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» » USWNT 3 Colombia 0: U.S. wins grueling match to advance to Gold Cup semifinal - The Athletic

USWNT 3 Colombia 0: U.S. wins grueling match to advance to Gold Cup semifinal - The Athletic

The U.S. women’s national team survived a grueling test against Colombia in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup on Sunday, winning 3-0 with goals from Lindsey Horan, Jenna Nighswonger and Jaedyn Shaw.

While both teams tried to make their mark early, the USWNT was able to weather both Colombia’s attacks, which often relied solely on Linda Caicedo, and a bevy of yellow cards from physical challenges. The result was also further evidence that Naomi Girma and Shaw are must-have USWNT starters.

Early penalty sets the tone

In the 11th minute, Colombia center back Jorelyn Carabali shoulder-checked Alex Morgan, resulting in a penalty kick for the U.S. and a yellow card for Carabali. The foul was only the beginning of the spiciness. If nothing else, it was a reminder that Morgan has had her body on the line for this team for a long while.

In the box, Morgan claimed the ball, and for a long two minutes, withstood most of the attempts from Colombia to delay the penalty kick before Trinity Rodman and Sam Coffey eventually headed over as well.

The USWNT favored the usual handoff for this one. As Horan got the ball from Morgan, there was one last-ditch attempt from Colombia for a little PK distraction (which did not result in a card). Horan cleanly converted the penalty to give the USWNT the 1-0 lead, a big moment from the team’s captain to set the tone on Sunday night in Los Angeles. It also provided to be a bit of a buffer from what would ensue over the next phase of the match.

Mind games

The U.S. responded after the penalty chaos with its own specific brand of mind games with intense counter-pressing high on the field and forcing turnovers around the box, perhaps trying to take advantage of the moment tactically and emotionally.

Morgan earned a yellow card in the 18th minute for some posturing in Colombia’s box, and Rodman followed suit in the 20th minute as she had some choice words after being vigorously defended. Horan could be seen trying to impose herself between the feuding players; with four cumulative yellow cards out already and a referee who was prone to missing or simply refusing to notice calls, it was incumbent on her to keep everyone levelheaded. Horan herself got a yellow in the 67th minute for raising her leg in the path of a player who had just pushed her down.

Honestly, it was the kind of tension that midfielder Emily Sonnett could have flipped into Colombia getting the yellows. If the ability to troll other teams were the only consideration, Sonnett would be an unquestioned starter.

Jenna Nighswonger’s goal in the 22nd minute calmed things down, but it remained a highly contentious and physical game. It was a strong test of the team’s ability to keep executing against an opponent that could not only provoke them but had the technical ability to instantly punish any slip in focus. The astute, firmly upright response from Shaw on the third goal in particular was a fantastic example of the kind of ruthless mentality that can help carry this team forward.

U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher noted the mental aspect when asked what she thought had stood out for the team: “I think just the intensity that we started from minute one, all the way through the 90th minute,” she said.

Nighswonger goal, press and reward

Since the Tokyo Olympics, many have been waiting for the next wave of young players to have chances to establish themselves in the USWNT picture. That process may not have happened soon enough to help the team’s chances in last summer’s World Cup, but Sunday’s lineup gave plenty of these rising talents a test in a tournament knockout match.

Throughout the first half, Shaw was dangerous with her front-line defending and had a very well-taken shot narrowly fly over the crossbar in the opening 20 minutes. On the right wing, Rodman recognized the stakes of the game and made her presence known to Colombia. However, it was a veteran’s flick-on pass by Morgan that provided another top prospect, Nighswonger, with her second senior international goal.

Last year was a banner year for Nighswonger, winning NWSL rookie of the year as part of Gotham’s run to the NWSL title. She’s already provided a couple of highlights to her follow-up, including her first international goal via a penalty against the Dominican Republic in the group stage. Sunday gave her a chance to score during the run of play, as she crashed the box perfectly to glide onto Morgan’s headed ball and place a shot off the far post and into the net.

The USWNT’s youth and determination helped keep Colombia from regaining a foothold as it relied on its chippy defending. Rather than unsettling the U.S., the constant attempts at mind games seemed to light the more productive kind of spark in the team’s younger players. That proved particularly vital in stifling Colombia’s build-up out of the back, forcing sloppy touches out of opponents and rushed passes that lead to promising turnovers.

It was the kind of drive that so often seemed missing in this team over the last two years of Vlatko Andonovski’s tenure.

Shaw shines again

Heading into this summer’s Olympics, one of the biggest early decisions future U.S. coach Emma Hayes will have to make is which players from a promising group of attackers will make the trip to Paris. Some seem locked in, while others will depend on form and health: a seemingly revitalized Morgan and a returning Mallory Swanson. The Gotham duo of Lynn Williams and Midge Purce will have plenty to say in their cases for inclusion, too.

Don’t forget to count San Diego Wave’s Shaw among the contenders. In truth, she may be closer to joining the “sure thing” crowd than some estimate.

The winner of U.S. Soccer’s young female player of the year award in 2022, Shaw has been nothing short of electric with San Diego. Having only just turned 19 in November, she was ever-present in all phases as the starting left winger on Sunday. Her pressing was instrumental to unsettling the Colombian defense, while her movement in sync with Morgan and Rodman was rewarded with a well-placed finish at the end of the first half.

Of particular help for her Olympic case is her versatility, capable of lining up on either wing as well as in a central attacking midfield role. That latter feature could come in handy depending on Catarina Macario and Rose Lavelle’s health as the summer approaches, particularly after a lackluster shift by Korbin Albert on Sunday. Each fan will have their own hierarchy of preference, but the totality of Shaw’s game would make her a major snub if she missed the Olympic squad.

Naeher’s momentum swing

In her 100th U.S. appearance, Naeher made two massive saves that helped preserve the team’s clean sheet against Colombia, but more importantly, helped settle down the rest of her team and provided an emotional momentum swing.

While the first (above) was already an impressive reminder of Naeher’s abilities, the second on Ilana Izquierda’s shot required a diving save to cover the far corner of the goal.

We’ve seen both Naeher and Casey Murphy so far in this tournament for the USWNT, but on Sunday night, Naeher reminded everyone of her shot-stopping capabilities. She had other aggressive moments, willing to play outside of the box to shut down single runners from Colombia as well. As the team moves into the semifinals against Canada on Wednesday, it might be hard to go back to any planned rotation in the goalkeeper position to keep Naeher’s momentum rolling through the rest of the Gold Cup.

(Photo: Brad Smith/Getty Images for USSF))

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