The USWNT is one game away from clinching a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics, advancing to the final of the CONCACAF W Championship with a tidy 3-0 win over Costa Rica.
A first international goal by Emily Sonnett and an expert finish by Mal Pugh just before halftime set the USA on its way. An Ashley Sanchez strike deep in stoppage time closed out the scoring on a day which saw the USWNT create multiple scoring opportunities. Alex Morgan missed on two good looks in the first half and Sophia Smith had the best chance of the second half and misfired.
The No. 1-ranked U.S. team will take on the winner of the Canada vs. Jamaica semifinal on Monday, July 18 for a ticket to Paris 2024. A matchup between defending Olympic champs Canada and defending World Cup champions USA would prove a marquee international showdown.
With temperatures just under 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the Americans really never got into a rhythm in the match, but they were helped by numerous Costa Rica giveaways induced by the USWNT press.
It was not shaping up to be the USWNT’s day until the breakthrough by Sonnett on a wild corner kick sequence in the 34th minute. A shot by Andi Sullivan was deflected by Lindsey Horan off the post, and Sonnett was the first to react to the rebound in the six-yard box, poking it home.
With the first goal out of the way, the Americans were able to play looser in the sweltering conditions, scoring in stoppage time of each half. An inspired Rose Lavelle backheel fed Pugh in the box for a smooth finish before halftime. Then with seconds left in the match, Ashley Sanchez pounced with a first-time finish on a ball in the box after Morgan did the hard part by bringing the ball down.
DECOURCY: USWNT player grades after 3-0 win vs. Costa Rica
Although it was a deserved final result, it wasn’t an entirely convincing performance by the Americans and manager Vlatko Andonovski indicated as much after the match.
“I thought we did well and created enough opportunities to score three or more goals,” Andonovski told CBS after the match. “But at the same time, there were things that I felt I had to address right away. And that’s that we need to recover well physically but also mentally because I feel we made too many technical mistakes that are the byproduct of our mental preparation.”
MORE: Updated results, schedule for 2022 CONCACAF W Championship
USWNT vs. Costa Rica final score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| USWNT | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Costa Rica | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals:
USA — Emily Sonnett — 34th min.
USA — Mal Pugh (Rose Lavelle) — 48th+ min.
USA — Ashley Sanchez (Alex Morgan) — 95th+ min.
USWNT vs. Costa Rica live updates, highlights from W Championship
Final: USWNT 3, Costa Rica 0
30 – The @USWNT has won its last 30 matches in competitive Concacaf tournaments, outscoring opponents, 148-0, in those games. Mismatch. pic.twitter.com/4gDO4xgkjI
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) July 15, 2022
95th min.: Goal USA! Kristie Mewis with a great ball into the box and Alex Morgan brings it down, but before she can turn to strike it, Ashley Sanchez strikes the ball. Sanchez was following the play and reacted before Morgan could.
Ashley Sanchez makes it three in stoppage time!
The @USWNT beat Costa Rica to reach the Concacaf W Championship Final.??? pic.twitter.com/JBoYvuD0R9
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 15, 2022
88th min.: Costa Rica sub — Michelle Montero is on for Shirley Cruz, and Viviana Chinchilla replaced forward Carolina Venegas. Four minutes of stoppage time.
82nd min.: USWNT subs — Moments after USWNT goalkeeper Casey Murphy was forced to punch out a ball on a Costa Rican attack, the Americans make two subs. Trinity Rodman comes on for Sophia Smith, and Kristie Mewis replaces Rose Lavelle.
69th min.: Costa Rica sub — Daniela Cruz enters for Emilie Valenciano. Seconds later USWNT’s Rose Lavelle gets a soft yellow card for taking down Cristin Granados in midfield.
67th min.: What a save by Costa Rican ‘keeper Bermudez! Sophia Smith rescues a play that looked like it had fizzled out and she serves up Andi Sullivan in the box. Bermudez parries the shot away.
64th min.: First shot of the game for Costa Rica and it finishes wide left. Expect Las Ticas to take more chances in attack with less than 30 minutes remaining. Nothing to lose.
63rd min.: USWNT subs — Naomi Girms is in for Alana Cook, Ashley Sanchez is in for Lindsey Horan and Megan Rapinoe spots Mal Pugh at left wing.
61st min.: Rose Lavelle with a shot on goal. She gets the ball at the top of the Costa Rican box, creates space for herself, and fires at goal. But it’s right at the ‘keeper.
58th min.: The USWNT should’ve had another. Lindsey Horan makes a run out of midfield and no one picks her up. Her cross into the box finds a wide open Sophia Smith who puts it wide. She’s disappointed with her finish.
46th min.: Second half underway. Costa Rica makes two changes. Cristin Granados and Melissa Herrera are in for Katherine Alvarado and Priscila Chinchilla.
Halftime: USWNT 2, Costa Rica 0
Halftime: With a handful of missed scoring chances early on, it was not shaping up to be the USWNT’s night. Alex Morgan had two chances that went begging, and it looked like Costa Rica’s 5-4-1 could keep the Americans at bay.
But leave it to emergency left back Emily Sonnett to get the breakthrough with her first career international goal. Then the USWNT turned up the quality with a spectacular Rose Lavelle backheel pass expertly finished by Mal Pugh. But the Costa Ricans are also beating themselves with careless giveaways in their own half.
48th+ min.: Goal USA just before halftime! It’s Mal Pugh! Another Costa Rica giveaway near their box and a backheel by Rose Lavelle sends Pugh through and she applied the cool left-footed finish to beat the ‘keeper. The USWNT had an 8-0 advantage on shots in that first half.
⚽ Great assist by @roselavelle to @MalPugh to make it 2-0 for the @USWNT! ??#CWC pic.twitter.com/3bXLjyCInw
— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) July 14, 2022
47th+ min.: Moments after USWNT goalkeeper Casey Murphy nearly committed a major gaffe in her own box (she misplayed a ball but a teammate came to her rescue to clear), Sophia Smith has a big chance 1-on-1 against the ‘keeper. But she sends it right to the ‘keeper.
36th min.: The USWNT scores a second, but it’s waved off for offside. Lindsey Horan heads it down to Morgan, who scores, but Horan was offside on the ball into the box.
It was Horan who was offside, not Morgan pic.twitter.com/5N0mSjIw6w
— Zach (@zach13_) July 14, 2022
34th min.: Goal USA! Emily Sonnett’s first international goal! And there’s the breakthrough for the Americans. It’s a wild play on a corner kick: Andi Sullivan’s shot in the box is deflected by Lindsey Horan off the woodwork, and Sonnett is there to poke it home.
⚽ ?? GOAL! @emilysonnett! @USWNT takes the lead! #CWC pic.twitter.com/ZSPLqwVJre
— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) July 14, 2022
What a time to score your first international goal! Emily Sonnett puts the US ahead!#USAvCRC | 1 – 0 pic.twitter.com/zKaNVtbWXL
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) July 14, 2022
29th min.: Now it’s a hydration break. There’s no rhythm to the USWNT’s play with the game being played at Costa Rica’s preferred pace. The U.S. women are waiting for a breakthrough play, a moment of magic or a Costa Rican error. The passes in the final third have been off so far.
22nd min.: Play is stopped as USWNT’s Mal Pugh needs treatment. As the minutes pass by, Costa Rica is only going to feel emboldened.
woah pic.twitter.com/gZc38V0YFX
— Zach (@zach13_) July 14, 2022
19th min.: USWNT miss another chance! Rose Lavelle has three sliding USWNT players in the six-yard box, but her cross misses all three and goes wide. That was a huge opportunity.
— 6_hedonist (@6_hedonist) July 14, 2022
17th min.: Chance for the USWNT! Set piece into the box by Mal Pugh and it’s an excellent delivery, finding Morgan in the box. But she tries to direct it on goal with her left instead of her right and it goes wide. Morgan knows she should’ve done better on that one.
she usually makes this shot ? pic.twitter.com/jtuudUshMr
— Zach (@zach13_) July 14, 2022
15th min.: USWNT concedes a corner kick unnecessarily. Miscommunication between Alan Cook and goalkeeper Casey Murphy and Cook heads the ball past Murphy. But Costa Rica wastes the set piece opportunity.
12th min.: The USWNT are pressing high, but Costa Rica is managing the pressure well. In one instance, the Costa Rican ‘keeper sends the ball off Sophia Smith, who was closing in deep inside the Costa Rica box.
4th min.: Sofia Huerta already making her presence felt in the attack down the right flank. Her cross finds Alex Morgan who sends the ball off the outside of the right post.
1st min.: We’re underway and Alex Morgan kicks off the game. The USWNT is in white. Costa Rica in red.
10 mins from kickoff: There won’t be much of a crowd to watch the USWNT and Costa Rica tonight at the Volcan.
Game time baby. @USWNT trying to get into the finals by going through Costa Rica in sweaty Monterrey! pic.twitter.com/Ybz1St6wat
— Aly Wagner (@alywagner) July 14, 2022
Not much has changed in the hour here. Crowd estimate is a couple (few?) hundred. https://t.co/r3uoQKdYsC
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) July 14, 2022
60 mins from kickoff: This tournament has produced a clear leader in the battle for starting USWNT goalkeeper.
? @CaseyMurph is one of the reasons that @USWNT ?? hasn’t conceded a goal in #CWC 2022.
201 minutes with a clean sheet ? pic.twitter.com/sCrJsTLhih
— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) July 14, 2022
USWNT vs. Costa Rica lineups
Casey Murphy appears to have won the starting goalkeeper job after getting the nod once again Thursday. Despite playing well, rookie Naomi Girma loses her spot in central defense to Alana Cook. Manager Vlatko Andonovski also opts for Sofia Huerta over veteran Kelley O’Hara at right back, while Emily Sonnett continues to fill in at left back for Emily Fox, who’s in COVID protocol.
Sophia Smith and Lindsey Horan are the only two players who have started every match in the CONCACAF W Championship for the USWNT.
USWNT starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 18-Casey Murphy (GK) — 14-Emily Sonnett, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 3-Alana Cook, 8-Sofia Huerta — 10-Lindsey Horan, 17-Andi Sullivan, 16-Rose Lavelle — 9-Mal Pugh, 13-Alex Morgan, 11-Sophia Smith
USWNT subs (11): 1-Alyssa Naeher (GK), 21-Aubrey Kingsbury (GK), 12-Naomi Girma, 5-Kelley O’Hara, 2-Ashley Sanchez, 22-Kristie Mewis, 24-Sam Coffey, 20-Taylor Kornieck, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 6-Trinity Rodman, 23-Midge Purce
Despite losing to Canada in the last group stage match, Costa Rica was tactically organized and arguably deserved more from the match. And as it turns out, head coach Amelia Valverde used the match to rest most of the team’s starters, with seven fresh starters introduced against the Americans.
Rocky Rodriguez of the Portland Thorns, one of the most recognizable names on the roster, and 19-year-old Maria Paula Salas, who plays club soccer in Italy, will start on the bench. Another up-and-comer, 20-year-old Priscila Chinchilla, will feature once again in attack.
Costa Rica starting lineup (5-4-1, left to right): 1-Noelia Bermudez (GK) — 12-Lixy Rodriguez, 5-Valeria Del Campo, 4-Mariana Benavides, 6-Carol Sanchez, 2-Gabriela Guillen — 14-Priscila Chinchilla, 10-Shirley Cruz, 16-Katherine Alvarado, 13-Emilie Valenciano — 9-Carolina Venegas
Costa Rica subs (12): 23-Daniela Solera (GK), 18-Priscilla Tapia, 8-Daniela Cruz, 20-Fabiola Villalobos, 3-Maria Paula Coto, 22-Cristel Sandi, 21-Viviana Chinchilla, 15-Cristin Granados, 11-Raquel Rodriguez, 17-Michelle Montero, 19-Maria Paula Salas, 7-Melissa Herrera
MORE: Who are the most successful women’s soccer sides?
USWNT vs. Costa Rica TV channel, live stream
- Date: Thursday, July 14
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV channel: CBS Sports Network
- Streaming: fuboTV, Paramount+
Thursday’s match between the U.S. Women’s National Team and Costa Rica from the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Mexico, will be broadcast in the United States on CBS Sports Network, which can also be streamed on fuboTV.
The match can be streamed on CBS’s subscription-based streaming platform, Paramount+, as well.
USWNT vs. Costa Rica betting odds & lines
Costa Rica may be +3400 long shots against the No. 1 team in the world, but don’t count out Las Ticas, especially after their showing against Canada. They could make a game of it in the first half.
The Costa Ricans’ ability to stay organized and compact in a single-elimination match could test the under on total goals for the match, which is pegged at 3.5. The match odds below apply to the 90 minutes of regulation only.
| Sports Interaction | |
|---|---|
| USA win | -2500 |
| Draw | +1100 |
| Costa Rica win | +3400 |
| Both teams to score Y/N |
N/A |
| Over/under 3.5 goals |
-175/+131 |
| USA -3.5 | +103 |
| Costa Rica +3.5 | -137 |
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