USWNT beats Brazil in 2-0 in second night of SheBelieves Cup. Canada takes down Argentina 1-0
ORLANDO – The United States Women’s National Soccer team won their second match of the SheBelieves Cup with a 2-0 win over the National Teams from Brazil.
The USWNT switched up their starting line up by starting Alyssa Naeher, Crystal Dunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan, Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle, Christen Press, Alex Morgan, Lynn Williams.
While Canada pulled back and made the US grind it out for every goal, making for a messy game, Brazil came with a different approach.
Their speed and technical skill also made things difficult, but they came at the US players with aggression, attacking every ball, coming from behind US players for speed and fighting for every ball.
Like SheBelieves match 1, the creativity and opportunities to score were there, but with little result. USA manager Vlatko Andonovski was a little kinder about it in the first match’s press conference. He reminded the press that most of his players are in off season, and they they will go off and play and get in playing condition and tighten up and get more technically sharp.
He also reminded us that he had a plan.
“They were playing with two forwards, leaving two forwards in front on our two defenders and trying to isolate in in and put us in a two-v-two situation,” he said. “So the first thing that we did [in the second half] was Julie Ertz sat a little bit deeper in between those two defenders. So anytime we had a defender leave their position, JJ was there to cover.”
The US prevailed in the action packed match, with 17 shots, 5 on goal, including a nice Shot from Press in the 11th minute.
Megan Rapinoe was substituted in in the 70th minute, and scored a goal in the 88th minute of the match, closing it out for the Americans. Horan crossed the ball and Rapinoe smartly dropped just enough off of her defender to get around her and one-time the ball into the net. The game ended there at 2-0.
After the goal, Rapinoe went trraight to the camera and held her arms as if ricking a baby in salute to Ashlyn Harris and Allie Kreiger’s new daughter Sloan.
After the game, Morgan brought her brand new baby Charlie out on the field during the post game celebration
Canada vs Argentina
In the second match, Team Canada pulled out a victory in the 92nd minute for the 1-0 win over Argentina.
If you watched the play, it seemed like a scrappy game of soccer, with Canada trying to dominate, but the Argentina players getting in the way, stealing the ball, and fighting them off.
Canada took 17 host to Argentina’s 7, and Canada held possession 63% of the game and made 470 passes.
Sarah Strategakis managed to put on in from a scum in from in front of the Argentine goal for the stoppage time win.
Janine Beckie’s free kick caused mayhem in front of the Argentina goal and, when the defence failed to clear, Jessie Fleming’s mishit went to Stratigakis.
After watching the footage, you can see that Argentina players tried to clear the ball from in front of the net, but it was deflected to a spot where Strategakis could put it in.
It was Strategaki’s first goal in three appearances.
This match was only the second match for Canada since March, and their performance against the US, number one in there world, and the scrappy Argetinians, they should feel encouraged.
The hard-working South Americans, who offered little on offence.Canada squandered set pieces on offence and had little to do on defence. Argentina did its bit to slow the tempo, with players often hitting the tur
Canada next faces Brazil, and Argentina will face the US on Wednesday, February, 24th at Exploria Stadium.
