It was all doom and gloom after Mexico beat USWNT 0-2 in the group stage. For many, this symbolized a power shift in women’s soccer. However, all such theories have been put to bed as Twila Kilgore’s side beat Colombia (3-0) & Canada (2-2 via penalties), to storm into the finals of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup. The display against Canada, in particular, was a special performance as the side was unbeaten until that point. The final hurdle left in the USWNT’s quest for the coveted trophy remains Brazil.
Brazil’s road to the final is as impressive as it gets. Their record reads 5 games, 5 wins with 15 goals scored and 1 conceded! Moreover, they thrashed Mexico, who had gotten the better of the USWNT previously, 3-0 in the SF. With just hours to go before the clash, let’s pull out all the must-knows about the much anticipated final.
Team and Injury News
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The USWNT has been fortunate to a degree regarding injuries. Their major absentees were ruled out before the tournament even began. Chelsea’s star, Mia Fishel had an unfortunate ACL injury that immediately ruled her out of the Gold Cup. Fortunately, her replacement was the more than capable Alex Morgan, and this has worked out quite well with Morgan pulling the strings. The other injury absentee is defender, Alana Cook, who missed out on tournament participation because of a minor knee injury.
Brazil was handed a big blow when their preferred goalkeeper of choice, Leticia Izidoro was sidelined ahead of the tournament after rupturing her ACL. This meant Luciana became the No. 1, and she has proved to be a more than capable replacement.
USWNT vs Brazil: Expected Lineups
USWNT’s probable starting XI
(4-2-3-1): Naeher; Nighswonger, Davidson, Girma, Fox; Coffey, Korbin; Shaw, Horan, Rodman; Morgan
Brazil’s probable starting XI
(3-4-3): Luciana; Thais, Souza, Lauren; Yasmin, Duda, Borges, Menezes; Debinha, Gabi Portilho, Nunes
Score prediction
Considering the pressure of the occasion and the impressive records of both teams, we expect a low-scoring encounter. However, the USWNT always seems to thrive under pressure and we predict them to pip Brazil via a penalty shootout with the regular time score being 1-1.
H2H stats
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The stats for this particular fixture are heavily in favor of USWNT. In the 39 previous meetings, the US women have emerged victorious in 31 of those, while Brazil has just won thrice. Notably, Brazil has lost all 6 previous encounters!
How to watch USWNT vs Brazil?
The game kicks off at Snapdragon Stadium on March 10 at 19:15 ET/16:15 PT. Fans in the US can watch the game live on Paramount+ and ESPN+. For audiences in other parts of the world, the match can be streamed via the CONCACAF GO and through CONCACAF’s official YouTube channel.
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For the USWNT, this is the opportunity to put their dismal World Cup campaign behind them for good. However, they face their sternest test yet against a flawless Brazil. Who will win the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup? Tell us below in the comments.