2025-11-04 19:06

Looking back at the US Women's Soccer Team's incredible journey through the 2019 World Cup, I still get chills remembering how every match felt like it could have swung either way. As someone who's followed women's soccer for over a decade, I've never seen a tournament where the margin between victory and defeat felt so razor-thin throughout. The team's path to their fourth World Cup title was anything but straightforward, and that opening match against Thailand perfectly set the tone for what would become a historic campaign.

That 13-0 victory over Thailand was both breathtaking and controversial - I remember watching it unfold with equal parts awe and discomfort. While some criticized the team for running up the score, what many didn't realize was that goal differential could have become crucial later in the tournament. The players understood this better than anyone, having learned from past competitions where every goal mattered. The 2-1 victory against Spain in the knockout stage particularly stands out in my memory. Watching that match, I felt genuine tension - Spain pushed them to their absolute limits, and honestly, that game could have easily gone the other way with just one different bounce of the ball.

The quarterfinal against France in Paris was perhaps the most nerve-wracking experience I've had as a soccer fan. Facing the host nation in front of 45,000 screaming French supporters, Megan Rapinoe's two goals felt like moments of pure defiance. I still believe that if France had capitalized on their early chances, we might be telling a completely different story today. Then came that epic semifinal against England, where Christen Press's game-winning header and Alyssa Naeher's crucial penalty save demonstrated why this team had such incredible depth. What impressed me most was how different players stepped up at different moments - it wasn't just about one or two superstars carrying the team.

The final against the Netherlands had me on the edge of my seat for 60 minutes before Rapinoe broke through with her penalty. Watching that match, I kept thinking about how the Dutch team had grown so dramatically in recent years, and how they genuinely matched the US in intensity and organization for most of the game. The 2-0 final score doesn't fully capture how competitive that match truly was - the Netherlands had their moments, and if they'd converted one of their early opportunities, we might be talking about a very different outcome.

Reflecting on their entire journey, what stands out to me isn't just the victories but how each game presented unique challenges that could have derailed their campaign. The team's mental toughness and ability to perform under pressure made all the difference in those crucial moments. Their 2019 victory wasn't just about superior skill - it was about resilience, adaptability, and that intangible championship mentality that separates great teams from legendary ones. Even now, years later, I find myself revisiting those matches and appreciating just how special that team was, and how easily history could have been written differently.

« News Releases