Miami: The Queens of North and South America women’s soccer will clash on Sunday when the United States take on Brazil in the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup final.
The USA, four-time World Cup winners and four-time Olympic champions, have long dominated the game in North America but have looked increasingly vulnerable in the past two years.
Following their shock exit in the last eight at the World Cup last year, the team is undergoing a partial rebuild before new coach Emma Hayes takes over in June, in time for the Paris Olympics.
With interim head coach Twila Kilgore in charge of the tournament, the U.S. lost to Mexico in its final group stage match and edged Canada on penalties in Wednesday’s rain-soaked semifinals.
Although Brazil’s World Cup and Olympic record is more modest, they have won eight of the nine Copa America tournaments they have entered and impressed at the Gold Cup.
After winning all three of their group stage encounters, they beat Argentina 5-1 in the quarters before beating Mexico 3-0.
Creative ability
Those performances make the U.S. well aware that they can take nothing for granted at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium. “I think it’s a team with a lot of talent, with a lot of creative ability, with a lot of technical ability,” American midfielder Sam Coffey said.
“I think they also play with a lot of passion, a lot of fire. I think they have that more than any opponent we’ve played so far…we’re excited to go up against them.” ” she added.
Goals have not been hard to find for the Brazilians, who have scored 15 in five games so far while conceding just once, with 11 different players finding the target.
Forward Bia Zaneratto, who recently joined Kansas City in the US NWSL, is the main attacking threat alongside Spain-based Gabi Nunes, but the Brazilian’s fluid approach makes them a tricky opponent to neutralize.
“We’re not just looking at one or two players. We have to be ready for anyone and anything or any lineup,” USA defender Naomi Girma said.
“While we obviously respect and recognize so much of their individual talent, we have to prepare for them as a team holistically – and that’s 11 players on the field,” she added.
The USA had planned to use the tournament to give some of their younger talent an opportunity, but injuries saw 34-year-old Alex Morgan recalled and she responded with two goals and some strong displays.
But after the trauma of their penalty shoot-out exit to Sweden at the World Cup, their victory in the same fashion against Canada after the game ended 2-2 after extra time on a near-flooded pitch seemed a cathartic experience. .
“I think the biggest thing we took away is how battle-tested we are,” Coffey said.
“I think we’re in the best position we could be going into this final because we’re battle-tested by different opponents, different weather, different factors, and I think moving forward just puts us in a position. a position where we went through the fire and came out stronger,” she added.
“Sometimes it was tough like after Mexico (defeat), but I think we saw so many different scenarios and situations in this tournament and we were better because of it,” she said.
‘Battle tested’ USA face free-scoring Brazil in Gold Cup final
