With just a little more than three months to go until the Women’s World Cup in France, the U. S. squad is looking for…
With just a little more than three months to go until the Women’s World Cup in France, the U. S. squad is looking for proof it has all the right ingredients to affirm its ranking as number one in the world. But as the team left the pitch Wednesday night after a 2-2 tie with Japan, they acknowledged there’s still some tinkering to do – and that if they’re to defend their World Cup title, they can’t afford to make many mistakes.
It was the first day of the SheBelieves Cup, a tournament hosted by the U. S. in the run-up to the World Cup, which kicks off June 7. The game offered a rematch of the 2015 World Cup final, when the U. S. beat Japan 5-2. But both squads have changed significantly since then, and this four-team tournament provides a chance for each team’s coach to try new lineups — and see who will be making the trip to France.
But summer felt far away on this cold night outside Philadelphia, as a biting wind rolled off the Delaware River. Many players wore gloves, and spectators hesitated to take off their hats for the singing of the national anthem.
There were many young fans in the stands to catch the doubleheader — an earlier game saw England defeat Brazil 2-1 — and a high pitched chorus rose in excitement every time Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, or Alex Morgan started on a breakaway run in the game’s early minutes.
