SAN DIEGO, Calif. — With the glimmer of a well-deserved Concacaf W Gold Cup trophy in the hands of the US women's national team, it's easy to forget that just a few weeks ago, the journey to the inaugural tournament began with a declaration of regret from Team captain Lindsey Horan.
“First of all, I would like to apologize to our fans,” Horan said days before the start of the W Gold Cup. “Some of my comments were poorly expressed and I learned a big lesson.”
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The question? It all stemmed from an interview with The Athletic in which Horan stated, “Football fans, most of them aren't smart… They don't know the game. They don't understand it.” Context is key here and, as she noted in the February article, the Lyon midfielder seemed to want to highlight how the sport is understood at a higher level in France during her time abroad.
Had he phrased things differently, it might have been seen as a fairer point, but the timing couldn't have been worse. Horan and her teammates were not only preparing for a new tournament, but also looking to bounce back after their worst result in a major competition, having been eliminated from the 2023 Women's World Cup in the round of 16. Shortly after Australia-New Zealand 2023, head coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned, leaving Twila Kilgore in charge as interim.
Whether an American sports fan or a journalist, both probably came to the same conclusion before the start of the W Gold Cup: something was wrong with the four-time World Cup champions, who didn't seem to have the same fire in them. her hands. flow moment. Sure, the USWNT then extended an unbeaten streak to eight games under Kilgore after winning their first two W Gold Cup games recently, but any sense of things returning to normal imploded after a historic 2-0 loss to Mexico in its W. Gold Cup group stage finale at the end of last month.
Most American soccer fans were not happy. The result marked the first time the United States lost to its Mexican rivals since 2010. In what has been a one-sided rivalry for years, the loss was just the second time the USWNT lost to Mexico. Perhaps most painful of all was how it reminded everyone of the problems seen at last year's World Cup.
“The U.S. women's national soccer team's 2-0 loss to Mexico on Monday felt very familiar,” Jeff Kassouf wrote after that game. “After a couple of encouraging games in which interim coach Twila Kilgore deployed a young, energetic lineup in more experimental formations to begin the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, the Americans turned back the clock to last year, when they were stuck in a cycle of rigid predictability that led to their worst World Cup result.
However, with hindsight 20/20, you could argue that the Mexico result was a good thing for the USWNT. The fact that it occurred during the group stage and after they had already qualified for the round of 16, the defeat could be interpreted as a painful wake-up call and not as an early exit as it was in the World Cup. . As if given a second chance at life and a chance to build confidence in an Olympic year, the USWNT bounced back in the W Gold Cup with the clear response of fire in their eyes.
In the quarterfinals, the USWNT matched Colombia's aggressiveness with a younger squad that applied more pressure and went straight for the goal. With a 3-0 victory under their belt, they battled their Canadian rivals in the semi-final on a field that was literally drowned at Snapdragon Stadium. Initially adapting more quickly to the soggy surface, the USWNT blew its lead twice before defeating Canada in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Back at Snapdragon for Sunday's final against Brazil (with the court completely dry after some more typical Southern California sunshine), the USWNT outplayed their South American opponents, who managed to keep them pinned for much of the first half . Even with some questions regarding certain players left out of the XI, such as the tournament's Ballon d'Or winner Jaedyn Shaw, Kilgore's starters were able to frustrate Brazil in equal measure before finding the only goal of the match.
As the game moved toward a goalless first half, the USWNT took a 1-0 lead in the 46th minute thanks to a well-placed header from Horan in the 46th minute. Weeks after appearing to lose connection with the fans of the USWNT captain celebrated in front of a huge attendance of 31,528 (a record for a Concacaf women's match) at Snapdragon Stadium.
.@LindseyHoran It gives us an advantage heading into halftime!
🎥 » @atacandotercero
pic.twitter.com/Q3O4qDofcH— US Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) March 11, 2024
Although Brazil outshot the United States 12-7 over the 90 minutes, the hosts maintained their 1-0 lead and Kilgore's team showed they could defend a narrow lead, forcing their opponents to take advantage of a low shooting percentage. opportunities. Pushing hard one day, battling through a storm on another, and then closing things out by showing the ability to pull off a 1-0 scoreline, there was real depth to the way the USWNT did things in the W Gold knockout round . Cup. It may not have been as dominant or one-sided as people expected, but the rocky road after the Mexico loss provided this USWNT team with a catalyst for growth.
“This is a team and a program that will always have attention and expectations, and we say that pressure is a privilege,” Kilgore said after the game. “We've regrouped, we've set new goals, we've set a new style of play. We're working toward something together and it's a very public process, and that's not easy. I'm very proud of them and I'm very happy.”
Kilgore, who will be replaced by permanent coach Emma Hayes once she completes the 2023-24 season with Chelsea Women, was also optimistic about how things are going for the team that will seek further redemption at the Olympics. “This is a group that is moving forward together, that still wants to spend more time together. It's time for them to get back to the club and do those things, but we really enjoy being together and feel like we're just getting started,” the interim coach said.
“This is a group that is just getting started.”
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USWNT stars react to Gold Cup victory: We overcame so much adversity
Lindsay Horan, Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma react to the USWNT's 1-0 victory against Brazil to win the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.
Heading into April's She Believes Cup and June's doubleheaders against South Korea (the latter of which will see Hayes begin his tenure), the USWNT faces a quick turnaround before finalizing its provisional squad which must be whittled down to 18 players for the Olympic Games. . Ahead of Paris 2024 in July, many questions remain about the right mix and integration of promising players with the remaining veterans, how quickly Hayes can make his mark and whether the USWNT can return to its once-higher level. state. But on Sunday those concerns were for another time.
Instead of the heavy rain of Wednesday's semifinal, the championship weekend was drenched in confetti and pyrotechnics behind the USWNT as they lifted the W Gold Cup title after their hard-fought victory. Sunglasses on and drinks served, and with a $1 million prize as tournament winners, the team then celebrated in the locker room with their 15th Concacaf title secured.
Beginning the contest with a somber apology from Horan, things ended much differently with yet another apology of sorts from another high-profile USWNT figure during the championship festivities. Beer in hand, star striker Alex Morgan entered into The mixed media zone. “I could have brought more, I didn't know,” Morgan said.
