The United States defeated Brazil 1-0 on Sunday and was crowned champion of the first Women’s Gold Cup in front of 31,500 fans in San Diego (California).
Captain Lindsey Horan scored the winning goal for the hosts with a header in the 45th+1 minute in front of the packed stands of Snapdragon Stadium.
The United States, four-time world champion, put a golden finish on their uneven tournament with this hard-fought triumph over Brazil, winners of the last Copa America, who came into this final on a roll with a perfect five victories. “I’m very proud of the team,” declared Horan, midfielder for Olympique Lyon.
“We got the win again. It was a tough match, Brazil challenged us in a different way,” acknowledged Lohan, who last year was part of the U.S. team that disappointed at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by being eliminated in the round of 16.
Both teams, who also used the tournament as preparation for the upcoming Paris Games, experienced another episode in their long history of clashes on the big stages, which include two American triumphs in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic finals.
The United States, in the midst of rebuilding to regain their international hegemony, took a hard hit by falling to Mexico in the group stage but then showed pride in overcoming obstacles to reach the final.
The ‘canarinha’, one of the four South American teams invited to this new Concacaf tournament, came into the final in better form after sweeping their knockout matches against Argentina (5-1) and the rising Mexico (3-0).
“I really liked the team, they were very competitive against a great opponent. This tournament was very important for our preparation,” said Brazil’s coach, Arthur Elias.
Aerial dominance
In the decisive match, Brazil dominated possession from the start but their control did not translate into clear goal-scoring opportunities. One of their first chances came from a serious error by goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, the American heroine in the penalty shootout win over Canada in the semifinals.
Naeher got tangled up with the ball in her area and ended up handing it to the Brazilian offense, who failed to take advantage of the gift as Gabi Nunes’ shot went high.
The hosts, meanwhile, barely created danger with a forward line led by veteran Alex Morgan and young Trinity Rodman, daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman.
Interim head coach Twila Kilgore left the team’s new jewel on the bench, 19-year-old attacker Jaedyn Shaw, who had shone in her own right until being chosen as the tournament’s best player on Sunday.
The hosts, however, struck gold with their aerial superiority on the edge of halftime in an action that began with Rodman cutting inside from the right.
The winger reached the end line, drew in several defenders and passed back to Emily Fox, who crossed into the box for Horan to make it 1-0 with an imposing header at the far post. “We knew they were very good in the air… We had prepared for that and avoided it for most of the match,” said the Brazilian coach.
The goal, Horan’s third in the tournament, did not stop Kilgore from making quick changes to bolster the attack, bringing on Shaw, Sophia Smith and Lynn Williams.
Brazil, who had only launched one shot on target in the first half, also recruited their stars Geyse and Debinha for the comeback, who had started the game on the bench.
Both had the best shots of the second half but never came close to jeopardizing the party that broke out with the final whistle in San Diego.
