USWNT Blank Wales 2-0 in Final Tune-up Before FIFA World Cup

A sunny afternoon in San Jose, California was the setting for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team’s (USWNT) last friendly match against Wales Women’s National Team before the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand kicks off in less than two weeks.

The Americans came into this match having won seven straight matches while the Welsh came into Sunday’s match having gone undefeated in six matches dating back to last October.

However, the Welsh would have to play without one of their best players, midfielder Jess Fishlock, who suffered an injury in her most recent game for the OL Reign of the National Womens Soccer League (NWSL) and was not ready to play in this match.

In the opening minutes, the USWNT looked rusty. They had more possession and made several forays into the Welsh 18-yard box, but all of them came to naught. That’s how the rest of the first half went. The USWNT did not make the quality of plays that they needed to, to beat a solid Wales defense, which did a good job of defending and keeping the American attack at bay.

The game was scoreless until late in the second half when the US women finally began playing like the best team in the world—which they are—and broke the deadlock. The first play involved American midfielder Andi Sullivan diving into a challenge and kicking the ball way out of her team’s half and into the midfield. The loose ball was corralled by veteran midfielder Lynn Williams managed to play a great through ball up ahead for Sophia Smith. Smith dribbled into the Welsh 18 and once inside it, passed across the face of the goal where California-native Trinity Rodman was there to score easily and give the home crowd what they craved at last.

The 21-year-old from Laguna Niguel wasn’t done making an impact in this send-off match either. In the 87th minute, the Americans were laying siege to the Welsh just outside their box and Smith and Rodman were in the thick of the action. Smith took a shot that was blocked by a Welsh defender, and the ball ricocheted off the defender to ten yards outside the Welsh 18. It bounced tamely in front of a Welsh player when suddenly Rodman came from behind the Welsh player, gave her a push in the back and the player fell. The local girl then took control of the ball, took two touches, and curled a shot that beat Wales goalkeeper, Olivia Clarke just inside the post to give the USWNT had a 2-0 lead, three minutes before stoppage time.

It was a remarkable way to end the match for the USWNT and even more remarkable that Rodman, the second-youngest player on the roster, was the difference against a disciplined national team in what was an important tune-up match right before the World Cup, which starts in less than two weeks.

“They’re going to face teams that play compactly [in the World Cup]. So, they’ve got to be faster, got to be quicker…and most importantly get wide and get wide quickly and they didn’t do enough of that today.”

Julie Foudy former USWNT player

Rodman doubled the number of goals (2) that she had scored coming into Sunday’s send-off match and now has four in 18 appearances for the USWNT. Winning this game means USWNT boss, Vlatko Andonovski has a record of 50-6-5 (six draws) since being hired in October of 2019. The former NWSL manager from Kansas City, Missouri has had plenty of success in charge of the USWNT but has yet to lift the World Cup.

A little over two weeks ago, Andonovski named his 23-man roster for the World Cup, and 14 players on it had never played in a Women’s World Cup, including two goalkeepers and 12 outfield players. But out of all these USWNT players, just two are under the age of 21; Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson, who is the youngest at 18 years old. Sophia Smith, who is not much older at 22 and plays for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL, was the only American player to earn an assist on Sunday, but Rodman’s first brace as a member of the USWNT, stole the show.

It will be interesting to see if Rodman who plays for the Washington Spirit of the NWSL has earned herself a more prominent role in the USWNT lineup after this breakout performance. Also of note, Rodman is the youngest USWNT player to score multiple goals in a game since Mallory Swanson (formerly Pugh) did so in April 2019.

The Bud Light Woman of the Match: Trinity Rodman

The USWNT’s first game at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is against Vietnam on July 21 at 9:00 PM. Stay tuned to see if Andonovski’s roster can win the Women’s World Cup for what would be a record third consecutive time this summer.