All week, in preparation for the match, the US team were vocal about using the Sweden defeat in the World Cup as motivation for this upcoming stretch ahead of the 2024 Olympics. The team had two Cincinnati natives on the roster, Aubrey Kingsbury and newcomer M.A. Vignola. The latter was called up to the National Team for the first time on Saturday as a replacement for the injured Kelley O’Hara.

From training on the Ohio Elite grounds on Tuesday, the very club grounds she started her soccer career in, to making her National Team debut in her hometown, Vignola was very visibly emotional after the match.

“The last week has been a whirlwind of emotions I feel like. I’ve had a journey up until this point and starting with the first day of camp, I was just trying to take it all in and just trying to realize that I’m here for a reason and being surrounded by the best group of girls in the world, I couldn’t ask for anything more for a first cap.
(It was) Surreal. I could hear the fans as soon as my name was called, and I just had to take that moment in for what it is and wearing the crest of the first time in the home city. It’s just a feeling that you’re never gonna be able to feel again.”

The USWNT flourished with their play on the wings, with Lynn Williams and Trinity Rodman lighting up the scoreboard late in the first half. Sure, there’s cause for concern as outside of the 15 minute stretch to close out the first half, the USWNT were really unable to create anything offensively. They were outshot in the first 30 minutes, and South Africa’s captain Thumb Kgatlana (Racing Louisville) consistently caused problems on the counter for the USWNT defense. Ultimately, the USWNT scored three goals, and that shouldn’t go unnoticed after they only managed to score 4 goals across 4 matches in the World Cup just a few months ago.

You do also have to put everything into perspective – it’s the first match for Twila Kilgore as the Interim Head Coach of the USWNT, and she got a convincing result against a decent South Africa side. And with the retirement (from International Soccer) for Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe on Sunday in Chicago, this tour may mark the end of the “old” USWNT.

The USA plays South Africa (yes, again) on Sunday in Chicago, IL. It’ll be the farewell for another USWNT legend – Megan Rapinoe.

Photos: Ryan Fleming

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• Date: September 21, 2023
• Competition: International Friendly
• Venue: TQL Stadium
• Kickoff: 7:37 p.m. ET 
• Attendance: 22,016
• Box Score: USWNT 3, South Africa 0.
• Referee: Katia Garcia

Starting XI

USA: 1 Naeher, 4 Girma, 6 Williams, 8 Ertz (C), 10 Horan, 11 Cook, 13 Morgan, 14 Sonnett, 19 Dunn, 23 Fox, 25 Rodman (Head Coach – Twila Kilgore)

South Africa: 1 Swart, 2 Ramalepe, 3 Gamede, 6 Cesane, 7 Dhlamini, 9 Salgado, 10 Mothalo, 11 Kgatlana, 12 Seoposenwe, 14 Makhubela, 19 Biyana (Head Coach – Desiree Ellis)

Scoring Summary

32′ USWNT – Lynn Williams

34′ USWNT – Trinity Rodman (Assist: Alex Morgan)

41′ USWNT – Lynn Williams (Assist: Lindsey Horan)

SUBSTITUTIONS

• 35′ – IN: Andi Sullivan OUT: Julie Ertz (USA)
• 46′ – IN: Nomvula Kgoale OUT: Jermaine Seoposenwe (RSA)
• 46′ – IN: M.A. Vignola (DEBUT) OUT: Crystal Dunn (USA)
• 62′ – IN: Ashley Sanchez, Ashley Hatch OUT: Lindsey Horan, Alex Morgan (USA)
• 72′ – IN: Wendy Shongwe OUT: Noxolo Cesane (RSA)
• 77′ – IN: Casey Krueger, Alyssa Thompson OUT: Emily Fox, Trinity Rodman (USA)
• 82′ – IN: Melinda Kgadiete, Fikile Magama OUT: Thembi Kgatlana, Karabo Dhlamini (RSA)
• 89′ – IN: Sinoxolo Cesane OUT: Kholosa Biyana (RSA)

Cover Photo: Ryan Fleming (IG: RyanFlemingMedia)

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Kenta Hagiwara

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The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) faced off against the Republic of Ireland in a highly anticipated friendly game at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX. The match was a crucial part of the USWNT’s preparations for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The friendly match took a devastating turn when star player Mallory Swanson suffered a serious knee injury during the game. Swanson, a key player of the USWNT, was injured in the first half of the match. This injury may be a significant setback for Swanson and the USWNT as they prepare for the upcoming tournament in July 2023. Swanson has led this team with 88 appearances and 32 goals. 

It was a challenging first half for the USWNT, as head Coach Vlatko Andonovski later admitted. Andonovski states his team struggled to break through Ireland’s defensive tactics, causing problems for the USWNT’s attack. Ireland looked dangerous in transition and played with a level of aggression and confidence. It was clear that the Irish team came into the game with a clear game plan. But, it was not long until the USWNT scored their first goal of the game in the first half.

Emily Fox made a stunning shot from outside the box, putting her team on the scoreboard in the 37th minute. The goal was a testament to the USWNT’s attacking prowess and set the tone for the match moving forward. However, toward the end of the first half, the game took a somber turn as star player Swanson suffered a serious knee injury. Swanson had to stop playing for the remainder of the game and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. At present, no updates have been given on the severity of her injury.

It was noticeable that in the second half of the match, the American side came out with a fierce reaction, perhaps fueled by the earlier injury to Swanson. The USWNT took control of the game and did not let up, pressuring the Irish defense with a series of dangerous attacks. The breakthrough came with just 10 minutes remaining in the game when Lindsey Horan drew and converted a penalty, securing the second goal for her team.

This penalty came from Ireland’s Diane Caldwell, who pulled on Horan’s jersey. The referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty to the USWNT. The Irish goalkeeper managed to get a hand on the ball, but Horan’s shot had too much power and found the back of the net. The goal put the game out of reach for Ireland and secured the USWNT’s victory in what had been a hard-fought and competitive match. 

As the USWNT and the Republic of Ireland prepare to face off for the second time in a pair of friendlies, both teams will be focused on evaluating their players and making firm decisions on their World Cup squads. These matches provide a crucial opportunity for players to showcase their skills and make their case for inclusion in the tournament coming up in July 2023. With the World Cup just around the corner, the stakes are high, and every performance counts. Fans can expect an exciting match as both teams battle it out in St. Louis.

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Nashville, Tennessee (19 February 2023) – The U.S. Women’s National Team continue their winning ways on the back of Mallory Swanson’s impressive form in a 1-0 win against the technically sound Nadeshiko Japan. Swanson’s 45th-minute goal was her sixth goal in her last 4 appearances, her 31^st international goal in front of 25,471 fans at Geodis Park on Sunday afternoon.

The USWNT now sits alone on top of the table of the SheBelieves Cup with one match left to play, a date with Brazil in Frisco, Texas. Earning a point would be enough for the USWNT to win their fourth straight SheBelieves Cup title.

For the Nadeshiko Japan, this is now 6 straight losses in the SheBelieves Cup. They ended the tournament back in 2019 with a loss to England 3-0, they lost all three matches and failed to earn a point in the 2020 edition, and now have lost to Brazil and the USWNT in this edition. 

USWNT Starting XI:

Casey Murphy (18); Sofia Huerta (8), Alana Cook (3), Naomi Girma (12), Emily Fox (23); Kristie Mewis (22), Lindsey Horan (10 – C), Ashley Sanchez (2); Lynn Williams (6), Alex Morgan (13), Malory Swanson (9).

Head Coach – Vlatko Andonovski

Nadeshiko Japan Starting XI: 

Ayaka Yamashita (1), Risa Shimizu (2), Shiori Miyake (5), Saki Kumagai (4 – C), Moeka Minami (3), Hina Sugita (15), Aoba Fujino (20), Yui Hasegawa (14), Fuka Nagano (8), Mawa Iwabuchi (10), Riko Ueki (9)

Head Coach – Futoshi Ikeda

First Half

Japan’s high press caused the USWNT to not effectively play out of the back, leading to frequent pass interceptions inside the defensive half of the pitch. Japan was not able to create any great chances, taking six shots but failing to register a shot on goal. The USWNT had a great chance in the 15^th minute, with Williams’ cross nearly finding the back of the net. Yamashita was able to get a hand on the cross, leading to the ball hitting the crossbar and away from the six-yard box.

The first-half goal came on a counter for the USWNT, as Alex Morgan played Mallory Swanson behind the backline of Japan. Swanson took two touches and calmly finished the opportunity by sliding the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, giving the USWNT the lead heading into the half. 

Second Half: 

The second half started very similarly to the first half, but Japan started to run out of steam on the high press. Both sides made plenty of substitutions and Japan continued to apply pressure on the USWNT for the entirety of the match. 

Japan had some great opportunities in the second half to find the equalizer but with saves by Casey Murphy and a shot by Nagano that only found the crossbar, the match ended as a 1-0 victory for the USWNT.

Kenta Hagiwara

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The USWNT were back in action as they kicked off their 2023 World Cup campaign in New Zealand, which will also play host to this year’s WC.

With just six months until the tournament begins, it is important for the USWNT to start the year off strong. Midge Purce and Lynn Williams returned to the roster with forwards Sophia Smith and Megan Rapinoe out due to injury. Both Purce and Williams are looking to make a case for themselves to be worked back into the squad. Williams had been out due to an injury she sustained almost a year ago. 

On the New Zealand side, they were missing a few regular players, as this international window falls outside of the FIFA timeframe, thus making it so that some players were not released from their clubs.

Although it is a new year, the US side got off to a similarly slow start as we have seen in the past. In fact, they were unable to score in the first half. They had multiple chances; the best coming from Lindsey Horan, who found herself alone in front of the net, with only the keeper in her way. Horan had little power under her shot and the goalkeeper was able to make a kick save to keep the score at 0-0. Midge Purce took what would have started the campaign for goal of the year, but it went off the post.

Some changes at the half saw Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez inserted. Their attacking mindset was clear from the beginning, as the US scored four goals in 20 minutes, with Rodman notching two assists. 

The USWNT will play New Zealand again on Saturday, February 28th at 10 PM ET on HBO Max. Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski will then make his decision on the She Believes Cup roster, which will held on February 16-22 against Japan, Canada, and Brazil.

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On Sunday evening, the US Women’s National team ended the year on a high note by beating Germany 2-1 at Red Bull Arena. Over 26,000 fans attended the match in Harrison, New Jersey. The home team was looking to escape the potential of a four-game losing streak. One that has never happened in the history of the team.

The US did not start off strong by any means and it was no surprise when Germany scored in the first 20 minutes. The home team was unable to gain control of possession and played many of the opening minutes in their own end on defense. It was around the 18th minute when Germany forced the US to block multiple shots before they slotted one home. Alyssa Naeher had slipped and just missed as she dove to save the ball. 

Offensively, the US were unable to get a single shot on goal in the first half. It certainly left a bad taste in the mouth of the Americans as they faced a fourth straight loss head on. 

However, 10 minutes into the second half, Sophia Smith persisted and scored to gain the equalizer. From then on, the team continued to push forward, and Mallory Pugh scored the game-winner. This time, the squad seemed more determined not to let an error like the last time, cost them the game. 

Still, problems persist for the midfield that head coach Vlatko Andonovski seems intent on keeping the same. Too often the backline is expected to clean up the mistakes of the midfield, which has left them vulnerable for other teams to attack.

In the end, it was a night of joy as the team celebrated the win, as well as Alex Morgan reaching 200 caps in her international career. The next camp will occur in January 2023, and it will officially be a World Cup year for the squad.

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After two losses in the October window, the US Women’s National team returned to action to face Germany. It was the first of two friendlies to occur before the end of the year. 

Vlatko Andonovski kept a similar starting IX with Alex Morgan and Mallory Pugh back in the lineup after missing the last two games. After losses to England and Spain, many chalked it up to missing those key players, however, some of the same problems persisted.

Germany is the Euro-runners up and are the highest-ranked team the USWNT has faced this year, coming in at number three. It looked to be a good test, especially for the younger players, who have had limited experience playing the best of the best.

The opening minutes of the match did not bode well for the Americans as they were constantly under pressure before they were able to settle. As the first half continued, the frontline began to get more chances, however, the final pass wasn’t there. They will need some faster decision-making and precision going forward.

Andonovski began to make changes in the 60th minute by bringing on Taylor Kornieck, Sam Coffey, and Crystal Dunn for Rose Lavelle, Andi Sullivan, and Emily Fox. Megan Rapinoe and Trinity Rodman came on in the 73rd minute and immediately brought a spark with them. Ashley Sanchez was the final substitution for the Americans.

The veterans came to the rescue in the 85th minute. Germany had the ball in their own half and were attempting to pass out of the high press of the US. Sanchez and Morgan attacked the ball which resulted in a turnover. The ball spiraled toward the endline, and Morgan raced with it, sending the ball back toward the goal with a swift kick. Rapinoe was already lurking near the box and cut it when she saw Morgan making her run. The German defender was too far from the play and the goalkeeper got back in position, but Rapinoe blasted it past her as she went the other direction. The equalizer was much needed as the Americans were chasing a goal. Rapinoe has continued to play her role 

The joy in the crowd from the late equalizer lasted less than five minutes. Germany earned a free kick and took it quickly, catching some of the home team off guard. Alana Cook was forced to sprint back to catch up with the German player, however a simple move had her beat heading toward the net. Crystal Dunn was tracking back, but she didn’t look behind her to see if anyone was there, as a German forward snuck in. The cross was sent in and by that point it was too late. It quickly became 2-1 in favor of Germany. 

Alana Cook has struggled in international competition as of late. At least one time each match she has an error that leads to a dangerous opportunity for the opposition or a goal. Cook will have some competition for that position when Tierna Davidson returns from injury. A center-back pairing of Naomi Girma and Davidson may be a better option.

Andi Sullivan has struggled in the midfield but played well yesterday. Some of her struggles can be boiled down to tactics. In her position, she is asked to play a similar style to that of Julie Ertz, who is the type of player that will run someone over to win the ball. Sullivan isn’t that type of player and the tactics haven’t been changed to reflect that. Up until now, Andonosvki has been reluctant to change the style and the personnel, but he may be forced to sooner rather than later. 

This is the third straight loss the Americans have faced, which hasn’t occurred since the 1980s. They will look to bounce back on Sunday at Red Bull Arena at 5:00 PM ET.

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After losing to England at Wembley Stadium, the United States Women’s National Team looked to bounce back against a new Spain squad. Fifteen of the Spanish players recently decided to refuse a call-up in protest of their head coach. Many new players on the opposing team made for an interesting matchup. Ultimately, the U.S. lost 2-0. 

The United States has struggled to find opponents of high caliber to play this year. In fact, up until these friendlies, the only opponent they faced in the top ten in FIFA rankings was Canada. That match occurred during the CONCACAF W Championship Final, which the U.S. won, 1-0. Outside of that game, the youngsters on the U.S. squad have not been tested much this year in terms of the competition they faced. That is why this October window was a great experience against new, quality opponents. 

Overall, the visitors looked a step behind for much of the match. They could not find their rhythm, which has a lot to do with the struggles in the midfield. The USWNT has lacked a player who is not afraid to run their opponent over. They had that in Julie Ertz. It is unclear if Ertz wants to return to the national team, let alone the sport, after having her child and recovering from her knee injury. There has not been an indication either way. 

As previously mentioned, the first problem that must be addressed is the midfield. It is something that many have been saying since before the Olympics. They were dominated by the English midfield and the issues continued against Spain. They were unable to control possession to even get the ball to the forward. A forward line of Sophia Smith, Megan Rapinoe, and Trinity Rodman is not even getting the opportunity to do what they do best because of the inconsistencies in the midfield. 

There are 10 months until the World Cup. While it is not time to panic, we should certainly be questioning the head coach’s tactics and why he hasn’t changed the single defensive midfielder position. With two friendlies left, both against Germany in November, the team will be looking to end the year on a positive note.

The NWSL players will now head back to their respective clubs as some of them prepare for the playoffs which begin this weekend in the states. The six teams that made the playoffs are OL Reign, Portland Thorns, San Diego Wave, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, and the Chicago Red Stars. 

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While there was a lot of necessary pregame pageantry, the 76k fans came to Wembley to watch a world-class match, and that’s exactly what they got. Within the first five minutes, both teams had a shot on target, first from Sophia Smith for USWNT then Beth Mead for the Lionesses. England immediately looked dangerous on every counter-attack, supported by the crowd’s excitement as if a goal had been scored each time England broke. That support was rewarded in the tenth minute as England capitalized on their counter-attacking threat through Lauren Hemp, aided by a big mistake from Alana Cook, allowing Beth Mead’s cross through her legs for Hemp to finish easily past Alyssa Naeher. The early Lionesses lead only excited the crowd more, who were enthralled with the end-to-end first half that would continue. Lindsey Horan had a chance on the other end, which was put out for a corner by the backside of Millie Bright before the USWNT was unfortunately forced to bring off left-back Emily Fox for Hailie Mace after the Racing Louisville defender took an elbow to the face. It didn’t slow down the pace of the game though, as the USWNT continued their high press, with Lindsey Horan forcing a turnover from Georgia Stanway while playing it into the feet of Sophia Smith. The 22-year-old Portland Thorns striker took her opportunity as the USWNT number nine, turning on the ball and finishing sweetly into the bottom left corner from the top of the box. Twenty-eight minutes into the game, the United States was finally level in a game they certainly deserved to be. Surprisingly, both at the time and retrospectively, that would end up being the final shot on target for the USWNT in the entire match. Even worse, the level score lasted mere minutes as substitute Hailie Mace kicked Lucy Bronze in the face with a high boot, giving England a penalty after VAR spotted the offense just as it felt the USWNT were gaining a foothold in the match. Georgia Stanway slotted the penalty into the side netting for a 2-1 Lionesses lead in the 33rd minute, which they would not surrender, though they came close just three minutes later. The USWNT broke on the counter-attack (as was the flow of the first half) through a beautiful bit of play starting with a line-splitting ball into the feet of Trinity Rodman from Alana Cook. Rodman cleverly flicked the ball on, sending Sophia Smith bursting down the right wing, as she turned to make a third man run into the box, where she was as Smith played in the cross. Megan Rapinoe copied Rodman with a back-heel flick to set up Trinity for the simple finish, which they thought had leveled the barnstorming first half at two. The star of the show, VAR, saw it differently, ruling out the goal for a marginal offside call on Sophia Smith’s darting run onto the right flank. It was an extremely close decision made by the automated VAR, which Trinity Rodman said the team “still don’t believe it’s offside” after seeing the replay post-match. Whether she’s right or not, the game went to halftime 2-1 to the Lionesses.

While the second half didn’t produce any goals, the pattern of play remained rather similar. The Lionesses continued to dominate possession, playing out of the back while the USWNT attempted to create opportunities through their elite pressing. Yet still, most chances came on the counter-attack, and most often down the right flank, as was the case in the first half. Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe, who briefly switched to the right side, combined well to open up an opportunity for Sophia Smith which she put just wide of the post in the first few minutes. Attacking down the right side was logical for England due to the forced change at left-back for the United States, but for the USWNT it would’ve been beneficial to get Rapinoe more involved. In the short time Rapinoe moved to the right side, she became more involved, and the USWNT became more dangerous, producing that chance for Sophia Smith early on. Instead, the Lionesses controlled the game, creating arguably the best chance of the half for Lucy Bronze which she shanked right of the target after bombing forward from right-back into the box. Of course, the chance also came on the counter-attack, though this time down the left after Alana Cook was caught in possession at midfield. The USWNT backline looked disorganized all night long, unable to find positioning when the Lionesses countered which was evident in both England goals. Going forward they posed a threat on the counter, but it was pressing that was key to turning over possession, a piece of the system Rodman looked a bit uncomfortable with despite being heavily involved in the counter-attacks down the right. When the United States did get in behind the counter there was too much aerial crossing, without much of an aerial threat. These crosses would either be cleared or put behind for a corner, which would then be crossed in any way and cleared. It looked for a second as if the USWNT was going to be let off the hook when Rose Lavelle took a shot straight at Lauren Hemp which was immediately given as a penalty for handball, but on replay, it was obvious Hemp had blocked it with her backside as she turned away from the shot. VAR stepped in again to correct the error. Despite losing the match 2-1, the game ended on a positive note for the USWNT with 17-year-old Alyssa Thompson making her senior debut in the 83rd minute. With her first cap, she became the 70th teenager to ever play for the USWNT and the youngest since Mallory Pugh in 2016. It was a special moment, only made more memorable as she replaced Megan Rapinoe who she admires greatly. Thompson described her emotions as “prepared but super nervous” noting that she “couldn’t have thought of a better sub” to come on for than Rapinoe. Regardless of the result, it was an incredible day for women’s football worldwide, sending messages of unity, passion, and pure class from both sides. 

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The US will face its toughest opponents of the year in England and Spain in this FIFA international window.

The clash at Wembley featured the 2022 European Champions the Lionesses, who are climbing the FIFA rankings ahead of the 2023 World Cup. With key players out for both sides, Alex Morgan for the US, and Leah Williamson for England, it was interesting to see how the teams would adapt to their losses. 

The home team struck first by way of poor defending from the US. England’s transition offense began to click and a race to the ball by US defender Alana Cook and Lauren Hemp, saw Cook slide to clear the ball in front of the net, however, she missed, and Hemp was able to tap it in for the easy goal in the 10th minute.

The press of the United States seemed to work in spurts, and it paid off in the 28th minute. Lindsey Horan brought pressure on Georgia Stanway and dispossessed her with ease. A quick pass to Sophia Smith and a rifled shot in goal tied the game. 

Just before the equalizer, right back Emily Fox had to be subbed off due to injury and she was replaced by Hallie Mace. Mace struggled to keep up with the speed of play and committed a high boot to award England a penalty in the 33rd minute which was taken and made by Stanway to give England the lead back.

It looked like the US tied the game shortly after England scored, but the goal was called for offside. It was a great build-up by the visitors, with the ball traveling through multiple players, from Sophia Smith to Megan Rapinoe for a back-heel, to a Trinity Rodman finish. Unfortunately, the goal was called back, however, VAR neglected to show the actual offside line, so it is unclear how the call was decided. 

The midfield of the US has not been much of a talking point, however, there are some clear issues that need to be fixed. The midfield of England completely dominated and were able to take control of the game to connect with the forwards. The US struggled to do so.

The next match for the team will take place against Spain in Pamplona on Tuesday, October 11th at 2:30 PM ET. 

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