USWNT exorcises Olympic demons, beats Canada in CONCACAF title game

An Alex Morgan penalty gave the U.S. revenge after a stunning loss last summer

The U.S. women’s national team got the Olympic revenge it so desperately wanted in Monday’s CONCACAF W Championship final, defeating Canada 1-0 in a game that could’ve been much more lopsided in the Americans’ favor.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski insisted prior to the final that there wasn’t much his side could learn from last summer’s Olympic semifinal, a stunning 1-0 loss that marked Canada’s first win over its rival to the south in 20 years.

On Monday, the USWNT made sure it would be an entirely different match to last year’s disappointing defeat in Japan.

Whereas the U.S. failed to generate much offense against a stout Canadian defense last summer, Andonovski’s team opened Canada up again and again in the CONCACAF final.

In an ironic reversal, the USWNT got the game’s only goal on Monday by earning a penalty kick with 15 minutes to go after Allysha Chapman clipped Rose Lavelle’s legs in the box when the U.S. midfielder didn’t have a whole lot on.

It was a mirror image of last summer in Tokyo, when Tierna Davidson fouled Deanne Rose in an innocuous situation, leading to Jessie Fleming’s game-winning penalty in the 75th minute.

This time, Alex Morgan’s game-winning spot kick came in the 78th minute. But unlike Fleming’s goal last summer, the USWNT’s opener looked like it had been coming all game long.

For the U.S. the chances kept coming. And coming. And coming.

There was Mallory Pugh and Morgan nearly scoring in the first five minutes. There were more first-half chances from Pugh and Sophia Smith that would have gone in on a different night, or against a different goalkeeper. Kailen Sheridan produced a heroic display to keep Canada in the match on several occasions.

And still there were more chances. Smith missed an open net after rounding Sheridan, then couldn’t finish when open at the back post. Somehow, as the game entered its final 15 minutes, it was still scoreless.

But the U.S. got the break it needed when Lavelle had her legs clipped by Chapman in the box. Morgan stepped up from the spot and made no mistake. It was all the U.S. would need.

The USWNT ended the game with a xG edge of 3.14 to .53 according to TruMedia, a more accurate reflection of its superiority than the 1-0 final score.

For Andonovski, it was vindication after a disappointing tournament debut last summer. The USWNT boss has turned over his squad considerably since the Olympics. Some changes have been forced by injuries and pregnancies, and others were simply a matter of young players being too good to ignore.

The CONCACAF W Championship was far from a flawless tournament for the U.S. but the tournament saw the team clinch a World Cup and Olympic berth, and was capped off with a dominant display against its biggest rival.

[lawrence-related id=4857,4852]