— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 8, 2019
Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Netherlands
Date: July 7, 2019
Competition: 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup; Final
Venue: Stade de Lyon; Lyon, France
Kickoff: 11 a.m. ET (5 p.m. local)
LYON, France (July 7, 2019) – A sellout crowd of 57,900 fans that thundered “USA” chants throughout the game turned up at Stade de Lyon to witness the U.S. Women’s National Team claim its record fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup title with a 2-0 triumph over 2017 UEFA Women’s Euro champions the Netherlands. Megan Rapinoe, who was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player and the Golden Boot as its top scorer with six goals and three assists in 428 minutes played, opened the scoring for the USA in the second half, and Rose Lavelle, who was awarded the Bronze Ball, scored the USA’s second goal of the Final, as the USWNT authored another entry in the history books as the highest scoring team in Women’s World Cup history with 26 goals scored. The world title makes the USA only the second nation to successfully defend a World Cup crown.
U.S. head coach Jill Ellis, who is now only four wins short of becoming the
winningest coach in USWNT history, made two changes to the USA’s starting XI,
returning Rapinoe to the forward line alongside Silver Boot winner Alex Morgan
(six goals, three assists in 490 minutes played) and offensive dynamo Tobin
Heath after she sat out the England match with a strained hamstring, and
drafting Samantha Mewis into midfield alongside defensive stalwart Julie Ertz
and the all-around brilliant Lavelle.
The U.S. was methodical in its approach to the game, attacking the flanks
of the Dutch defense early and often in an effort to spread the field and
create chances for its plethora of attacking talents. Despite dominating 60
percent of possession in the first half, the U.S. initially had some difficulty
with a packed-in Netherlands squad as neither team recorded a shot on goal in
the first 20 minutes. However, as the half wore on, the USA found set pieces
we’re a profitable avenue for generating shots on goal, ultimately ending the
half with four on target that forced Netherlands goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal
to make as many save in the opening 45 as she’d had to make in the entirety of
any previous match in the tournament.
Veenendaal, who was awarded the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best ‘keeper,
showed why she had been given that distinction beginning in the 27th minute
when she batted away a blistering volley from Ertz. She then parried a
point-blank header from Mewis before recovering to claw a Morgan redirection
back as it rolled toward the goal line moments later in the 37th minute.
Veenendaal brilliantly denied Morgan a second time in the 40th minute when the
U.S. forward curled a left-footed drive toward the bottom right corner.
After being held without a touch in the USA penalty area for nearly the
entire opening 45 minutes, the Dutch conjured a late flurry of offense but was
unable to truly trouble Alyssa Naeher in the U.S. goal as the USWNT defense
cleared away the Netherlands three crosses into the box.
At halftime, veteran defender Ali Krieger entered the game for right back
Kelley O’Hara who was withdrawn after suffering a knock in the final moments of
the first half.
Krieger proved an assured deputy as the U.S. continued its dominance in the
second half, finally finding the crucial breakthrough near the hour mark. A
long ball over the Netherlands defense for Morgan resulted in Stefanie van der
Gragt missing an attempt to clear the ball and instead kicking Morgan with a
high boot. French referee Stephanie Frappart consulted a replay after the Video
Assistant Referee contacted her and duly awarded the U.S. a penalty kick.
After Veenendaal made the first move, Rapinoe sent the spot kick into the
lower right side of the goal to give the USA the 1-0 lead and become the oldest
player (34 years and two days) to score in a World Cup final, breaking Carli
Lloyd’s record set in the 2015 edition of the tournament.
Eight minutes later Lavelle gave the USA much deserved breathing room with
a fantastic strike into the lower right corner after carrying the ball from
midfield to the edge of the Netherlands penalty area.
The 2-0 score line in favor of the U.S. forced the Netherlands forward
which opened up the game and played into the American’s preferred style of
counterattacking as Heath, Morgan and Dunn all drew impressive stops from
Veenendaal over the final 20 minutes.
Naeher and the U.S. defense did their part at the other end, limiting the Netherlands to four second half shots, only one of which was on goal.
Naeher and the U.S. defense did their part at the other end, limiting the Netherlands to four second half shots, only one of which was on goal.
The USA’s historic World Cup title triumph that was celebrated by thousands of fans across France and the United States who attended matches and tuned into games in record numbers throughout the tournament comes 33 years and a continent away from the U.S. Women’s National Team first ever program win, a 2-0 result against Canada in Blaine, Minnesota on July 7, 1986.
Source: The
United States Soccer Federation, Inc.
