Where the men failed, the women succeeded. While they still have to play Canada in the Concacaf Championship final, the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Jamaica to earn a ticket to France for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Even for the USWNT, they have been on another level this tournament. In the group, USA outscored their three opponents (Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago) 18-0 and defeated Jamaica 6-0. Even though they have become the 17th team to qualify for the Women’s World Cup, the USWNT will face Canada (who has also qualified for the Women’s World Cup) for the Concacaf Championship this Wednesday.
The goalscoring came early and often for the USWNT. Not even two minutes in, Tobin Heath got things started getting to the end of a rebound from a Lindsey Horan shot.
So, that didn't take long.
Tobin Heath gives the USWNT an early lead! pic.twitter.com/IYqKqfEjhH
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 15, 2018
A little over ten minutes later, Abby Dahlkemper sent a beauty of a long pass, switching fields to Megan Rapinoe. The captain kept it herself and rifled a shot that went near post and into the top left corner of the goal.
What a goal!
Megan Rapinoe doubles the USWNT's lead after a wonderful cross-field pass from Abby Dahlkemper. pic.twitter.com/MhK83vGWeY
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 15, 2018
Julie Ertz’s header made it three goals in 2o minutes, putting the USWNT up 3-0.
Julie Ertz makes it 3️⃣!
Only 21 minutes in and it looks like the USWNT will take care of business tonight. pic.twitter.com/7jAtyG7Gvx
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 15, 2018
And then after that, the USWNT was in control. Heath got her second from a great Horan assist and then Alex Morgan scored her 95th international goal to go up 5-0 within the first 33 minutes.
And another one! 🇺🇸
Tobin Heath gets her second of the night after a BEAUTY of an assist from Lindsay Horan. #USWNT pic.twitter.com/i282ogSYoe
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 15, 2018
Time to book those tickets to France. ✈️
Alex Morgan makes it 5-0 with career goal No. 95! #USWNT pic.twitter.com/lT8xLnRhda
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 15, 2018
Jamaica never gave up but by the time it got to 5-0, it was all but over. Morgan added another late goal via a penalty kick to make it a 6-0 final. This is a kind of efficiency that we haven’t seen out of the USWNT in recent years. At no point has the USWNT ever been pressured nor was there any doubt that they weren’t going to dominate. They scored early and often in all four games and they don’t even have Meghan Klingenberg, who is injured.
There is still eight months until the World Cup so there’s still a lot of time and a lot of games that will be played between now and then, including the final against Canada. I’m not saying give the USWNT the World Cup, but if they can lock down games very early, they will be tough to beat and may become the second team to successfully defend their title.