WASHINGTON: Costa Rica plays the United States women's national team in its final game on Tuesday before heading to the Paris Olympics.
U.S. captain Lindsey Horan told a crowd of nearly 19,000 they were unfazed by their chances in France despite a draw.
“We hope to win,” she said. “But we’re going to go out there and do well in the Olympics. This team is amazing. We’re going to represent this country well and we’re going to do everything we can to come back and win gold.”
Costa Rica goalkeeper Noelia Bermudez and her stoic defense frustrated a resilient USA team that held them to a draw against Tigas after losing their first 17 games to the USA.
The US women's team defeated Costa Rica 26-2, forcing Bermudez to make 12 saves and taking 16 corner kicks in the game.
“It takes a lot of patience to play against a low defense. Costa Rica did a great job,” said US midfielder Sophia Smith. “It’s definitely a challenge for us, but it’s a good test because we’re going to have to face that in the Olympics.”
“I know we can create chances. We created chances tonight. To score a goal, no matter how it looks, it’s going to happen.”
While it was a disappointment to face a more defensive team for new coach Emma Hayes and her USA team, it showed the USA what they need to do before they start playing for gold next week in France.
“That was the key message from Emma at the end of the game: Don’t get frustrated,” Smith said. “We wanted the results from this game, but these games are a preparation for something bigger.”
“We have to perform at our best when we want to, and that’s the beginning of the Olympics. We are calm about it, we are not frustrated, we trust the process, we know everything will work out when we want it to.”
The United States women's national team will play its first match in Group B of the Olympics on July 25 against Zambia in Nice, and will also face Germany and Australia in the group stage in Marseille.
“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Smith said. “I’m very excited to be on this journey with this group. I’m excited to start this journey in France. This group has a lot of potential and a lot of good things coming.”
The United States has won four Olympic women's soccer titles, in 1996 on home soil and three consecutive titles in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Rose Lavelle, the midfielder for the US national team that won the 2019 Women's World Cup in France, was left out of the squad late in the game due to a leg strain, with Corbin Albert replacing her in the US' opening match.
The US Army has won three and drawn one without conceding a goal under England's Hayes.
“I think we’ve made good progress,” Hayes said. “When you come into a team and you have to implement a lot of things, they’ve adapted very well to those concepts.”
“We went into the Olympics with an idea of what we were going to do in our different times, but now we’re starting to add some adaptations,”
Smith and Mallory Swanson were both denied early chances by Bermudez, while Trinity Rodman was offside on another USA chance.
Bermudez and Rodman clashed when the goalkeeper denied Horan a goal in the 24th minute. Bermudez also headed Horan's shot in the 40th minute and denied Smith shortly before half-time.
Bermudez denied Smith a chance in the 49th minute and deflected Horan's kick in the 50th minute to level the score for Las Tigas.
Horan scored in the 55th minute but the offside flag was raised.
Bermudez deflected Rodman's cross into the middle of the pitch in extra time and Horan headed the ball over the bar at the last second.
