Alyssa Naeher made three saves in the penalty shootout and Emily Fox scored the winner in the bottom of the seventh round to lift the U.S. women’s national team to a victory over Canada in the final of the SheBelieves Cup on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.
Following a 2-2 draw through 90 minutes, the U.S. won the shootout 5-4 with the help of Naeher, who dove to her right to deny Evelyne Viens in the top of the seventh.
The United States captured the SheBelieves Cup championship for the fifth year in a row. The Americans won the event for the seventh in the nine years of the competition.
Sophia Smith rallied the U.S. from a 1-0 deficit with goals in the 50th and 68th minutes to counter a 40th-minute goal by Adriana Leon. Canada tied it 2-2 in the 86th minute via a penalty kick from Leon after she drew a foul from Crystal Dunn.
The U.S. and Canada met in the semifinal of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup on March 6 in San Diego with the U.S prevailing 3-1 on penalties following a 2-2 tie.
A team effort led to the Americans’ goal that produced a 2-1 lead. The U.S. absorbed Canadian pressure and Lindsey Horan started the counter. She passed to Jaedyn Shaw, who split the defense with a ball to Trinity Rodman on the left flank. Rodman threaded a pass ahead to Smith in stride as she broke behind the defense.
Earlier, Smith scored the equalizer with a shot to the lower left corner from just outside the box off a setup by Shaw.
Smith’s goals came two years to the day since her hat trick against Uzbekistan in Columbus. She has 18 goals in 46 matches.
Leon gave Canada the lead in the 40th minute. Naeher raced off her line to get the ball at the top of the box, but Canada’s Deanne Rose beat her defender and collided with Naeher. Rose managed to pass to Leon at the penalty spot for the go-ahead strike.
This was the last match for interim U.S. coach Twila Kilgore before Emma Hayes, currently ending her coaching duties with England’s Chelsea, assumes the head-coaching duties in May. Kilgore had an 11-1-2 record.
–Field Level Media
