HARRISON, N.J. (AP) – Alyssa Thompson scored in the 82nd minute to break the deadlock and the United States defeated Colombia 1-0 on Saturday to win the SheBelieves Cup.
It was the eighth consecutive shutout for the United States, and they have not allowed a goal since 2019. 3-1 win over Portugal in October. This was also Team USA’s eighth overall victory in this year’s 11th SheBelieves Cup tournament.
Early that morning at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Canada defeats Argentina After a scoreless draw, the score was 3-2 in the penalty shootout.
The victory over Colombia left the United States undefeated in the She Believes Cup tournament. Canada finished in second place Lost to America 1-0 Colombia took third place on Wednesday. Argentina finished the four-team round-robin tournament in last place with no points.
U.S. coach Emma Hayes said, “I thought we were sluggish in the first half. I thought everything we did was a step off. I thought our midfield was too deep. I thought we were slow in pressing the ball. Overall, I thought our play was average.” “But we’re playing against a good opponent who can transition well. So I think it was a good moment for us to take that test.”
The United States has a total record of 13 wins, 0 losses, and 2 draws against Colombia. The only time Las Cafeteras has scored against the U.S. team was in a 2-2 draw in the group stage of the 2016 Olympics.
After a scoreless first half, U.S. defender Naomi Girma was forced off with a calf strain. Grima later told reporters that he left the match as a precaution.
Thompson, who plays for Chelsea, received a cross from Jadyn Shaw and expertly slotted the ball into the top corner over the bar and out of the reach of Colombian goalkeeper Catherine Tapia.
“I think this year has been a great year for Alyssa, both for club and country,” Hayes said. “I think the consistency of her play stands out to me in terms of being able to get things done over 90 minutes and being able to get it done game after game, including clutch moments like today. She’s been doing that all year long for Chelsea.”
It was Thompson’s fourth international goal and earned her the tournament MVP award. She said when the ball left her foot, she wasn’t sure if it was a goal.
“I wanted to get another shot on goal, so I looked at it and put a shot over the crossbar,” Thompson said. “That’s when I knew it was coming in.”
The United States remained scoreless for 805 minutes.
“I think we showed how to win when we’re not at our best. I think we showed versatility. I think we showed depth. I think we showed maturity,” Hayes said. “As a coach, I’m happy with those things. And of course I love the shutout, but more importantly, I love that we didn’t give up a lot of chances.”
Before the game, the U.S. honored the former midfielder. tobin heathHe officially retired last year after suffering a lingering knee injury.
Heath, who won the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups with the U.S. national team, played her final game for the national team in 2021. She played 181 games for the national team and scored 36 goals during a 13-year career.
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