The USWNT is through to the Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinals after a strong 3-0 win over Colombia on Sunday evening, bouncing back from a surprise loss to Mexico in the group stage.
Goals from Lindsey Horan, Jenna Nighswonger, and Jaedyn Shaw in an impressive first half gave the U.S. control over the match early. USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher registered a shutout in her 100th cap, only the third U.S. goalkeeper to reach the milestone.
Moving on: The match was a chippy affair with a fair amount of gamesmanship, with Alex Morgan drawing a penalty in just the 10′ and Horan sinking her shot from the spot three minutes later.
Naeher was called upon to make a number of big saves to keep the U.S. ahead, and Morgan’s influence on the match also showed in an assist for the team’s second goal. With tempers running high, Colombia could never fully recover from the early deficit, and Shaw’s goal in first half stoppage time put the game out of reach.
The team’s lineup reflected more of a combination of veteran leadership alongside younger players than the U.S.’s starting XI against Mexico. Sunday’s starters had an average of 57.7 caps, the least in the knockout stage of a competitive tournament for the USWNT since 1991 according to Opta. Shaw, a standout once again, became only the second USWNT player to score in each of her first three starts.
Other Gold Cup results: Canada took down Costa Rica 1-0 in extra time. Brazil defeated Argentina 5-1. And Mexico beat Paraguary 3-2.
Tune in: Mexico will battle Brazil in Wednesday’s Semifinal 1 (7pm ET), before the U.S. takes on Canada in Semifinal 2 (10:15 ET).