2019 Women’s World Cup France
The US Women’s National Team battled to beat Spain 2-1 at the Round of 16 stage. Two penalties converted by Rapinoe got the best of a tenacious Iberian team. USWNT will now face the host country France at the quarterfinal stage for the most anticipated match in this World Cup.
Les Bleues fought hard to overcome Brazil 2-1, with a late goal from Henry during the overtime. 13 years later another Henry [Thierry Henry for the men’s France-Brazil 1-0 in 2006] crushes the Brazilian dreams.
US Soccer Press Release
The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Spain 2-1 in front of 19,633 fans at Stade Auguste-Delaune to advance to the quarterfinal round of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In humid, 85-degree heat, the USA battled a physical Spain side that conceded two penalty kicks, both of which U.S. captain Megan Rapinoe swept home to earn the Americans the deserved win.
The USA opened the scoring in the 7th minute after Tobin Heath got on the end of a longball over the backline and was taken down in the penalty area by Mapi León as she cut toward goal. Rapinoe, wearing the captain’s for the second time this tournament, stepped to the spot and dispatched the penalty kick with aplomb for the early 1-0 lead.
Spain equalized just two minutes later when Lucía García poked the ball away from U.S. defender Becky Sauerbrunn in the back and it rolled straight to Spain’s star striker Jenni Hermoso. U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who had played the pass to Sauerbrunn, was caught off her line and Hermoso curled a shot from the penalty arc into the top right corner to level the match at 1-1.
The teams traded opportunities until halftime with the U.S. racking up the advantage in shots and possession but was unable to break the deadlock. In the second half, the U.S. defense held Spain to only a pair of shots, neither of which were on target, while Naeher did well coming off her line to punch away a handful of dangerous crosses into the box.
With fifteen minutes remaining and tensions growing, Rose Lavelle set up the winning kick when she was fouled in the Spain penalty area while chasing down a loose ball. After Hungarian referee Katalin Kulcsar consulted with her VAR team to confirm the penalty kick, Rapinoe once again delivered from the spot. Her shot to the lower left corner past a diving Sandra Paños proved to be the winner in a gritty 2-1 triumph for the Americans.
