Game Recaps

The stars of the 2019 Women’s World Cup are returning to the NWSL and if Friday night was any evidence, they’re ready to keep people talking about women’s soccer beyond just once every four years.

All four goals in a 2-2 draw between the Utah Royals FC and Portland Thorns FC were scored by Women’s World Cup stars on Friday night in Sandy, Utah, yet the best performance of them all came from a USWNT player who didn’t even make it onto the pitch en route to the Americans’ fourth World Cup title.

It was, perhaps, the worst goal call of all time. And it unfortunately came on the match winner as Algeria won its second-ever Africa Cup of Nations title. 

Proving once again that it’s better to have announcers in the stadium, a clueless beIN Sports announcer seemed to have no idea the game-winning goal had gone in when Baghdad Bounedjah scored to give Algeria a 1-0 win over Senegal on Friday in Cairo. 

Senegal has advanced to its first Africa Cup of Nations final in 19 years after defeating Tunisia 1-0 after extra time in Cairo, Egypt. Both sides had chances to seal victory in regular time with penalties, but the goalkeepers came up big to send the match to an additional 30. From there, it was a comedic own goal that proved the difference.

It’s been just over eight years since Giovani dos Santos scored one of the greatest goals in Gold Cup history, putting the finishing touches on a 4-2 Mexico victory over the USMNT during the 2011 final. Fast forward to the present day and it’s his younger brother, Jonathan, who’s cemented El Tri’s continental dominance.

In a month that’s seen the national discourse largely dictated by USWNT attacker Megan Rapinoe, it’s only fitting that the 34-year-old has finished her 2019 Women’s World Cup odyssey with the final’s game-winning goal, as well as the tournament’s two most prestigious individual awards: The Golden Boot (given to the leading scorer) and Golden Ball (given to the best player).

It was Alex Morgan who drew the foul in the area in the 60th minute, but Rapinoe stepped up to convert her third penalty of the tournament. 

England does not like the VAR. The English FA, apparently full of Luddites, has been one of the last countries to begin to implement video replay, slow to accept that getting calls right is more important than anything else. 

Ellen White, England to her core, does not like the VAR either. She’d probably have the Golden Boot wrapped up by now were it not for video replay.

Brazil secured passage to the 2019 Copa América Final in Rio de Janeiro with a 2-0 victory over Argentina on Tuesday, marking another low point in the calamitous international career of Lionel Messi.

To be fair to Messi and his compatriots, Brazil was the massive favorite in this one, and the squad features a defense that’s now gone 450 minutes without conceding a goal. In attack, the likes of Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus and the ageless Dani Alves put on a show, mastering a La Albiceleste side that played its best game of the tournament.

The USMNT advanced to the semifinals of the 2019 Gold Cup with a 1-0 victory over Curaçao, and it really was that close. A wonderful combination between Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie in the 25th minute proved to be the match-winner, and the U.S. had to rely on five saves from Zack Steffen to weather the storm from the tiny Dutch Caribbean island.

The opening 25 minutes of play had very little to due with what transpired over the final 65 — that opening period was really the only time the U.S. seemed to be in control.