On Wednesday night, the U.S Women’s National Team (USWNT) won the SheBelieves Cup with a 6-0 win over Argentina. The victory marks the first time any team has won the title in consecutive years.
Veteran star Megan Rapinoe scored two of the game’s goals in the 16th and 26th minutes, with strikes off of passes from Rose LaVelle and Carli Lloyd. Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, and Kristie Mewis also scored for the WNT.
“We wanted to come out fast as always,” said Rapinoe who, with seven total goals in SheBelieves appearances — three this year — is the tournament’s career leader. “It’s always dangerous to leave teams hanging around, so we definitely didn’t do that today.”
In addition to Rapinoe’s career-leading performance, other players came away from the night’s victory having reached personal milestones of their own. Morgan’s goal was her first since giving birth to her daughter, Charlie, last year. And Rose Rose Lavelle, who scored the team’s lone goal against rival Canada in an earlier game, was named the tournament’s MVP.
In a statement reported by the Associated Press (AP), Morgan said that she was thrilled to be one of many on the team who are mothers, and also professional athletes. “I just want to be an example for other female athletes who are moms or want to become moms, knowing that they still belong in the game.”
With the win, the U.S. has extended its winning streak to 37 games; their last loss against France in early 2019. They have won the title previously in 2016, 2018, and 2020; in this year’s edition, they did not concede any goals, setting another tournament record.
What Do You Think?