The USWNT crushed Panama 5-0 to improve its record at the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship to 2-0 with a goal difference of +11, all but guaranteeing a place in the semifinals of the competition and moving one step closer to automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup in France.
The U.S. women’s national team opened World Cup qualifying with a goal in the second minute against Mexico. The USWNT absolutely dominated the rest of the half without finding another goal.
The second half, though, was another story.
As a 10-year member of the USWNT and a key contributor at two previous World Cups, attacker Tobin Heath is one of the more wizened veterans of the 20-player group selected to earn America’s place at the 2019 Women’s World Cup via the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
With 138 caps to her name, Heath is the fifth most-capped player on the USWNT’s Women’s Championship roster. At the age of 30, she’s the sixth oldest.
The 2018 Concacaf Women's Championship schedule kicks off Thursday in Cary, North Carolina, with the USWNT facing off against Mexico. The tournament doubles as qualifying for the 2019 World Cup. It’s kind of a big deal, with two of the world’s top five teams involved, fighting for three and a half World Cup berths.
Here’s everything you need to know, from the Concacaf Women's Championship schedule and preview to why it matters and how to watch it.
An upset in sports is a tale of the split-screen day. One team — the emboldened underdog — rides the highest of highs, storming the field and reveling in its victory as it has just pulled off the seemingly impossible. The other team — the deflated heavyweight — is humbled and humiliated, slumping off into the locker room and being forced to grapple with a reality it had never considered.
November 5, 2010, was one of those split-screen days.
Mexico, the emboldened underdog. The United States, the deflated heavyweight.
Manchester City put an end to Birmingham City’s unbeaten start to the 2018-19 FA Women’s Super League by defeating the Blues 3-2 Sunday, but the Citizens had to claw back from an early deficit after Abbie McManus skipped one over the head of goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck on a 50-yard back pass.
The good news for McManus is that this is still classified as being Beckham-esque, so there's absolutely no shame here.
Lindsey Horan scored the match winner in the 2017 NWSL final. Her 2018 season is shaping up to be even better. On Friday, the day before she leads the Portland Thorns against the North Carolina Courage in a repeat NWSL Championship, Horan was named 2018 NWSL MVP.
History was made on Sunday. The first transgender soccer player in Spain made her debut for Las Rozas CF in the women’s third division.
She scored a goal, too.
Alba Palacios, 33, had played hundreds if not thousands of matches before Sunday’s landmark match. But this recent one was special for her and the transgender community.
On Wednesday, USWNT coach Jill Ellis released her list of 20 players that will represent the U.S. in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship set to take place next month. The tournament, which will be held in three different U.S. cities from October 4-17, will serve as the North American qualifiers for the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Eight teams will battle it out for the top three spots to book their ticket to France. Here are the American women who will hoping to lead the defending champions to the World Cup finals:
The North Carolina Courage defeated the Chicago Red Stars 2-0 on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the NWSL playoffs to setup a repeat of the 2017 final between the Courage and Portland Thorns FC. That match will take place at Providence Park on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 4:30 p.m. ET, with coverage on Lifetime.