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March 11- The USA beat Brazil 1-0 in front of 31,528 screaming fans in the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego to win the inaugural W Gold Cup. It was an exciting climax to three weeks of international football that saw the women’s game take another major step forward on and off the pitch.
A Lindsey Horan headed goal in added time at the end of the first half broke the deadlock between two evenly matched teams. The US had saved their best for last in this tournament and the Brazilians, for all their possession and individual skills and silky touches couldn’t fashion chances close enough to goal.
The result sends a message from the world number 2 ranked nation that they are good for their ranking and with the Olympics coming they are getting ready for the European challenge.
The US beat a very good Canadian team in the semi-finals and a Brazilian team that brought flair and passion to the tournament as only Brazilian teams do.
Brazil showed that their 11th placed world ranking might be a little shy of their real position and they will only get better. If they had had a full squad to pick from the result might have been different.
But they didn’t and the US, after huge rotations in their starting line-ups earlier in the tournament, now look to have identified key players, formation and roles. What they could really do with is a little bit of the unexpected as they look to break down defences rather than break through them.
Brazil came into the game without captain Rafaelle who fractured a bone in her left foot in the semi-final against Mexico, and midfield dynamo Ary Borges, two key players in the spine of their team.
Coach Arthur Elias handed the captain’s armband to Bia Zanaretto and brought in Thais da Silva in defence and Gabi Portilho in midfield. Up front he dropped Debinha to the bench, bringing in Gabi Nunes.
USA coach Twila Kilgore had no injury problems making just two changes, and again returning to experience over youth after their penalty…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/03/11/usa-beat-brazil-win-inaugural-w-gold-cup-san-diego/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-03-11 02:44:21
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