America-Costa Rica Express:
July 16th Washington DC
America 0 Costa Rica 0.
Attachments: 18,972.
It was a historic night for the U.S. Women's National Team. But not for the right reasons. For the first time in history, the U.S. failed to beat Costa Rica. The two CONCACAF teams played out a goalless draw in the nation's capital on an unbearably hot night. The friendly served as the official farewell for the U.S., which leaves for France on Thursday to begin the 2024 Paris Olympic tournament on July 25.
coach Emma Hayes Costa Rica made just two changes to the starting lineup that beat Mexico in New Jersey on Saturday. Contrary to her belief that sharpness and unity would be rewarded, her players looked disheartened and out of ideas. From the first whistle, Costa Rica showed up at Audi Field in a defensive 4-1-4-1 formation, looking to drop back. The tactic worked: the U.S. had the upper hand in possession (80% vs. 20%) and shots (26 to 2), but quality chances were few and far between.
Costa Rica goalkeeper Noelia Bermudez made 12 saves on the night. Mallory Swanson stands out as a particularly impressive stop. The U.S. needed to step up a gear to break down their opponent, but that next gear just never came.
American player ratings
(1=low, 5=medium, 10=high)
Goalkeeper
There's no point in forgetting that Alyssa Naher On the field at the Audi Field, Neher was also a telling goal threat – she had a moment in the second half when she was hounded by forward Priscilla Chinchilla, but she handled it well and remained composed, finding teammates with her feet.
Player (Club) Caps/Goals (Age)
Five
Alyssa Naher (Chicago Red Stars) 106/0 (36)
Defender
The U.S. backline had very little defense. Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox They dutifully participated in the attack but neither side could create any significant chances.
Fox's bravery on the ball is one of her best qualities and she had brief moments in the first half where she broke through the lines against several Costa Rican players, and she was at her best when trying to establish a rhythm with quick passing.
With so many players crowded into the Costa Rican penalty box and little space to run into, Dunn had a quiet night. It was surprising she didn't take more shots and she was often seen recovering the ball on the edge of the penalty area. It was more patience than flair.
The United States' failure to break the lower bloc is largely to blame. Naomi Girma and Tierna DavidsonBut the two centre-backs just couldn't set the tempo – Hayes would have liked them to get the ball further forward and break down the opposition's formation quicker – and when they did return to the defensive half, possession felt stagnant.
Finding a rare open space, Davidson produced a sensational ground through pass to Dunn who created a golden opportunity, but they could have posed more of a threat from set pieces.
Player (Club) Caps/Goals (Age)
6
Emily Fox (Arsenal, England) 51/1 (26)
Five
Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave) 34/0 (24)
Five
Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC) 60/3 (25)
Five
Crystal Dunn (Gotham FC) 149/25 (31)
Midfielder
Hayes was forced to be substituted in midfield at the last minute after suffering a groin injury during the warm-up. Corbin Albert This means a lot to Rose Lavelle, who featured on the official starting eleven document published just an hour before kick-off.
Costa Rica plays very defensively, so it's hard to imagine a single substitution making much of a difference, but the U.S. midfield fell into some bad habits, especially in the first half. The ball was flying left and right and backwards with no momentum or penetration. None of the front three posed a big aerial threat, and when the passing pressure eased, they had no long passes to anyone.
Albert was the sloppiest of the group, careless with the ball and unable to find many gaps. Sam Coffey Her work ethic and efforts to get open are commendable, but her passing from corner kicks was well below par.
After his struggles against Mexico, it may have been a slightly better performance from the captain. Lindsey HoranLavelle's injury allowed her to return to her preferred attacking midfielder role, which meant she did not have to play as much on the half-turn as she did as a deeper midfielder.
Horan's best moments came when she allowed quick passes. She is certainly a threat in the air and has a one-touch radar that is underrated by her teammates. She had five shots on the night and created four chances. She was productive, but also rough around the edges. She was also one of the players who tired badly as the game went on.
Player (Club) Caps/Goals (Age)
Four
Corbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, France) 12/0 (20)
Five
Lindsey Horan (Lyon, France) 150/35 (30)
Five
Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns) 19/1 (25)
forward
Since returning from a torn patella, she has been a standout performer in the NWSL. Mallory Swanson She looked out of form in the Olympic send-off friendlies, and America's best chance came her way tonight, but again she just couldn't get going.
In the first half, Swanson should have opened the scoring when she was one-on-one with the Costa Rican goalkeeper from eight yards out. She scored in those situations eight times out of 10. Then in the second half, Swanson made a bold run into the penalty area and made a pass that was just beyond the path of a teammate. She nearly missed another chance from just inside the Costa Rican box. She looked increasingly tired as the game went on.
With an aura of frustration floating around, Trinity Rodman was arguably the most decorated player for the U.S. She excelled in tight spaces and always passed with the intention of running into space and being open to receive the ball. She was seen coaching her teammates and pleading with them to increase their intensity. In Hayes' system, Rodman continues to be on the right side of the attack. This limits her threat in the box but increases her overall influence as a passer. She tried her best to make things happen and had a few shots. She lacked composure.
Like Swanson, Sophia Smith's delicate attempts to get into the penalty area and promising teamwork often ended with shots that went over the bar or wide of the post. She struggled to know when to cut into the middle and when to go wide, and a pair of weak shots into the goalkeeper's hands suggested she wasn't at her best. After the game, the Stanford native was brave, telling TNT's broadcast that the team “isn't frustrated. We trust each other and we trust the process.”
Player (Club) Caps/Goals (Age)
Five
Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit) 40/7 (22)
Four
Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars) 94/35 (26)
Four
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns) 50/20 (23)
Replacement
Like the starters, the substitutes failed to provide much inspiration and failed to create any clear-cut chances in front of goal.
In the 67th minute, Hayes opted to bring on four players from the bench at once. Lynn WilliamsOf the front three, Williams, deployed on the left wing, perhaps made the biggest impact, but the quartet didn't make a huge difference. Williams' much-needed pressure helped increase the tempo of the attack, but she couldn't find her feet when she had the ball, and neither could her teammates in the penalty area.
Despite playing as a defender, Casey Kruger He played at a very advanced level and had one shot that flew over the post from just outside the box. Emily Sonnett and Jaedyn Shaw We got lost in the confusion in the midfield, and that was the theme tonight.
In the 89th minute, Hayes gave in to the “We want Croix” chants emanating from the enthusiastic Washington crowd. Croix Bethune She plays for the Washington Spirit's NWSL club soccer team. Unfortunately, she only had a brief cameo and wasn't able to make any impact in front of her hometown fans.
Player (Club) Caps/Goals (Age)
Five
Lynn Williams (Gotham FC) 65/18 (31)
Four
Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave) 16/7 (19)
Four
Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC) 93/2 (30)
Five
Casey Kruger (Washington Spirit) 50/0 (33)
NR
Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit) 2/0 (23)
- trivia: This is only the second time in the program's history that the U.S. Women's National Team has failed to win a World Cup/Olympic send-off game. The other was a 0-0 loss to South Korea prior to the 2015 World Cup. The U.S. ended up winning the World Cup.
- attentionpictureSophia Smith is the first player born in the 2000s to earn 50 caps for the U.S. Women's National Team.
- nextPractice is over. The USA will open its 2024 Olympic campaign against Zambia on July 25 in Nice, France.
July 16th Washington DC
united states of america 0 Costa Rica 0.
united states of america — Naher, Fox (Kruger, 67), Girma, Davidson, Dunn, Albert (Shaw, 67), Horan, Coffey (Sonnett, 67), Rodman, Swanson (Bethune, 89), Smith (Williams, 67).
Costa Rica — Bermudez; Guillen, F. Villalobos, Coto (Morales, 72), Elizondo; M. Herrera (A. Herrera, 72), G. Villalobos (Pinel, 89), R. Rodriguez; Valenciano, Chinchilla; Salas (Quiroz, 90+1).
yellow cardUnited States — none. Costa Rica — chinchillas 17. Red Card: none.
Judgment: Lisette Ameilany Garcia Olvera (Mexico). AR: Elba Gutierrez Martinez (Mexico), Aranza Cuello Aguilar (Mexico). 4th Umpire: Daniel Chesky (USA).
at.: 18,972.
statistics:
America/Costa Rica
shot: 26/2
Shot on target: 12/0
keep: 0/12
Corner kick: 16/0
foul: 7/9
Offside: 3/1
Possession: 80%/20%
