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It’s not easy being the U.S. women’s national team sometimes. Win matches you’re supposed to with ease, and it’s expected. Fail to produce at a high standard, and the alarm bells start to ring, justifiably or otherwise.
In black-and-white terms, the Concacaf W Championship has been a success for the U.S. so far. Operating under the qualifying conditions set by the region, the top-ranked Americans cemented a berth in the 2023 Women’s World Cup after just two games, against teams ranked 60th and 51st in the world. They haven’t conceded a goal in three matches, and with two more wins, they’ll earn an automatic place in the ’24 Olympics. All of this has been achieved with a select group of core players missing, and a group of younger players being brought along for their first qualifying ride at this level.
