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USWNT Win SheBelieves Cup; Back-to-Back Tournament Champions

A 6-0 win over Argentina’s National Team clinched the SheBelieves Cup champions for the USWNT Wednesday evening. Once raising the trophy, they became back-to-back champions, having previously won in 2020 as well.

This is the USWNT’s 6th appearance in the showcase and 4th time they have won the title overall since first hosting and creating the event back in 2016 in honor of American soccer legend Abby Wambach. The only other 2 teams to win the title were France in 2017 and England in 2019.

Argentina’s National Team made their first appearance in the tournament this year after Japan backed out because of Covid. Likewise, this was only the 4th match-up between these groups in history, neither have played each other since 2014 when the USWNT defeated Argentina 7-0.

It was predicted that the USWNT would go out with a bang and that they did. Five different players scored 6 goals altogether; Megan Rapinoe had 2 back-to-back goals at the beginning of the first half. Rapinoe netted her 1st goal 16 minutes after Rose Lavelle chipped the ball over the Argentinian defense for Rapinoe to run onto, easily placing it in the far-right corner. Her 2nd goal came 26 minutes in when Carli Lloyd dribbled the ball up to the side of the net and, just in the nick of time, slotted it across the front of the goal to Rapinoe, who finished it with ease.

Carli Lloyd scored 35 minutes in when midfielder Kristie Mewis crossed the ball to the middle in front of the net; Lloyd got a foot on it just before the goalkeeper could reach out and stop the ball from entering the net. Shortly after contributing to an assist, Mewis obtained a goal herself, receiving the ball from Casey Krueger and finishing in the bottom right corner. Going into halftime, the USWNT was up 4-0, feeling pretty good about their performance.

After halftime let up, the USWNT did not slow down and kept the same pace and mentality the rest of the match. Alex Morgan was subbed in and assisted by young forward Sophia Smith in the 84th minute to put the team up 5-0; this was Morgan’s first goal for the USWNT since becoming a new mom to her daughter Charlie in the spring last year. Christen Press also obtained a late goal, 88 minutes in, from Lindsey Horan to earn the night’s final goal and end with a score of 6-0.

Many players made history once again during this short tournament and in this match alone. The USWNT is now unbeaten in their last 37 matches, and on American soil, that number increases to 53. Additionally, new manager Vlatko Andonovski is now 16-0-0 with the team, the best starting record for any coach to be the head of the USWNT.

Rapinoe was the first player to score more than 2 goals in one match in the tournament; she earned 3 overall. Similarly, Rapinoe now has 5 goals in 2021 alone.

Lloyd and Mewis also earned recognition for things other than their goals. Mewis got her first start on the field Wednesday evening, since early on in 2014. It was a big day for Lloyd as well, and she now has 299 caps for the USWNT and is now 3rd for most caps in USWNT history, just behind Christie Pearce (311) and Kristine Lilly (354).

The next step is narrowing down the roster to 18 players to take to Tokyo’s summer Olympics.

Neither team have any more games listed on their schedule for upcoming events.

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