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Sophia Smith's Goal Celebration for Lost Teammate
PLUS: Weekend match recap, a look ahead, more than 1.5 million tickets sold
Welcome to The Women’s Game, our new email newsletter, designed to deliver a concise, intelligent framing of every day of football during the World Cup so you can maximize your viewing pleasure. If you like what you read below, our only request is you forward it to a football-loving (or football-curious) friend.
It’s Monday, July 24th. Give us four minutes, we give you everything World Cup.
SMITH GOAL IS FOR MEYER: Naomi Girma confirms that Sophia Smith’s first goal celebration was in memory of Katie Meyer, their teammate and best friend from Stanford who tragically took her own life during their senior year.
I. Sam Mewis, Tobin Heath & Carli Lloyd weigh in on USWNT performance
Over the weekend, esteemed US veterans who have been there before provided thoughts on Thursday’s victory over Vietnam. Here’s a look at what they said:
Sam Mewis
Speaking with Rog directly after the game for Do It Live!, Sam provided copious, firsthand insight into her teammates. That includes describing the impact of Julie Ertz as she moved back to center back:
“So my experience with Julie is organizing, making sure everybody's in the right place, explaining where to be, solving problems. And I think that's exactly what she can bring into that backline. Definitely helpful I think today, having her back there.”
And on Lindsey Horan:
“I think this tournament is in her mind and even in my mind, is this is her moment to be like: ‘This is who I am as a player. This is the impact that I can have on the game,’ for the whole world to see.”
Tobin Heath
On The RE-CAP SHOW with Christen Press, Tobin reflected with measured optimism on the performance but did name a few points of concern. That includes one involving Morgan’s penalty:
“Look, Alex Morgan. She doesn't miss a lot of penalty kicks. She missed a penalty kick. It wasn't a great penalty. But what I saw, which I think is the big thing, is who was first to that ball, after she missed? It was two Vietnamese players. Where were we? We train things like that. That's a mentality. That's a focus.”
Heath also noted that the US never hit that next level in the second half, when a team famous for its depth tends to break down tired legs of the opposition and “the floodgates open”. Heath: “I think we were all kind of like waiting for that to happen. Right? And it didn't feel like they ever switched into another gear.”
Carli Lloyd
Reflecting on the match at a few days' distance for FOX Sports in Sydney, Carli Lloyd shared concern in the fluidity of the US attack as it compared to other competitors over the weekend:
“Well, I don't think there's a need to hit the panic button just yet. But after seeing Brazil, Germany, you know, the way in which they're scoring these goals, the team build-up, it's looking a lot different than the US.”
Programming Alert: 🚨US Women’s National Team World Cup Winner Sam Mewis and Rog will Do It Live! on Amp on Wednesday right at the final whistle of the USWNT’s second group stage match against the Dutch. We cannot wait to raise a victory pint with you and answer your questions live on the Pod. Download the AMP app or listen on your laptop HERE. You can also tell your Alexa, “Hey Alexa, play Men in Blazers” while we’re live and you can listen in.
II. Over the weekend
Sweden 2 - 1 South Africa. First match with goals from both teams. 🇸🇪 🇿🇦
The AFCON reigning champions entered the match with as much togetherness and joy as you’ll see in the tournament, then proceeded to score first against Sweden. The European juggernauts fought back with two second half goals to steal the victory, including this 90th minute game winner headed home off a corner.
Netherlands 1 - 0 Portugal. Lone early goal gives Netherlands the edge. 🇳🇱 🇵🇹
USA’s Group E foes set off in Dunedin in a tight contest between reigning World Cup co-finalists and World Cup debutantes. An early goal from Stefanie van der Gragt heading home a corner in the 13th minute made the difference.
France 0 - 0 Jamaica. Jamaica impress against tournament favorites. 🇫🇷 🇯🇲
France entered the tournament as strong tournament contenders, but were held to a standstill by a formidable and cohesive Jamaican side, led by the exceptional talent of Manchester City’s fearless attacker, the footballer that can do it all, Bunny Shaw. Major moment of the match came in stoppage time as Shaw was sent off with a red card.
Italy 1 - 0 Argentina. Italy edge by with a late goal. 🇮🇹 🇦🇷
Italy look ready to build on 2019’s quarter-final run as they clinched victory against Argentina. Despite having just slightly more of the ball, Italy procured more quality chances and finished that opportunity with Cristiana Girelli’s (Juventus) 87th minute header.
Germany 6 - 0 Morocco. Alex Popp brace leads Germany to largest margin of victory so far. 🇩🇪 🇲🇦
Popp thought she had a hat-trick, but with her third impact ruled an own goal, the veteran Wolfsburg striker settled for a brace as Germany looked as threatening as everybody imagined, claiming the largest margin of victory so far this tournament with a whopping six goals. Despite the loss, in many ways ‘The Morocco Women’s National Team Has Already Won’, as the New York Times’ argue in their profile of Morocco, the first North African and majority Arab nation to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
Brazil 4 - 0 Panama. Ary Borges hat-trick claims golden boot lead with impressive Brazil opener. 🇧🇷 🇵🇦
Brazil ushered their GOAT Marta into her sixth World Cup with a stunning performance as pretty as it was punishing. Racing Louisville’s Ary Borges (moved to tears after her first goal) collected a hat-trick, but Bia Zaneratto’s goal completed the play of the entire tournament.
🇺🇸🍻 We have continued getting up at 1 in the morning to spend time one-on-one with our US stars, starting with young rock Naomi Girma, game-changer Trinity Rodman, the perpetual glue-person Emily Sonnett for our series “Direct from Down Under,” Presented by our friends at Bud Light. Our talk with Emily Sonnett is OUT NOW and tomorrow, we’ll have an episode with The Great Horan. These interviews have been a blast to tape – these players are so singular, their personalities so distinct, and perhaps it is something to do with the middle of the night taping-time, but they have often been hilarious. Know this: we asked each as many of your questions as we could. Keep sending them. LISTEN TO OUR FIRST EPISODES WITH NAOMI GIRMA, TRINITY RODMAN, AND EMILY SONNETT. 🇺🇸🍻
III. Coming up:
Colombia vs. South Korea (10 p.m. EST, FS1, Peacock, Universo) 🇨🇴 🇰🇷
The final first match sets off this evening, marking the end of the first round of games. Colombia’s 18-year-old Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid) is the name to watch as Las Chicas Superpoderosas (the Powerpuff Girls) take on the Taegeuk Ladies.
New Zealand vs Philippines (1:30 a.m. EST, FS1, Peacock, Universo) 🇳🇿 🇵🇭
New Zealand will be strong favorites tonight as the co-host nation seeks a second victory, still riding on the momentum of last Wednesday’s historic win over Norway.
Switzerland vs. Norway (4 a.m. EST, FS1, Peacock, Telemundo) 🇨🇭 🇳🇴
Rumors are circulating from Norway’s camp that manager Hege Riise plans to do the unthinkable and sit world class talent Carolina Graham Hansen (Barcelona), as well as Ingrid Engen (Barcelona), due to “tactical decisions” ahead of a must-win match following their loss to co-hosts New Zealand.
IV. News and Notes
‘How food can be USWNT’s Secret Sauce’: ESPN investigates what the US squad is eating in Auckland
FIFA announced Monday that ticket sales have passed 1.5 million total just five days into the tournament, putting this year’s event on track to break the all-time record set in Canada in 2015.
In yet more ACL-related heartbreak, reporters confirmed today that Haiti’s Jennyfer Limage tore her ACL during Friday’s match with England.
V. Parting Shots
Eight World Cup debutantes have officially commenced their first tournament. Emotions rung out across each team as footballers’ dreams come true, representing their nations from Morocco’s proud entry, to a tear-strewn Panama, to a powerful Portugal entry and beyond.
