USWNT splash into Gold Cup finals over Canada through penalty shootout

San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw takes advantage of puddle to score first goal for USWNT against club teammate Kailen Sheridan. (Photo courtesy of Concacaf.com)

Anytime it rains in San Diego you’re told to avoid two places in the city: Imperial Beach, because of sewage water in the oceans, and Mission Valley because of the San Diego river that floods. 

The river wasn’t the issue this time around in Mission Valley. Snapdragon Stadium was flooded and hosted a dangerous Women’s Gold Cup semifinal match that the United States Women’s National Team managed to come out on top after a penalty shootout. 

An announced crowd of 15,245 fans watched as the waterlogged pitch caused players to fall and slide down the field continuously, and slow the ball to a halt in puddles.

Every player and coach said after the match the game probably shouldn’t have been played, but had no choice as the decision was out of their hands at that point. A Concacaf spokesperson said, “It is solely at the discretion of the referee as to whether the field is safe and playable.” However the referee was seen demonstrating that the ball could not roll down the pitch due to various puddles around the field, but was seemingly given a signal to continue playing by a matchday official. 

San Diego Wave’s Jaedyn Shaw got the first goal of the match after a poor decision by the Canada defender as she tried to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper. Was there no rain it would have been the right decision, but a puddle slowed the ball down to a halt. Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan tried to get in front of the ball, but Shaw ran past the defender easily and chipped the ball over her to make it 1-0. 

Star Wave defender Naomi Girma said after the match the U.S. defenders decided they would not pass the ball back after seeing the way the ball moved, instead opting to clear it out to the front for their attacking players to put pressure on the opposite side. 

“That’s not how we like to play, but it’s what we needed to do to win,” Girma said. “I think it was one of those games where the gameplan kind of went out the window and (just) find a way to win.” 

The rain subsided slightly during halftime allowing the grounds crew to push as much water off the field as they could, but it was still a messy match at that point. 

The ball would slowly move up on the pitch, but passes were inaccurate and few shots were made on either side that posed any threat to the goalkeeper. 
It wasn’t until minute 82 when Jordyn Huitema, who came on as a substitute, scored an equalizer after strong play by Canada to move the ball slowly into the final third with ease. Adriana Leon, the leading goal-scorer in the tournament, sent a ball to the top right corner of the penalty area for Ashley Lawerence. Lawerence had plenty of time to send a cross toward the far post where Huitema used her height to get over a USA defender and head the ball in to make it 1-1 and send it to extra time.

The offense on both sides remained stagnant again for the start of extra time and seemed destined for a penalty shootout until Emily Sonnett began sending the ball in the air up in Canada’s half. The ball went back and forth between the two teams until Sonnett sent a high cross that found Rose Lavelle who flicked it forward perfectly for Sophia Smith inside the center of the penalty area. Sheridan was at the center of the goal, but had no chance at stopping the shot by Smith that went to her left making it 2-1. 

In the second half of Extra time the referee awarded one minute of stoppage time giving Canada one last chance to equalize. They sent a long ball up in the air into the penalty box, where only Canada forward Vanessa Gilles had a chance to touch it, but U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher came out off the line and punched Gilles in the face. The referee did not call a foul, but after a VAR check awarded a penalty and yellow card to Naeher. 

Leon took the kick and made it easily to her right, sending the match to penalty kicks. 

The United States were in a penalty shootout against Sweden to end their 2023 Women’s World Cup run last season, and redeemed themselves this time around with goals by Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith and Alyssa Naeher. 

On the other side only Quinn for Canada made a good shot with a bullet into the top right corner of the goal. The rest of the team sent weak shots to Naeher’s right side that were stopped easily allowing the United States to advance to the Women’s Gold Cup Championship match versus Brazil on Sunday, at 5:15 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium where luckily there is no rain in the forecast.