By Tommy Kane

Published: June 28th, 2019

The United States Women’s National Team took on the host country, France, in the Quarterfinals of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The match took place in the heart of France, Paris on Jun. 28, 2019.

The Americans bested the French, 2-1, in an exciting match that came down to the final minutes of the game. With that victory, the U.S. has been to the Semifinals of every World Cup they have participated in, as well as continue the streak of winning every time they have scored first.

Head coach, Jill Ellis, expected a lot from her starters, as she kept in the same lineup as before. They did not disappoint.

Early First Half Goal

The United States definitely got out on the right foot once the whistle blew, getting a shot off almost immediately into the game.

In the 5th minute, Alex Morgan was taken down just outside the box. Megan Rapinoe (shown below #15) took the free kick and got it past everyone, including French keeper, Sarah Bouhaddi. The traffic from the States helped deceive Bouhaddi and put in the important first goal.

France didn’t let the early goal knocked them off their feet. They pressured the U.S. defense almost the entire rest of the first half, getting shots off, but not getting any on target.

About thirty minutes into the first half, Morgan was on the ground shaken up a bit. She had been dealing with a few nagging injuries during the knockout stages of the World Cup. She got back up and continued, which was positive for the U.S.

Above all, it was clear that the French wanted to control the possession through the first half, and they did. What meant most for them which they couldn’t muster was that they wanted one in the back of the net.

Good Management Aids a Victory

The Americans came out of the gate in the second half just like they did when it came to the first half, but this time, they were not able to score a goal.

Later in the half, France went back into their pressuring ways and started to pin the U.S. deep. Still, no goals came from this, and time was starting to tick away.

Tobin Heath, who has had a great World Cup campaign, got a perfect ball from Morgan and crossed it over to Rapinoe, who shot it in for the second goal of the match to give the Americans a 2-0 lead. This took place in the 65th minute of the game and gave Rapinoe the record of being the first United States player to score four straight World Cup goals (meaning the last four goals scored by the U.S. came from Rapinoe).

The U.S. keeper, Alyssa Naeher, made a few huge saves around the 80th minute of play to keep the American shutout. Unfortunately for her, Wendy Renard was found for France during a free kick only a minute later. Renard, being the tallest player between the two teams, headed the ball past Naeher and gave her team life. The French crowd got the boost they needed and roared on their hosts.

The next 15 minutes were critical, and the Stars and Stripes were instrumental in clock management. A few subs, including Carli Lloyd, came on to help with this daunting task. The Americans did their job by keeping the ball out of the dangerous areas, and they got the win as a result.

The French had five shots on target, while the U.S. had eight shots on net. In terms of possession, the French controlled the ball 60% of the time, yet they lost the game, proving that ball possession doesn’t always matter.

England in the Semifinals

The United States will head to Lyon, France, to take on England in the Semifinals. The game will start at 3 PM EST, so look for another excuse to get out of work on Jul. 2, 2019.

England gave Norway a tough time in the Quarterfinals, beating them 3-0 in a decisive victory. They will be a difficult team to play, but they have their weaknesses on defense that the U.S. can and will expose.

In the match against France, the United States played to their potential and played a solid game all-around. They were a bit sloppy on passes and got pinned deep at times, but they were playing one of the best in the world on their home soil. Also, time management was a key and they did a great job using it to their advantage in the end.

Naeher was solid in net. The goal she allowed was one that she would never have stopped. Otherwise, she had great saves but had times where she was a bit hesitant nonetheless. The defense was stellar. They did a great job cutting down on plays and limiting France to only five shots. Lastly, Heath, Rapinoe, and Morgan looked solid. They all were much better than against Spain, especially Heath and Morgan.

The U.S. has a quick turnaround and four days to prepare for England. It will be another close game for certain. The winner of that match will go on to the 2019 FIFA World Cup Final. The United States looks to make it a second-straight World Cup championship!

GO USA!

Match Stats Against France

Video Highlights Against France