FootyPop: The USWNT Breaks Home Game Attendance Record from the 1999 World Cup
The SheBelieves Cup started on Saturday, with USWNT vs. Japan and Canada vs. Brazil going head-to-head in the semifinals. The final and third place matches are on Tuesday, with USWNT taking on Canada in the final. The NWSL will return this coming week. Here’s what you need to know about the past week’s women’s soccer news.
High of the Weekend
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The USWNT drew the largest crowd for a home friendly in team history, with 50,644 fans in attendance. This is the largest crowd since the 1999 World Cup.
Low of the Weekend
Back-to-back season ending knee injuries at Portland already.
Racing Louisville defender Elli Pikkujämsä with a torn patellar tendon in her left knee last week, came right after Midge Purce’s ACL.
Turf continues to be not kind on injuries
— SHE scores bangers (@SHEscoresbanger) April 4, 2024
There’s been another turf injury at Providence Park, the Portland Thorns’ stadium. In week two of NWSL play, Midge Purce suffered an ACL injury, and now Elli Pikkujämsä from Racing Louisville was confirmed to have torn her patellar tendon. It’s shocking that professional soccer teams still play on turf fields when there seems to be such a strong correlation between injury and turf.
News of the Weekend
Let's hope for a drier US vs Canada game 😅 pic.twitter.com/kxVr9HskOO
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) April 8, 2024
The SheBelieves Cup kicked off on Saturday, with the USWNT taking on Japan, and Canada vs. Brazil in the other semifinal.
Japan shocked everyone by scoring in the first 30 seconds of the match, forcing the U.S. to come back from a one-nil deficit. Goals from Jaedyn Shaw and Lindsey Horan would lead the USWNT to a 2-1 victory.
The Canada vs. Brazil match went to penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw, with Canada advancing to the final. It will be a USWNT vs. Canada rematch from the Gold Cup semifinals–we just hope the conditions allow it to be a fair game this time.
Assist of the Weekend
This is the smoothest back heel play I have ever witnessed.
— SHE scores bangers (@SHEscoresbanger) April 5, 2024
This assist is why Alexia Putellas is one of the best players in the world. The way she so nonchalantly backheels the ball to Paralluelo is insane.
Player of the Weekend
5 – Jaedyn Shaw is the only player in #USWNT history to score in her first five career starts.
She's only the 13th player to score in 5 straight starts in any point in her career and at 19 years, 138 days old, the youngest ever to do so. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/C7WBEftzt6
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) April 6, 2024
Jaedyn Shaw is something else. She’s scored five goals in her first five consecutive starts, an accomplishment no other USWNT player has reached, and she’s only 19 years old.
Return of the Weekend
For the first time in 364 days, @MalPugh is back in Red, White and Blue ❤️🤍💙 pic.twitter.com/gsfyb31ND9
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) April 6, 2024
Mallory Swanson returned to the USWNT, starting and playing 78 minutes of the match against Japan. Catarina Macario also made her first appearance for the Stars and Stripes in around two years, coming on as a second-half substitution.
What to Look Forward To
Ali Krieger is NOT DONE YET‼️
Two time World Cup Winner, @alikrieger has announced that she will be playing with US Women at TST this June!
Ali will reunite with Heather O'Reilly as they'll look to win TST's first ever Women's Tournament🇺🇸
TST TICKETS: https://t.co/N7DEXHhSo4 pic.twitter.com/W7FBLBq4W9
— TST (@TST7v7) April 5, 2024
The Soccer Tournament is still a ways away, but get excited because Ali Krieger is coming out of retirement to join Heather O’Reilly’s team!
Fav Social Media Post
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It’s a women’s sports crossover! With the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament coming to a close this past weekend, we saw a ton of women’s soccer players supporting their fave players and teams, specifically Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who has had a remarkable impact on women’s basketball. We love to see women supporting women!
Featured image via Noel Danseco
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