The United States Women’s National Team became eight-time SheBelieves Cup champions Saturday after handing Colombia a 1-0 defeat.
The squad swept the rest of the competition, coming out on top 1-0 over Canada and 2-0 over Argentina. Canada placed second in the tournament while Colombia and Argentina took third and fourth, respectively.
The starting lineup consisted of Phallon Tullis-Joyce in goal joined by Emily Fox, Emily Sonnett, Naomi Girma, and Avery Patterson in the back. Trinity Rodman, Sam Coffey, Lily Yohannes, and Alyssa Thompson took the middle and wings. Ally Sentnor and Rose Lavelle played up top.
Here are three thoughts from the game:
Depth & Development
Emma Hayes made six substitutions in the second half and later said the bench was the difference in the game. Tara Rudd came in at the start of the half for Girma. In the 61st minute, Lindsey Heaps, Emma Sears, Olivia Moultrie, and Jaedyn Shaw filled in for Yohannes, Lavelle, Sentnor, and Rodman. Jameese Joseph subbed in at the 85th minute to replace Thompson after she scored the lone goal minutes earlier.
The players were able to stop Colombia from transitioning in the second half and found ways to get through Las Cafeteras’ defense. Hayes said the Colombians started to play low, resulting in gaps in their midfield and backline. The team changed their formation to 4-4-2 with Shaw and Moultrie playing as forwards to exploit those spaces.
Hayes is still working on developing a clear number nine and has named Sentnor and Joseph as the next possible successors. Though Sentnor did not contribute much to this game, Hayes said she was “exceptional, menacing” in the first two.
Linda Caicedo
Caicedo was Colombia’s best player today (no surprise). She played every position on the field, served perfect crosses that her teammates couldn’t convert, and made her own runs. Few can outrun the speed demon.
She tried to create several chances, but was often unsupported by her team. There were several times in which Caicedo, with her teammates far behind, was circled by USA defenders to stop her breakaway.
“I think, with a player who's that fast, you don't really want to get into a foot battle with them, so just waiting for her to come to me was what was going through my mind,” Rudd said after the match. “And once you feel that they take a touch and you can step in, that's when you can win the ball.”
Decisions, decisions
The team has been speaking about decision-making this week, and it is something Thompson said she wants to improve while she’s in the final third. Before her goal, she had similar chances throughout the game that she did not take. The 21-year-old smashed the ball into the upper left corner of the net from the top of the box, courtesy of a pass from Shaw. She said the moment felt right.
Heaps, who was one of the second-half substitutes, said the team is constantly trying to create better chances to score.
“There are times in the game where, you know, you almost want someone to be a little more selfish and take the opportunity, but we're trying to pass and I think that's a really good thing, because our team is, you know, creating more and more chances,” she said after the match.
