The United States women’s national team defeated South Africa, 3-0 on Thursday in Cincinnati, in the Americans’ first game since a penalty-shootout loss to Sweden in the Round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup.
Interim coach Twila Kilgore, who is in charge following the resignation of Vlatko Andonovski last month, rolled out a mostly familiar lineup as the U.S. turned the page toward an Olympics that begins in 10 months. Kilgore will be in charge for at least these two games this week and two more against Colombia in late October, which serves as some uncertain context to any deeper analysis of the U.S. right now.
Still, it’s time to move forward. Here are three big talking points from the U.S.’ win on Thursday, which saw Lynn Williams score a brace and Trinity Rodman add a goal in the first half.
The 4-2-3-1 makes sense right now
It’s hard to talk about formations and systems when the U.S. women are without a coach or a general manager (the latter of which is unlikely to continue to be a role that even exists, as previously reported). Who know what the next coach will prefer to try, or which players they will favor?
Access the best women’s soccer coverage all year long
Start your FREE, 7-day trial of The Equalizer Extra for industry-leading reporting and insight on the USWNT, NWSL and beyond.
When Twila Kilgore was completing her U.S. Soccer Pro License — the top coaching license in the country — she was tasked with studying another coach for the full year. She decided to study Emma Hayes, the Chelsea women’s head coach who had built the team into England’s gold-standard and a consistent contender in Europe.
Two years later, Kilgore is now working with Hayes. Kilgore’s familiarity with Hayes could come in handy as the United States women’s natoinal team navigates an uncertain time.
Kilgore is the interim U.S. head coach tasked with setting up the team for the impending arrival of Hayes as head coach in May, at which point Kilgore will become a full-time assistant on Hayes’ staff. How it is all going to work over the next six months is still a work in progress.
Hayes is still the full-time coach of Chelsea through the end of the European season in May, and she insisted this week that she is not watching U.S. players in her spare time. She’s 100% focused on Chelsea, she said. But Hayes is at least in contact with Kilgore about the selection of U.S. rosters.
Access the best women’s soccer coverage all year long
Start your FREE, 7-day trial of The Equalizer Extra for industry-leading reporting and insight on the USWNT, NWSL and beyond.
The final two are set for the Liga MX Femenil 2023 Apertura Gran Final.
Tigres and Club América will compete in the two-legged final on Friday, Nov. 24, and Monday, Nov. 27. Both matches are slated to begin at 9 a.m. The matches will air on ViX+.
This is Tigres’ eighth trip to the Gran Final, winning five titles. Meanwhile, Club América are the reigning champions, defeating Pachuca in the spring Clausura. América has competed in three finals, winning two — both against Pachuca.
Their lone final loss was to Club Tigres in the 2022 Apertura.
To punch their ticket to the final, Tigres took down C.F. Monterrey, while América took down Chivas de Guadalajara. Tigres won on a more controversial goal, while América and Chivas had a seven-goal affair between two legs. Take a look and catch up on what happened before this weekend’s Gran Final.
Tigres 1, Monterrey 0
After a scoreless first leg match on Rayadas’ home field, the teams met up at El Volcán on Monday night. Stephany Mayor scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute, but not without controversy.
Tigres got the ball in the attacking half, and crossed the ball over to Lizbeth Ovalle. The veteran midfielder headed the ball down, but Pamela Tajonar blocked the shot out, instead of grabbing the ball. Maricarmen Reyes raced to gather the ball up quickly, slide tackling into a Monterrey player.
The referee whistled to play on, giving Tigres new life. The ball found its way to Mayor in front of goal and she smacked it on the valley past Tajonar. Rayadas played holler at the referee but a decision had been made to keep the goal.
Monterrey could not find the back of the net in the last few minutes. Tigres, on the other hand, advanced to their ninth Gran Final. Keeping a clean sheet against Monterrey isn’t easy, when facing off against the likes of Christina Burkenroad, Myra Delgadillo and Jermaine Seoposenwe. Tigres needs more lethal play from Reyes and Ovalle, their regular-season standouts. But, the defense can be satisfied with two clean sheets.
Club América 4, Chivas 3
Four different players found the back of the net for Club América in their two legs against Chivas. Club América didn’t dominate on the defensive side of the ball — letting three goals past them — but stunned offensively.
Katty Martínez and Alison González scored in the first leg, while Kiana Palacios and Andrea Pereira scored in Leg 2. To kick things off, Martínez scored off a header during the run of play, with midfielder Angelique Saldivar providing the assist. Meanwhile, González — whose time with América has been riddled with injuries — scored after winning a ball on a breakaway and then taking on Chivas goalkeeper Blanca Félix, slipping the ball through her legs.
At home for Leg 2, América were able to keep Alicia Cervantes off the score sheet — after she scored two goals in Leg 1. However, Chivas got on the board first thanks to Casandra Montero. The home field advantage propelled América, though, as Palacios and Pereira scored within five minutes of each other.
In the 75th minute, Palacios put a hard strike into the top of the goal, just narrowly sneaking it underneath the crossbar. In the 79th minute, Pereira picked up a loose ball off a corner kick and sent it, through traffic, into the low far corner of the net.
Club América were able to hold off Cervantes and company for the last 10 minutes and stoppage time, punching their ticket to a second-straight Gran Final.
The OL Reign lost the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Championship game to Gotham FC, so Rose Lavelle’s display could not be described as a match-winning performance. It was, however, a match-stealing performance. There was a back-heel, a deft chip, an outside-the-boot pass, all to cut open Gotham’s defense. There were shoulder drops, hip swerves, sudden accelerations of tempo or changes of direction, all to leave her markers dumbfounded.
This was classic Lavelle. And this was a one-woman rampage against modern soccer.
Numbers matter now more than ever. There was a time, not so long ago, when those who counted the actions performed during soccer games were branded as outsiders. These were strange folk who did not belong in a sport that hated thinking, and they had to fight to prove their worth. Eventually, they did. Now, fairly and squarely, data analysis is inside soccer. And yet, data doesn’t tell the whole story, particularly when we talk about a player like Lavelle.
This has been a tough year for the 28-year-old, in many ways mirroring her career as a whole. She endured spells out with injury either side of the World Cup, limiting her to four NWSL regular season appearances, one assist, zero goals. Still, she was pivotal to the Reign’s chances in the postseason, all but defining the Championship game. The numbers are reductive. Lavelle can unlock games, and get fans out of their seats. Watching her is a feeling, not a fact or figure.
Access the best women’s soccer coverage all year long
Start your FREE, 7-day trial of The Equalizer Extra for industry-leading reporting and insight on the USWNT, NWSL and beyond.
