U.S. Women’s National Team Advances To 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup Semifinal With Strong 3-0 Victory Against Colombia

LOS ANGELES (March 3, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s National Team kicked off the knockout stage of the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup with a convincing 3-0 quarterfinal win against Colombia. Captain Lindsey Horan opened the scoring with an early penalty kick, defender Jenna Nighswonger netted her second international goal and teenage forward Jaedyn Shaw bagged her team-leading third tally of the Concacaf W Gold Cup. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned her 100th cap, becoming the third U.S. goalkeeper to reach the milestone as she made a number of impressive saves to earn her 61st career shutout.

The USA will face longtime foe Canada in the semifinals on Wednesday, March 6 (10:15 p.m. ET / 8:15 p.m PT; Paramount+, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes) as the tournament moves to Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif.

U.S. interim head coach Twila Kilgore made six changes to the starting lineup that faced Mexico in the group stage finale. Naeher, defender Emily Fox, midfielders Sam Coffey and Horan plus forward Trinity Rodman started both matches.

The quarterfinal was intense from the opening whistle, as Colombia came out with an edge, playing a bruising, physical style. The U.S. battled through a flurry of first-half fouls and the Americans’ high press helped to generate the game’s first goal. After winning the ball in Colombian territory, Horan played forward Alex Morgan into the area, where the veteran striker was taken down in the box by Jorelyn Carabali. Despite Colombia’s attempts to frazzle her before the kick, Horan stepped up to the spot for the penalty and coolly buried it.

The press continued to pay dividends throughout the first half, as young forwards Shaw and Rodman menaced Colombia on the wings. The U.S. nearly doubled its lead in the 16th, as Shaw pounced on a poor pass while Colombia attempted to build out of the back, but goalkeeper Natalia Giraldo got just enough on it to get the ball out of bounds. In the 18th, Shaw ripped a rocket of a shot to the top right corner that went just wide.

Colombia’s continued physicality saw tensions rise between the two teams, but as momentum could have started to shift following a 20th-minute yellow card shown to Rodman, Nighswonger netted her second international goal to take control of the game for the USA. Defender Naomi Girma got things started with a beautiful long ball to Morgan in the box, who headed it along to Nighswonger to double the American advantage.

On her milestone evening, Naeher made two of her most spectacular saves of the tournament thus far as Colombia grew into the game and started to threaten more around the half-hour mark. In the 32nd, standout forward Linda Caicedo launched a shot from outside the arc, but Naeher dove to her left and made the save. In the 38th, the veteran netminder made an even more impressive stop, leaping and getting her left hand on a well-hit one-timed shot from Ilana Izquierdo. On the night, Naeher made three saves after making just two in her first two games of the W Gold Cup combined.

The U.S. put the game out of reach in first-half stoppage time with a lovely goal in transition finished by Shaw. Defender Emily Fox, who did well to contain the dynamic Caicedo on the attack, picked out Rodman on the wing and the 21-year-old Rodman put a perfectly-placed cross in for the 19-year-old Shaw, who one-timed it home to put the U.S. up 3-0. Shaw became the youngest player to score for the USWNT in the knockout rounds of an official competition and joined U.S. legend Shannon Boxx as the only player to tally in her first three starts. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Horan nearly added to the U.S. lead with a dangerous free kick just outside the box that rattled off the post.

Kilgore made all five subs in the second half as the U.S. did well to see the game out. While Colombia continued to make things difficult for the U.S. at moments, Naeher and the defense held strong to preserve a clean sheet, the USA’s third of the tournament.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA – Lindsey Horan (Penalty Kick), 13th minute: After Alex Morgan was taken down in the box on an early U.S. attacking run, the referee pointed to the spot and Horan stepped up for the penalty. The captain sent it to the right side of the net to open the scoring for the USA. USA 1, COL 0

USA – Jenna Nighswonger (Alex Morgan), 22nd minute: From just beyond the half line, Naomi Girma sent a lovely long ball to Morgan at the middle of the 18. The veteran forward outmuscled her defender and played it to Nighswonger cutting into the left side of the box and she drilled home a hard-rolling shot to the opposite side of the net from 12 yards out. USA 2, COL 0

USA – Jaedyn Shaw (Trinity Rodman), 45+2nd minute: Emily Fox drove the ball forward before playing up to Rodman on the right wing. The forward ran with the ball into the right side of the box before cutting across to Shaw on the run towards the penalty spot. There, the teenager beat her defender to the ball and one-timed it to the left side past the diving Colombian goalkeeper. USA 3, COL 0

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The USWNT is now 11W-2-D-0L against Colombia and 4W-1D-0L in official competiton.
• Both of Lindsey Horan’s goals at the Concacaf W Gold Cup have come from the penalty spot, scoring against Argentina and again vs. Coolombia.
• Alex Morgan’s assist on Jenna Nighswonger’s goal was the 53rd of her career and her first of 2024.
• At 19 years, 104 days, Shaw is the youngest player ever and just the third teenager all-time to score for the USWNT in the knockout rounds of a competitive tournament joining Kristine Lilly, who scored in the semifinal and final of 1991 World Cup Qualifying, and Heather O'Reilly, who scored in the semifinal of the 2004 Olympics.
• Shaw joins Shannon Boxx as the only players in USWNT history to score in each of her first three starts. Boxx, who debuted for the USA at age 26, scored in each of her first three caps - all of which were starts - to kick off her USWNT career in in September of 2023, over a year before Shaw was born.
• Shaw becomes the eighth player in USWNT history to score five or more goals in their first eight caps and the first to do so since Christen Press in 2013.
• Earning her 100th cap for the USWNT, Alyssa Naeher became the third goalkeeper in USWNT history to reach the milestone, joining Hope Solo and Briana Scurry. The U.S. is first country in history to have three female goalkeepers with 100+ caps.
• Naeher is the 42^nd player all-time in USWNT history to reach the 100-cap milestone and the first to do so since Horan hit the century mark during the delayed 2021 Olympics.
• A two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, Naeher debuted for the USWNT in December of 2014 and became a consistent starter following the 2016 Olympics. Naeher is, and has been for a while, the goalkeeper with the third-most caps, wins (81) and shutouts (61) in U.S. history.

- U.S. WOMEN’s National team match report-

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Colombia
Date: March 3, 2024
Competition: Concacaf W Gold Cup – Quarterfinal
Venue: BMO Stadium; Los Angeles, Calif.
Attendance: 16,746
Kickoff: 5:15 p.m. PT (8:15 p.m. ET)
Weather: 57 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                             3          0          3
COL                             0          0          0

USA – Lindsey Horan (Penalty Kick)                                      13^th minute
USA – Jenna Nighswonger (Alex Morgan)                            22
USA – Jaedyn Shaw (Trinity Rodman)                                   45+2

Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 23-Emily Fox, 4-Naomi Girma, 12-Tierna Davidson, 3-Jenna Nighswonger; 17-Sam Coffey, 15-Korbin Albert (13-Olivia Moultrie, 72), 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.) (14-Emily Sonnett, 84), 22-Trinity Rodman (9-Midge Purce, 46), 7-Alex Morgan (11-Sophia Smith, 72), 8-Jaedyn Shaw (16-Rose Lavelle, 56)
Substitutes not used: 18-Casey Murphy, 21-Jane Campbell, 2-Abby Dahlkemper, 5-Becky Sauerbrunn, 6-Lynn Williams, 19-Crystal Dunn, 20-Casey Krueger
Head Coach: Twila Kilgore

COL: 1-Natalia Giraldo; 17-Carolina Arias, 19-Jorelyn Carabali, 3-Daniela Arias (14-Angela Baron, 46), 2-Manuela Vanegas, 6-Daniela Montoya (Capt.) (8-Marcela Restrepo, 46), 5-Lorena Durango (21-Liana Salazar, 46), 13-Ilana Izquierdo (16-Lady Andrade, 89), 15-Manuela Pavi, 11-Maria Usme, 18-Linda Caicedo
Substitutes not used: 12-Sandra Sepulveda, 22-Derly Castaño, 4-Angie Yanten, 7-Maria Reyes, 9-Ivonne Chacon, 10-Diana Celis, 20-Monica Ramos, 23-Elexa Bahr
Head Coach: Ángelo Marsiglia

Stats Summary: USA / COL
Shots: 17/ 7
Shots on Goal: 6 / 3
Saves: 3 / 3
Corner Kicks: 5 / 3
Fouls: 15 / 16
Offside: 0 / 5

Misconduct Summary:
COL – Jorelyn Carabali (Caution)                                         11^th minute
COL – Maria Usme (Caution)                                                 15
USA – Alex Morgan (Caution)                                               18
USA – Trinity Rodman (Caution)                                          21
USA – Lindsey Horan (Caution)                                            67
COL – Marcela Restrepo (Caution)                                      68
COL – Manuela Pavi (Caution)                                              76

Officials: 
Referee: Marianela Araya (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Mijensa Rensch (SUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Lidia Ayala (SLV)
4th Official: Sandra Benitez (SLV)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)         
AVAR 1: Amairany Garcia (MEX)

Michelob Ultra Woman of the Match: Alyssa Naeher