is difficult in itself, as well as rooting for a tie.

Lone First Half Goal

For the match against Brazil, Ashlyn Harris (GK) got the start in goal due to Alyssa Naeher (K) out with an injury. Adrianna Franch (GK) started against England, which was her first cap in an American uniform.

The first half saw the United States jump out early, playing with high-energy and finding opportunities. This came in spite of not being able to clinch the 2019 SheBelieves Cup.

In the 13th minute, Megan Rapinoe (F) received a beautifully placed pass from Tobin Heath (F). Rapinoe scored on the play initially, but the offsides flag was up. The goal was wiped out and the game remained scoreless.

The 20th minute changed that notion. Heath sprinted past defenders from the circle to the top of the box, where she passed the ball to Alex Morgan (F). Morgan seemed to have a great opportunity of getting her 100th International goal, but Brazil keeper, Aline (GK), stopped the shot. The ball came back to Heath, where she shot it into the net passed defenders, giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead.

Tobin Heath Celebrates Her Goal

Chances in the Second Half

No side scored a goal in the second half, but that didn’t mean that there were no chances.

Brazil battled back and got a few great shots off, but even better saves from Harris kept the U.S. on top.

Ashlyn Harris in Net Against Brazil

Julie Ertz (MF) got clipped and went down on the pitch for a minute or two. She stretched out and continued to play, but it was one of those moments that was lived against England (Rose Lavelle (MF) went down and returned). Ertz, critical to the roster, would be a tough loss in the World Cup, but nothing serious came out of the injury.

Sam Mewis (MF) looked impressive, as she had numerous opportunities and moved the ball well throughout the half. She helped Morgan almost get her 100th.

In the 73rd minute, Morgan headed the ball and it had the momentum to get into the back of the net, but the ball sailed to the right of the post and out of play.

Not too much happened after Morgan’s attempt. The 1-0 victory allowed the United States to finished second in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup, scoring a total of five points over the three games. Subpar performance for sure, but they got something out of it.

2019 SheBelieves Cup Results

Below are the final standings of the 2019 SheBelieves Cup. England won the title for the first time.

Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts. England 3 2 0 1 7 4 3 7 United States 3 1 0 2 5 4 1 5 Japan 3 1 1 1 5 6 -1 4 Brazil 3 0 3 0 2 6 -4 0

A Run to the 2019 World Cup

Next, for the United States are a few friendlies before the 2019 World Cup in France.

Australia will come to the U.S. on Apr. 4, 2019. Followed up with Belgium on Apr. 7, 2019.

The U.S. will host three games in the month of May. South Africa on May 12, 2019, New Zealand on May 16, 2019, and Mexico on May 26, 2019.

The World Cup will start on Jun. 7, 2019. The United States will face off against Thailand Jun. 11, 2019 to start group play.

Looking at the events that transpired at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup, it is clear that coach Jill Ellis and the team have a ton to work on before the World Cup. For one, the back-line of defense is shoddy at best, and they have allowed opponents to get past and score key goals that have hurt the team. The U.S. is used to teams getting lucky to score one goal against them.

Goalkeeping could be an issue, as Ellis seems to like Naeher the most for the number one spot. Harris played well against Brazil, and she needs to be in that conversation. She is a great keeper at the NWSL level.

It is becoming clear that we are out of the Carli Lloyd Era; she played minimal minutes in the tournament. The mindset needs to focus on the veteran players that get that starting job, as well as the younger players. Heath is a valuable playmaker, and Morgan is a valuable scorer. Not to mention, Rapinoe and Ertz are huge as well.

Overall, these next few friendlies will help the United States figure out how to fix the moving parts and get ready for the World Cup, because it is going to be highly competitive. The Stars and Stripes are no longer in a league of their own!

GO USA!

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