MONTERREY, MEXICO – JULY 14: Ashley Sanchez of USA kicks the ball and scores her team’s third goal while observed by teammate Alex Morgan during the semifinal between United States and Costa Rica as part of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship at Universitario Stadium on July 14, 2022 in Monterrey, Mexico. (Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images)
The U.S. women’s national soccer team is one win away from another trophy.
Following the USWNT’s 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship on Thursday, the team is now headed to the final:
Emily Sonnett opened the bank account for the USWNT in the 34th minute. Mallory Pugh’s right-sided corner kick went to the far left post, which started a wild sequence of deflections until Sonnett poked it in:
The USMNT had 64% possession of the ball at the final whistle as a result of the players’ ability to win the ball back in key areas all throughout the contest. In stoppage time just before the end of the first half, Rose Lavelle slipped a cheeky backheel from just outside the box to Pugh, who found the right corner with her left foot to make it 2-0:
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USMNT’s final goal didn’t come until the very last second. With four minutes of stoppage time before the game ended, a deep lob pass entered Costa Rica’s penalty box 20 seconds past the 94th minute. Alex Morgan tried to bring it down for a shot, but it instead fell to Ashley Sanchez, who curled it in past Noelia Bermúdez to make it 3-0:
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The U.S. will now await the winner of Canada vs. Jamaica for the final on Monday, July 18. Kick off is slated for 10 p.m. ET. If the U.S. win the final, it will qualify for a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The squad has already booked its ticket for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
In the five CONCACAF W Championships before 2022 (1991, 1994, 1998, 2014, 2018), the USWNT went undefeated when it reached the final, going 4-0. The only instance it didn’t was in 1998 because it did not participate in the tournament.
