By Amelia Hirtle
Concacaf W Championship got underway with the United States taking on Haiti, in Mexico. While the U.S. is ranked number one in FIFA rankings, the team has struggled to put consistent and dominant performances together. These two teams have faced off seven times, with the U.S. winning all the matchups.
In this tournament, the top four teams will qualify for the 2023 World Cup. The outright winner also qualifies for the 2024 Olympics. The third-place teams in each group will be entered into an intercontinental playoff to compete for a World Cup spot.
The scoring opened for the Americans in the 16th minute when Mallory Pugh gave the ball to Alex Morgan who flicked it backwards toward the net. The nifty shot put the United States up 1-0. Morgan scored again in the 23rd minute on a header from Kelley O’Hara.
Morgan joined the team in camp as the leader in the NWSL boot race. She has been in fantastic form and the U.S. will require her veteran experience on and off the field.
Another player whose experience will be required is Megan Rapinoe. She entered the match shortly after the 70th minute and immediately made an impact. She almost had two assists, but one was called offside, and Midge Purce was unable to put away the second. Purce did get a goal of her own shortly after to make the final score 3-0 for the Americans.
The midfield and defense seemed to be the biggest issues for the United States women. At times, the communication between the backline looked off, as they defended the Haiti transition offense. Haitian forward Melchie Dumornay continuously got behind the midfield to receive the ball in space. It is something Andonovski will need to change going into the next match.
Now, the team looks towards Jamaica, who they will play on July 7th. Jamaica beat Mexico by a score of 1-0 in their opening Concacaf Championship match. The lone goal was scored by Khadija Shaw. Group B will kick off their play on Tuesday, July 5th.
As a note, Megan Rapinoe will be unavailable for the match against Jamaica because she will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.