MONTERREY, Mexico – The first Semifinal match of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey saw the United States down Costa Rica 3-0 on Thursday evening at the Estadio Universitario, sealing their ticket to the Final of the tournament.
The match started with the North Americans seizing the momentum, when in the 3’, Alex Morgan, from open play, tried to score the first one of the evenings, but barely missed it, sending the ball wide.
The U.S kept trying to score the first one of the Semifinals and almost had it in the 11’, but Costa Rica GK Noelia Bermudez was alert and protected her goal.
Up until the cooling break, both teams had chances, but the scoreline was still 0-0. Next in the 32’, it was Mallory Pugh who tried to score from a free kick, but it ended up in Bermudez’s gloves.
The U.S. didn’t slow down and in the 33’, after a mad scramble in front of goal, Emily Sonnett was the one who ended up sending the ball to the back of the net. The first U.S. goal in this CWC Semifinal was also the first international goal for Sonnett.
In the 45+4’, Pugh’s efforts finally bore fruit when Rose Lavelle recovered the ball in the area, played a backheel that Pugh found, scoring the second goal of the night for the U.S.
Costa Rica didn’t stop pushing and tried to get one goal back and had a look in the 93’ via a free kick, but their effort ended up in U.S. GK Casey Murphy’s hands.
Right before the final whistle, in the 94’, the U.S. used Murphy’s stop from just a minute before to launch an attack and Ashley Sanchez scored the third and final goal of the night for her team, who will play in their seventh CWC Final.
