United States and Wales Pick up Wins to Start International Window
Wales vs. Philippines
To kickoff this international break, Wales took on the Philippines in their opening game of the Pinatar Cup in Spain. The team battled to a 1-0 win, with forward Kayleigh Green's first-half penalty making all the difference. Midfielder Jess Fishlock did not make an appearance for Wales.
The Welsh side dominated possession in the first half and strung together several threatening opportunities before finally taking the lead just before halftime. Rhiannon Roberts was fouled inside the penalty area by a Philippines player and the referee whistled for a penalty kick.
Green was calm and collected as she stepped up to take the penalty kick and made no mistake finding the back of the net and sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Though the second half brought a couple more chances for Wales, the score remained 1-0 until the final whistle, which marked a Welsh victory in their opening match of the 2023 Pinatar Cup. Cymru will face Iceland in their second match of the tournament on Saturday.
USA vs. Canada
The U.S. Women’s National Team opened the 2023 SheBelieves Cup with a 2-0 win over Canada. Both goals were scored by forward Mallory Swanson in the first half of the match. OL Reign defender Alana Cook started and match and played all 90 minutes, while defender Emily Sonnett subbed in after halftime and played the entire second half. Defender Sofia Huerta, midfielder Rose Lavelle and forward Megan Rapinoe did not make an appearance.
For Canada, OL Reign forward Jordyn Huitema started the match and played 76 minutes and midfielder Quinn subbed into the match in the 57th minute.
From the first whistle, the United States was putting heavy pressure on Canada and dictating the pace of the game. Just seconds into the game, the U.S. nearly opened the scoring after Cook sent a long ball into the attacking third, but Kailen Sheridan in goal for Canada did well to defend the resulting play and shot on goal.
After several more goal-scoring opportunities for the United States in the opening minutes of the match, the team finally got on the board in the seventh minute, when forward Alex Morgan set up Swanson for a one touch shot past Sheridan.
As the game continued, Canada began to possess the ball more and release some of the pressure the United States had been forcing. Despite this, the U.S. still found opportunities in the offensive half of the field.
The second goal of the night was scored by Swanson in the 34th minute of the match. Morgan pressured the Canadian defense, resulting in an inaccurate back pass. Swanson read the play and was there to finish the ball from close range.
Though the United States was still dominating in the second half, neither team found the back of the net in the second 45-minutes and the game ended 2-0. With a two-goal win, the United States sits atop the standings after the first day of the 2023 SheBelieves Cup.
The United States and Canada both play their next match on Sunday, February 19. The United States takes on Japan at 12:30 p.m. PT and Canada takes on Brazil at 3:30 p.m. PT.
International Schedule for February:
Saturday, February 18
11:30 a.m. PT – Wales vs. Iceland – Pinatar Arena, Spain – BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website
Sunday, February 19
12:30 p.m. PT – USA vs. Japan – GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN – HBO Max – Rough & Tumble
3:30 p.m. PT – Brazil vs. Canada – GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN – HBO Max – Rough & Tumble
Tuesday, February 21
6:00 a.m. PT – Scotland vs. Wales – Pinatar Arena, Spain – BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website
Wednesday, February 22
1:00 p.m. PT –Canada vs. Japan – Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX– HBO Max
4:00 p.m. PT –USA vs. Brazil – Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX– HBO Max – Rough & Tumble