CANWNT Defeated by US After Penalties in Dramatic Semi-final
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By Ava Tremblay
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Summary:
- The US won during a rain-filled semifinal at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
- Adriana Leon scored an extra-time equalizer for the Canadian crew on penalty.
- Sunday’s final will reunite the US versus Brazil after the latter shorthanded Mexico, with a score of 3-0.
The much-anticipated encounter between the American and the Canadian women’s national soccer teams at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup semifinal on Wednesday evening had already sparked a lot of excitement before the first whistleblow.
However, no one could foresee the preposterous playing conditions at the rain-battered Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego covered in puddles that the girls were going to face, or the unthinkable turns during the dramatic night that saw the US women’s national team topping the Canadians in a crazy shootout that ended 3-1.
How the Dramatic Match Unfolded
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was undefeated on the field. She not only managed to make three incredible saves in the tiebreaker but also converted her attempt, helping her team win after the Canadian rallied two times to tie it 2-2 after extra time.
Naeher was joined by Lindsey Horan and Sophia Smith on the list of goal-getters of the match. Quinn was the only Canadian who scored from the spot. Naeher dramatically denied Jessie Fleming, Adriana Leon, and Jordyn Huitema.
The Canadians made a comeback twice with the goals they scored in the 82nd minute via Huitema and the 127th minute via Leon.
In the 9th minute, Smith led the American girls to a 2-1 lead. American Emily Sonnett helped Rose Lavelle outjump Canadian defenders Rose and Gilles while approaching unmarked Smith in the penalty box.
Canada kept pushing in a dramatic end of the match and Naeher’s move that took out Gilles as they were both contesting a high ball made Mexican referee Katia Garcia enter the pitchside monitor and eventually point to the penalty spot.
Leon managed to beat Naeher and tied it up, which led to her sixth goal scored during the tournament.
Disappointing End of Tournament for the Canadians
While the conditions on the field improved after halftime as the rain started to subside and stadium workers started using squeegees to pull out surface water, the damage was already done for the Canadians who will not be participating in Sunday’s final.
The 10th-ranked Canadian crew faced a disappointing end to the tournament on a night when the damaged pitch prevented the girls from executing even the most basic skills at times.
When asked about the decision to let the match continue, a spokesperson for CONCACAF explained it was “solely at the discretion of the referee as to whether the field is safe and playable“
The second-ranked US team will be facing No. 11 Brazil at the same venue and the winning team will take home a whopping $1 million prize. The runner-up will collect half. Brazil managed to top No. 35 Mexico 3-0 in the semifinal that took place earlier.
