National Teams

Kids love to have imaginary tea parties when they’re young. Alex Morgan is still having one in France.

Alex Morgan, who turned 30 on Tuesday, celebrated with a fine cup of imaginary tea after scoring the second goal for the U.S. against England at the Women’s World Cup. 

Christen Press, who started in place of Megan Rapinoe, and Ellen White traded goals early on before Morgan gave the USWNT a 2-1 lead in the 31st minute with a headed goal.

The USWNT lineup vs England was announced shortly before the gigantic Women’s World Cup semifinal match in Lyon on Tuesday and the tournament’s biggest star is on the bench.

USWNT coach Jill Ellis put Megan Rapinoe, who has scored two goals in two straight knockout-round matches, on the bench, replacing her with Christen Press at left wing.

USWNT Lineup vs England

OH WHEN THE YANKS...

The stage is set for the most eagerly anticipated match of the 2019 Copa América: It’s a semifinal showdown between eternal South American rivals Brazil and Argentina at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte. 64,000 will be willing the home side to victory and the final, but standing in the Seleção’s way is that man Lionel Messi. 

The USWNT continues to find itself in the headlines following a 2-1 victory over France in the World Cup quarterfinals.

Nike senior director Heidi Burgett has just released a statement claiming that the USWNT's home kit is the best selling jersey ever on Nike.com within a single season, for men or women.

Is this it — the moment we all live to regret? Yesterday, a U.S. team administrator and her boss were apprehended whilst dozily meandering around the private rooms of England’s Fourvière hotel, which the rogue Americans could potentially use as a base of operations should they secure passage to the final at the expense of the Lionesses.

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. 

In a rematch of the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final, Spain got revenge on Germany to capture its fifth title, moving the nation level with Italy as the most successful in the history of the Euro U-21 competition.

Spain last achieved U-21 glory when winning back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2013. That extremely skilled cohort included the likes of Juan Mata, David de Gea, Cesar Azpilicueta, Javi Martinez, Isco, Koke and Dani Carvajal, and the 2019 group is sure to achieve just as much international success, if not more than that highly skilled generation.

Mexico’s quest for its eighth Gold Cup — and first since 2015 — almost came to an abrupt end in Houston last night in front of over 70,000 at NRG Stadium. Raúl Jiménez had given El Tri a first half lead, only for Costa Rica to respond in the second half via a converted Bryan Ruiz penalty.

That would be the only scoring on the night, so the match would be decided on penalties. The shootout started as a nightmare for Mexico after Jiménez had his shot saved while Celso Borges converted for Costa Rica.

Down 2-0 with only 40 minutes remaining in last night’s CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal, Haiti produced a barnstorming comeback to knockout Canada 3-2 while clinching a spot in the semifinals for the first time ever. 

The progress that Canada had evidently made under John Herdman had been one of the talking points of the group stage, and there were whispers of the Canucks upsetting the odds to claim their first continental title since 2000.

To say Germany had Sweden’s number in major international tournaments would be an insult to number-having everywhere. In nine knockout-round matches between the two all time, the Germans had won all of them.

Well, all but one after Saturday.

Sweden overcame an early goal to rally past the second-ranked team in the world 2-1, providing perhaps the biggest upset of the Women’s World Cup to advance to the semifinals.

Sweden joined the U.S., England and the Netherlands in the final four and will play the Dutch on Wednesday.