The U.S. women’s national soccer team fought to a gritty 1-0 victory Monday against host Mexico to clinch the top spot in Group A at the Concacaf W Championship.

The result knocks Mexico out of World Cup qualifying. Jamaica earned second place in the group and the group’s second World Cup berth with a 3-0 win against Haiti.

For the USWNT, the Mexico matchup provided highlights and lowlights ahead of the tournament’s semifinals.

Lack of chemistry remains a challenge

The USWNT struggled to find its offensive tempo against Mexico, with the squad logging just two shots on goal in the opening half. Mexico, for its part, disrupted its opponent’s attack, effectively blunting the United States’ rhythm.

When asked about the team’s lack of creativity following the match, USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski gave all credit to Mexico.

“Sometimes it’s not us. Sometimes it’s how much the opponent allows things to happen … [Mexico] was making it very hard for us … If we don’t score early the game will be difficult,” Andonovski told reporters.

The USWNT has been eager to give minutes to a range of players, with few lines given time to gel. Perhaps that has shown itself in the lack of chemistry.

Monday’s starting lineup featured seven changes from Thursday’s lineup against Jamaica. Emily Sonnett took the place of Emily Fox, who is out due to COVID-19 protocol. Becky Sauerbrunn slotted back into the defensive line, replacing Alana Cook, while Kelly O’Hara replaced Sofia Huerta. Casey Murphy got the start in net over Alyssa Naeher, while Andi Sullivan started in the defensive midfield position, pushing Rose Lavelle out of the starting XI. In the attack, Alex Morgan and Margaret Purce replaced an injured Ashley Hatch and a resting Mallory Pugh.

Purce was a bright spot in an otherwise stressed USWNT attack, with the Gotham star dominating the wing and creating the most dangerous chances for her side.

After an arduous first two halves, the USWNT finally found its breakthrough goal in the 89th minute, as Kristie Mewis bodied in a deflected Sonnett header. The play was reviewed for a potential offside call on Sonnett, but the ruling on the field stood, upholding the USWNT’s lone goal of the match.

KRISTIE IN THE 89TH 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/8RhSJz4pXJ

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 12, 2022

Naomi Girma continues to shine

Naomi Girma has had an excellent showing during the Concacaf W Championship, slotting into the center-back role alongside Cook and then Sauerbrunn. The 22-year-old continued to show her potential in the Mexico game, winning one-on-one defensive battles with apparent ease.

The San Diego Wave star’s ability to distribute also has been on display, as she has served precise long balls into the USWNT attack. While the Concacaf group stage hasn’t been the most illuminating for defensive tests, Girma has made a case for herself in the team’s center-back pool.

Atmosphere favored Mexico

Mexico’s fans showed out to watch their team take on the USWNT, with 20,522 fans packing the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey. The crowd is what Mexico was waiting for all tournament long after lackluster turnout.

The fans were raucous, packing the venue and staying loud throughout the match. The USWNT hasn’t played in such an environment in quite some time, giving the younger players a critical look into international tournament atmosphere.

Andonovski credited the impassioned crowd for affecting his team’s focus.

“As the atmosphere was getting fired up, our team started losing focus on the tempo,” Andonovski told media. “We had very good control of the tempo until the atmosphere started getting ramped and then our players started falling into the trap. That’s where the inexperience comes in.”

The USWNT continues its quest for the Concacaf W Championship title at 7 p.m. ET Thursday, when the team will face Costa Rica in the tournament semifinals.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.