USWNT were frustrated in 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. The USWNT had 12 shots on goal on Tuesday despite failing to break through.
The USWNT didn’t quite get the going away party they were hoping for, settling for a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica on Tuesday in their final tune-up match before the 2024 Olympics kick off next week.
The US produced 26 shots — 12 on target — alongside 67 touches in the box, the most in any match where they failed to convert a single goal since at least 2015, per Opta.
The USWNT faced a heroic performance from Costa Rica goalkeeper Noelia Bermúdez, who tallied 12 saves on the night.
Big picture: After Saturday’s win over Mexico, USWNT manager Emma Hayes opted for a very similar starting XI, only swapping Crystal Dunn in for Jenna Nighswonger due to load management.
Named starter Rose Lavelle was a late scratch from the lineup after team warmups, with US Soccer attributing her last-minute absence to “leg tightness.”
Lavelle was replaced by midfielder Korbin Albert, giving the US a slightly less aggressive attacking edge throughout the match.
Casey Krueger, Lynn Williams, Jaedyn Shaw, Emily Sonnett, and rookie Croix Bethune all got minutes in the second half, coming off the bench to contend with Washington, DC’s brutally hot conditions.
“Listen, if you play a game of percentages or law of averages, we’re creating more and more high-quality chances, and we’re getting numbers into key areas — we’re getting touches in the key areas,” Hayes told reporters after the match, calling attention to Costa Rica’s strong defensive low-block.
“The last part’s the hardest part. And I’m really patient, because I’ve coached teams that have to break blocks down, and it’s the hardest thing to do in coaching,” she continued.
Hayes also noted the team’s lack of training time under her management: The decorated coach officially joined the US in early June after finishing the WSL season with her previous club, league champs Chelsea FC.
Tuesday’s draw is just the second time the USWNT has entered a major tournament off a non-win.
Back in 2015, the US embarked on their legendary World Cup campaign after a 0-0 send-off draw with South Korea.
The next time the USWNT takes the pitch will be at the Paris Olympics, where they take on Zambia on Thursday, July 25th at 3 PM ET.
