The victory made La Roja the first team to hold the under-17, under-20 and senior world titles at the same time. Spain is the fifth winner in nine editions of the Women’s World Cup and joined Germany as the only two nations to win both the men’s and women’s titles.

At the final whistle the Spanish players piled on each other in front of their goal. They were still dancing on the field until the trophy presentations, where they kissed the trophy and raised their arms in triumph as golden glitter fell from above.

“I think all of us we felt that this team had something special,” Carmona said. “I believe that we’ve shown this on the field, we’ve shown this in the group stage, in the knockout stages. We’ve been fighting until the end. We never stopped.”

The Lionesses were trying to bring a World Cup back to England for the first time since the men won it in 1966. The wait will go on.

“They’re a fantastic team. I think first half we weren’t our best, second half, we definitely put the fire in,” England captain Millie Bright said. “But yeah, we just couldn’t finish it today. This is the hard part of football.”

For England, Bright said, the loss brought a “huge amount of disappointment.”

“You know at first you feel like you failed with not winning,” she said. “I think in a couple of weeks and it settles it will be really really proud.”

In an open game featuring multiple chances for both teams, Carmona’s left-foot strike in the 29th minute — finishing off a fast-breaking counterattack after Lucy Bronze lost possession — remained the only goal.

Carmona also scored the game-winner in the 89th minute of Spain’s 2-1 semifinal victory over Sweden, becoming the first player since Carli Lloyd in 2015 to score in a World Cup semifinal and final.

Spain had a chance to double the lead in the 68th after a VAR review awarded a penalty for Keira Walsh’s handball, but Jenni Hermoso’s penalty attempt was saved by Mary Earps, who anticipated perfectly and dived to her left.

England coach Sarina Wiegman said she thought that would be the momentum shifter for her team.

Spain’s victory comes despite a near-mutiny by players last year. Fifteen players said they were stepping away from the national team for their mental health while also calling for a more professional environment.

Three of those players — Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey — reconciled with the federation and were at the World Cup.

England had momentum going into the tournament after winning the European Championship at home last summer, including a quarterfinal win over Spain. But three of the team’s best players, captain Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead, all had knee injuries that kept them off the World Cup squad.

Wiegman was the first coach to take her teams to back-to-back World Cup title matches. She led the Netherlands to the final in 2019, but fell 2-0 to the United States. She’s now 0-2 in the championship match.

“When we found out that we had England in the final, we analyzed them and saw how they played,” Bonmati said. “We prepared it well, we came out confident of what we were doing, of our game, of our fight, of our dedication.”

England was coming off a 3-1 victory over host Australia in the semifinal. Lauren James, who was the team’s top scorer with three goals and three assists, was forced to sit out two matches after being suspended for stomping on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie to open the knockout stage.

While James was available for the final, Wiegman started Ella Toone and used the Chelsea winger as a second-half substitute in a double change to spark the attack.

One of England’s best chances was in the 16th when Lauren Hemp’s blast caromed off the crossbar. A minute later, Salma Paralluelo raced toward goal but couldn’t get a clean shot and Earps stopped Alba Redondo’s attempt in the scramble in front of the net.

Coach Jorge Vilda started 19-year-old Paralluelo, who scored the breakthrough goal for Spain against Sweden, and the game-winner in extra time over the Netherlands in the quarterfinal. Those efforts helped her win the young player of the tournament award, while Earps won the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper and Bonmati won the Golden Ball for best player of World Cup.

Paralluelo nearly scored seconds from half time but her shot hit the post.

Hemp had another chance in the 54th but sent it wide. A minute later she was handed a yellow card for a foul on Laia Codina.

Vilda had a challenge in working around two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who was still working her way back from a torn ACL last year. For the final, Putellas was on the bench at the start.

Putellas went into the game with 15 seconds left in regulation, but there were 13 minutes of stoppage time.

After the match Putellas was in tears as her teammates danced in front of the flag-waving fans behind the team’s bench.

There were 75,784 fans at the final at Stadium Australia, including tennis great Billie Jean King, increasing the record attendance for the tournament to more than 1.975 million.

The move comes less than two weeks after the Americans were knocked out of the Women’s World Cup earlier than ever before.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move had not been officially announced. An announcement was expected Thursday.

The four-time champion struggled through the World Cup. A victory over Vietnam to kick off the group stage was followed by draws against Netherlands and Portugal — barely enough to get the team into the knockout stage.

The Americans played well in the round of 16 against Sweden but ultimately fell on penalties after a scoreless tie. The U.S. scored just four goals over the course of the tournament.

The United States had never finished worse than third at previous World Cups.

The 46-year-old Andonovski was named coach of the United States in October 2019, taking over for Jill Ellis, who led the United States to back-to-back World Cup titles. He finished 51-5-9 during his time with the team, and was 3-2-5 in major tournaments.

Following the match against Sweden, Andonovski said he wasn’t thinking about his future with the team — only his young players. Fourteen players on the roster were appearing in their first World Cup, and 12 of them had never played in a major tournament.

“We spent four years together. They got their first caps with me, they got their first national team call-ups with me,” Andonovski said. “We spent tough times, good times. I don’t want to see them like that. That’s all I think about.”

The United States also finished with a disappointing bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Afterward, Andonovski turned his attention on developing young players ahead of the World Cup. Some of the players who emerged were Sophia Smith, last year’s U.S. Soccer player of the year, and Trinity Rodman.

The United States was bitten by injuries in the run-up to the tournament, losing key players. Mallory Swanson injured her knee during a friendly in April, and captain Becky Sauerbrunn couldn’t recover from a foot injury in time.

Promising young forward Catarina Macario tore her ACL playing for her club team Lyon last year and also wasn’t ready to play in the World Cup.

The World Cup was challenging for many elite teams because of the ever-growing parity in the women’s game. Germany, Brazil and Canada, the winners in Tokyo, also got knocked out early. Sunday’s final between England and Spain in Sydney will give the tournament a first-time winner.

Andonovski was head coach of Seattle’s OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League when he was hired. During his seven years in the NWSL, he led the now-defunct FC Kansas City from the league’s inception in 2013 until the club folded in 2017, winning two league titles.

Andonovski, a native of Skopje, Macedonia, played for several teams in Europe before embarking on a professional indoor soccer career in the United States.

His predecessor on the U.S. team, Ellis, led the Americans to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. Over the course of her five-year tenure, they lost just seven matches.

“What I would hope in this (hiring) process (is) that it’s robust, it’s diverse. It has to be,” Ellis said Thursday in Sydney. “This is a critical hire. And I think it has to be the right person.”

The timeline to find a replacement is relatively short. The United States has already qualified for the 2024 Olympics in France. Before that, the team has a pair of exhibition matches against South Africa on Sept. 21 in Cincinnati and Sept. 24 in Chicago.

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The Americans’ bid to win an unprecedented third consecutive title ended Sunday on penalty kicks. Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelly O’Hara missed with kicks from the penalty spot before Lina Hurtig converted to clinch the shootout 5-4 as Sweden knocked the United States out of the World Cup after a scoreless draw in regulation and extra time.

The Americans controlled the shootout until the trio of misses.

It is the earliest exit in tournament history for the United States, four-time winners of the World Cup.

“I mean, this is like a sick joke. For me personally, this is like dark comedy that I missed a penalty,” Rapinoe said as she blinked back tears. “This is the balance to the beautiful side of the game. I think it can be cruel.”

U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher fruitlessly argued she had saved Hurtig’s attempt, but it was ruled over the line by VAR. The stadium played Abba’s “Dancing Queen” as the Swedes celebrated and the U.S. players sobbed.

“We just lost the World Cup by a millimeter. That’s tough,” said Naeher, who successfully converted her own penalty kick. “I am proud of the fight of the team. We knew we hadn’t done our best in the group stage and we wanted a complete team performance and the team came out and played great.”

She praised Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic, who had 11 saves to deny the U.S. a spot in the quarterfinals. The American’s worst previous finish had been third place, three different times.

“We didn’t put anything in the back of the net,” sobbed Julie Ertz after the loss. “The penalties were tough. It’s just emotional because it’s probably my last game ever. It’s just tough. It obviously sucks. Penalties are the worst.”

The loss was somewhat expected based on the Americans’ listless play through three group-stage matches. But they played their best game of this World Cup against Sweden, only to have it decided by penalties.

“I am proud of the women on the field,” U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “I know we were criticized for the way we played, and for different moments in the group stage. I think we came out today and showed the grit, the resilience, the fight. The bravery showed we did everything we could to win the game. And, unfortunately, soccer can be cruel sometimes.”

It was the fourth time the Americans went to extra time at the World Cup. All three previous matches went to penalties, including the 2011 final won by Japan. The U.S. won on penalties in a 2011 quarterfinal match against Brazil, and in the 1999 final at the Rose Bowl against China.

Sweden knocked the United States out of the 2016 Olympics in the quarterfinals on penalties.

Sweden goes on to the quarterfinals to play Japan, which beat Norway 3-1 on Saturday night.

Sweden has never won a major global tournament, either the World Cup or the Olympics. The closest the team has come is World Cup runner-up in 2003. They placed third in the 1999, 2011 and 2019 editions, and won silver medals in the last two Olympics.

The result ended the international career of Rapinoe, the Golden Boot winner of the 2019 tournament who is retiring after the World Cup. She had taken on a smaller role in her final tournament and was a substitute in the United States’ first and third games of group play.

She went on in extra time against Sweden and in her final game and few minutes of action, she failed to control a ball played in deep, whiffed on a rebound, hit the side of the net with a corner kick and then missed the penalty that would have put the United States on the verge of victory.

“Just devastated. It feels like a bad dream,” captain Alex Morgan said. “The team put everything out there tonight. I feel like we dominated, but it doesn’t matter. We’re going home and it’s the highs and lows of the sport of soccer. So, yeah, it doesn’t feel great.”

The Americans struggled through group play with just four goals in three matches. They were nearly eliminated last Tuesday by first-timers Portugal, but eked out a 0-0 draw to fall to second in their group for just the second time at a World Cup.

The Americans looked far better against Sweden, dominating possession and outshooting the Swedes 5-1 in the first half. Lindsey Horan’s first-half header hit the crossbar and a second-half blast was saved by goalkeeper Musovic, who had six saves in regulation.

Sweden won all three of their group games, including a 5-0 rout of Italy in its final group match. Coach Peter Gerhardsson made nine lineup changes for the match, resting his starters in anticipation of the United States.

“They will come back for sure, they have so much quality on their team,” Sweden midfielder Kosovare Asllani said of the U.S. team. “This defeat will not take them down. I expect them to be ready for the next World Cup.”

It was tense from the opening whistle.

Naeher punched the ball away from a crowded goal on an early Sweden corner kick. Three of the Swedes’ goals against Italy came on set pieces.

Trinity Rodman’s shot from distance in the 18th minute was easily caught by Musovic, who stopped another chance by Rodman in the 27th.

Horan’s header off Andi Sullivan’s corner in the 34th hit the crossbar and skipped over the goal. Horan was on target in the 53rd minute but Musovic pushed it wide. Horan crouched to the field in frustration while the Sweden keeper was swarmed by her teammates.

“I had a really good feeling before the game,” Musovic said. “Once again, I’m extremely proud of the girls. Many people out there didn’t think that (win) was possible.”

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By the end of the group stage, they are relieved to still be in the competition.

“That was stressful. I was like (expletive),” said United States star Megan Rapinoe, using a curse word to describe her emotions after the team squeezed into the knockout stage with a 0-0 draw against Portugal on Tuesday.

Had Portugal substitute Ana Capeta’s shot gone into the net rather than hit the post and rebounded out in stoppage time, the Americans might have been eliminated.

As it is, they are advancing in second place behind the Netherlands.

A blast of relief ran through every American player, coach and fan in Eden Park when the final whistle sounded.

While they may not be playing their best at the moment, the U.S. players were quick to point out after the game that they are, in fact, still playing.

“We’re not happy with the performance we put out there, but at the same time we’re moving on,” Alex Morgan said. “This isn’t the first time in my career that we’ve moved on second in the group.”

The last time the United States didn’t win its group was 2011, when the Americans finished second to Sweden before eventually losing to Japan on penalty kicks in the final.

This time around, the back-to-back defending champions scored just four goals during the three-game group stage. And the three goals were scored in their tournament opener against Vietnam.

The 2019 United States team more than tripled that number in its group-stage opener against Thailand, which it won 13-0 in a record for goals in a match at a Women’s World Cup.

“We trust our forwards, we trust our players to get it done. We haven’t in the group stage –- and that’s on us,” defender Julie Ertz said. “Once it gets to the knockout stages, you kind of become a different team. It’s just do or die at that point.”

Part of the Americans’ problem has been injuries.

U.S. forward Mallory Swanson missed the tournament with a torn patellar tendon suffered in April in a friendly versus Ireland. Prior to that, Swanson was the United States’ leading scorer, and netted four of the team’s five goals in this year’s SheBelieves Cup.

But on Tuesday night, the players weren’t making excuses.

“I think we can create better chances to get a goal,” forward Lynn Williams said. “But at the end of the day, it’s one of those things where you turn the page and you have to learn and grow really quick because you have no time to dwell on this.”

The United States will likely play Sweden in the round of 16 on Sunday in Melbourne, Australia.

Sweden currently sits undefeated on top of Group G. In order for the date between the United States and Sweden to fall through, Sweden would have to lose to Argentina, and Italy would have to beat South Africa by a large margin to overcome the current 10-goal goal difference between the two teams.

The Swedes are familiar foes for the Americans, and another matchup would be the seventh time the two countries have played in the Women’s World Cup. Sweden beat the United States 3-0 in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics.

“I feel like we always play them. We know them so well,” Ertz said. “They’ve been great this tournament, so I’m excited. You always want to play against the best and I’m so excited to play them and show them what we have.”

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The U.S. plays Portugal in the third and final match of Group E play, and if Portugal pulls off an upset Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, the Americans could be in big trouble.

The United States needs to either win or draw against Portugal, one of eight teams playing in its first World Cup, to ensure the Americans continue to play in this tournament.

“I think we feel like we have to win everything all the time,” said American star Megan Rapinoe. “That’s the expectation for ourselves. That’s the expectation playing for U.S. national team. It’s just kind of like, ‘Why would you come into the World Cup if you don’t think that you should win it, and if you don’t think that you can win it?’”

What have the US women faced in the World Cup group stage?

The United States sits atop the group after a 3-0 victory over Vietnam in the tournament opener, and a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands last Thursday in Wellington. The Dutch are tied with the U.S. on points, but the Americans have the tie-breaker on goals scored.

Portugal lost to the Dutch in its opener but then beat Vietnam 2-0. So if the Portuguese beat the United States, they’ll move on, and the Americans would then need Vietnam to beat the Dutch in Dunedin — while keeping their advantage on goal differential — to advance.

“One thing is for sure, that we have a job to do and that’s first and foremost to take care of our game, so our main focus right now it our performance, our team, and Portugal,” said U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski. “What happens on the other side is something we can’t control. We have to stay focused on the things we can control.”

Portugal could use a swarming defense to try to prevent the United States from scoring the way Vietnam — unsuccessfully — played the Americans in the opener.

Portugal defender Ana Borges said her team will be prepared.

“This is the stage where we want to be. It’s against these teams that we want to play because we’re going to learn and grow from them,” Borges said. “Not saying anything about the other team, but if we weren’t prepared for this challenge, we wouldn’t be playing football.”

CHINA-ENGLAND

England is in very good shape headed into its Group D finale against China, needing only a draw Tuesday night in Adelaide, Australia to win the group and advance to the round of 16.

Even a loss would be OK and push England through as group winners so long as Denmark doesn’t beat Haiti. If Denmark won and England lost, the group winner would be decided by FIFA tiebreakers.

England edged out a 1-0 victory over Haiti to open the tournament, then beat Denmark by the same score.

China lost 1-0 to Denmark in the opener but rebounded with a 1-0 win over Haiti and is now trying to keep its streak intact of advancing out of group play in all eight of its World Cup appearances.

It will be a tough task: China can advance to the round of 16 if the Chinese beat England. But if Denmark beats Haiti, coupled with a China win, then FIFA tiebreakers would come into a play. A loss would mean China’s only chance at advancing would be if Haiti beat Denmark.

England and China meet for just the fifth time, but first since a 2-1 China victory in 2015.

England has scored in each of its last 15 matches at the Women’s World Cup for a tally of 25 goals since 2015. A goal against China would make England the first team to score in 16 consecutive matches in the tournament.

China is looking to win consecutive World Cup games for the first time since 1999.

VIETNAM-NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands want to win every match in the Women’s World Cup but none more so than Tuesday’s game against Vietnam.

At stake: avoiding Sweden in the knockout round.

The Dutch, the tournament runner-up in 2019, need only a win or a draw in the Group E match played in Dunedin, New Zealand. And even a loss would be OK so long as the United States beats Portugal in a game being played simultaneously.

But the Netherlands has mapped out the tournament and wants no part of Sweden anytime soon.

“The first aim is always to win and get to the last 16 and then after that if we can score goals we will, of course,” said Dutch coach Andries Jonker. “But looking at our colleagues from the U.S. and Portugal, we’ve noticed it’s not all that easy. We’ve never shown any kind of arrogance, but if we get chances to score goals we will. We would prefer to play against the number two in this group and not Sweden.”

The Netherlands are tied with the United States for the top spot in the group after playing to a 1-1 draw against the Americans and a 1-0 win over Portugal.

Vietnam has already been eliminated from its first Women’s World Cup following losses to the United States and Portugal. Vietnam has lost its last five internationals by a combined score of 18-1.

“The Netherlands tries to have as many goals as possible, and I have to say we are at a low level,” said Vietnam coach Mai Duc Chung. “If we compare with Asia, we’re still at a low level. So if we compare with the world, we are still quite behind. It is a success for us already. In the past two matches we have tried our best. Great effort already.”

HAITI-DENMARK

First-time Women’s World Cup participant Haiti would like to stick around a bit longer but needs a miracle against in the Group D finale against Denmark to have any shot to advance.

Haiti needs to beat Denmark in the Tuesday match played in Perth, Australia, and hope England beats China. If both those things happen, Haiti’s only chance would still come down to FIFA’s tiebreaker system.

It’s very long odds for Haiti, which has played better in this tournament than its 0-2 record shows. Haiti held both England and China to one goal each in the first two matches.

Haiti is on a six-game losing streak headed into what is probably its final game of this tournament.

Denmark, meanwhile, is trying to advance to the group stage for the first time since 1995. Denmark was a 1-0 winner over China to start the tournament, then lost 1-0 to England and heads into the game tied for second in the group with China with three points each.

A win over Haiti pushes Denmark through to the next round so long as England doesn’t lose to China. That scenario would put tiebreakers into play.

The Danes, in the tournament for the first time since 2007, can also get through with a draw, but again, only if England beats China.

Denmark has won five of its last seven international matches.

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A couple of the Arizona Cardinals are showing off their writing chops with letters opened by their partners as they compete for the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Zach Ertz wrote to his wife, Julie, while Michael Wilson wrote to his longtime girlfriend, Sophia Smith. Both players are standouts on the United States Women’s National Team.

Mesa native Julie Ertz is pursuing her third World Cup after making her international debut a decade ago with the USWNT. Despite being an elder statesman on the team, that didn’t stop her husband, a Cardinals tight end, from taking time out to send his wife a supportive message ahead of her pursuit for a three-peat.

“You just want us to cry on camera,” Julie joked in the video.

Zach (and their son Madden) write:

From the moment you started running again, I could see the fire burning inside of you to start playing again. Madden and I are so excited for you and cannot wait to see you do your thing out on the pitch in New Zealand.

The Ertzs were married in March 2017 when Zach was playing with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was acquired by Arizona in 2021.

Cardinals wide receiver Wilson wrote a touching letter as his girlfriend of five years, Smith, left to pursue her soccer dreams at the international level.

.@USWNT forward Sophia Smith got a special letter from her boyfriend and @azcardinals WR Michael Wilson before her first World Cup.

Grab your tissues. 🥺 (via @NWSL)@mikewilllyy | @sophsssmith pic.twitter.com/zEAKpipHYw

— NFL (@NFL) July 26, 2023

As Smith says in the video, which was released by the NWSL, the two have been together since they were in college at Stanford.

The making of a generational athlete and and the qualities to become one of the best to ever do so. You are, quite literally, a one of one type of person. … No one deserves this more than you.

Smith earned her first international cap on Nov. 27, 2020, against the Dutch, becoming the first player born in the 2000’s to play for the senior squad.

The USWNT beat Vietnam 3-0 on July 21 behind two goals from Smith. The United States Women’s National Team will take on the Netherlands on Wednesday as it pursue an unprecedented third consecutive World Cup.

Iván Anderson scored his first international goal in the ninth minute of extra time, and Jesús Ferreira tied the score for the U.S. six minutes later.

After beating Canada on penalty kicks in Sunday’s quarterfinal, the U.S. went to a second shootout for the first time in a Gold Cup.

Panama reached the final for the third time after losing to the U.S. in 2005 and 2013.

The U.S., a seven-time winner of the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, failed to reach the final for the first time since losing to Jamaica in a 2015 semifinal.

The game marked the finale of B.J. Callaghan, who led the U.S. to five wins, one loss and one draw as the Americans’ second interim coach this year. Gregg Berhalter returns for the Sept. 9 exhibition against Uzbekistan.

American Cade Cowell hit a post about 20 seconds in and that was the closest to a goal until Panama went ahead nine minutes into extra time. Carrasquilla played a through pass to Anderson, who was kept onside by DeAndre Yedlin. Anderson took a touch and played the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Matt Turner, then kicked the ball into the open net for his first international goal.

Ferreira scored six minutes later after Matt Miazga played a long pass to Jordan Morris, who headed the ball into the penalty area. Ferreira volleyed the ball with his right shin from 16 yards past the outstretched left hand of a diving Orlando Mosquera for his 15th international goal, his seventh of the tournament.

.@Jesusfcd27 is not human!

🎥 » @FOXSoccerpic.twitter.com/REKLzSdP8v

— U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) July 13, 2023

With the U.S. going first in the shootout, Ferreira was stopped by Mosquera.

Fidel Escobar and Ismael Díaz beat Turner, while Djordje Mihailovic and Morris were successful for the U.S. Turner dove to his left to stop Christian Martínez and Julian Gressel and Miazga converted around Édgar Bárcenas successful kick for Panama, leaving the U.S. ahead 4-3.

Cecilio Waterman tied the score with Panama’s fifth shot, Mosquera dove right to parry Roldan’s attempt and Carrasquilla put his shot inside Turner’s right post.

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Thompson, who has been impressive this season as a rookie for Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League, was called onto the team in early April for a match against Ireland, taking the place of injured forward Mallory Swanson.

The roster selected by Vlatko Andonovski includes a mix of both familiar faces and newcomers like Thompson.

“We are expecting the level of play at this World Cup to be the best it’s ever been, and all the teams must keep up with that growth,” Andonovski said in a statement Wednesday. “For years, we’ve been able to see first-hand where the game is going and that’s exciting. We are proud to have been one of the teams leading the way for women’s international soccer and I know the tournament will once again show the world how great these players are across all 32 teams.”

The veterans include national team stalwart Megan Rapinoe, who will be making her fourth World Cup appearance at age 37, and Alex Morgan, 33, another four-time World Cup veteran. Defender Kelley O’Hara, 34, also earned a spot on the roster as a veteran presence to shore up the backline in the absence of veteran defender and team captain Becky Sauerbrunn, who announced last week she won’t play in the World Cup because of a lingering foot injury.

The United States has won the last two World Cups and is vying for an unprecedented third title when the tournament kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. The Americans are in Group E with Vietnam, the Netherlands and Portugal. The United States opens with Vietnam on July 22 local time in Auckland.

The U.S. will be without Sauerbrunn and Swanson, who injured the patella tendon in her left knee. Her injury is another big blow to the United States — she led the team with seven goals this year.

In addition to Swanson and Sauerbrunn, Catarina Macario will be missing. Macario is a talented forward who tore her ACL last year while playing for her French club, Lyon. Midfielder Sam Mewis also has a lingering injury and wasn’t available for the World Cup.

Some of the youngsters include 22-year-old Sophia Smith, who was named both the NWSL Most Valuable Player and the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year for 2022, and 21-year-old Trinity Rodman, U.S. Soccer’s Young Player of the Year in 2021 and the daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman.

Midfielder Julie Ertz, who was on the team that won the title in 2019, made the squad after returning to the team in April following a long layoff for the birth of her son.

A surprise inclusion on the roster was 25-year-old Savannah DeMelo, who has yet to appear in a match for the United States. DeMelo plays for Racing Louisville in the NWSL, and has scored in three of her last four matches. She has five total goals this season.

The roster by position with club affiliation:

Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (Gotham), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign).

Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Angel City), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Rose Lavelle, (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (Gotham), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit).

Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC).

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The United States’ 3-0 victory over Mexico for a spot Sunday in the CONCACAF Nations League final against Canada will be remembered as much for the ugliness as for two goals by Christian Pulisic and one by Ricardo Pepi.

Americans Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest, along with Mexicans César Montes and Gerardo Arteaga,  were ejected by Salvadoran referee Iván Barton during the testy second half.

César Montes kicks out at Folarin Balogun and gets a red card. Things escalate and Weston McKennie is sent off too. 😲

10 vs. 10 for the remainder of the match. pic.twitter.com/zkZe8nKDUe

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) June 16, 2023

“These are rivalry games. These are derby games. Things like this happen across the world and in no way am I embarrassed,” B.J. Callaghan said after his first game as U.S. interim coach. “It comes from a good place. They care about each other so much in that locker room that they’re standing up for each other. Sometimes does it have an issue where we take a red card? Yeah, but when you know where it comes from, you can accept it and it’s a learning lesson for us.”

Play was halted in the 90th minute because of homophobic chants. When action resumed, 12 minutes of stoppage time were signaled but resumed chants caused Barton to end the match.

FIFA fined Mexico 100,000 Swiss francs ($108,000) in January for anti-gay chants by fans at two games.

“In terms of the chant, I want to make it very clear first and foremost, for our beliefs and our culture, it has no place in the game,” Callaghan said. “It has no place in our value system.”

McKennie and Dest are suspended for the final. Luca de la Torre and Joe Scally are possible replacements.

“It’s definitely a blow,” Tim Weah said. “It comes with the game. I know the red cards are definitely a bummer, but it happens. Aggressive match tonight.”

Striker Folarin Balogun made his debut after the 21-year-old decided to play for the U.S. over England and Nigeria.

“The boys told me it was going to be intense, but I’m definitely still shocked by the events,” said Balogun, who at one point was shoved to the field. “I was just on the floor because I was in pain, but when I looked up I just saw so many people around and I knew my teammates were just trying to defend me.”

Making his first start for club or country since April 15, Pulisic put the U.S. ahead in the 37th minute and doubled the lead in the 46th. He has 25 goals in 59 international appearances, including four goals against Mexico. Pepi scored in the 79th, five minutes after replacing Balogun.

With its first three-goal victory over Mexico in 23 years, the U.S. stretched its unbeaten streak against El Tri to six (three wins, three draws), matching the Americans’ longest, from 2011-15.

The U.S. went ahead when Gio Reyna poked the ball off Montes and then while prone, poked it forward off Jorge Sánchez. Pulisic burst behind the defenders, took a pair of touches and from the edge of the 6-yard box slotted the ball past goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

McKennie started the move toward the second goal with a long pass down a flank to Weah, who crossed. A sprinting Pulisic got behind Israel Reyes and Sánchez, stabbing the ball in with his left foot from 6 yards.

Montes was given a straight red card in the 69th for kicking Balogun while the two were challenging. McKennie was given a red card two minutes later for placing a hand on Sánchez’s neck during the ensuing arguing and shoving.

Pepi scored his seventh international goal, receiving a pass from Dest, taking a touch and rounding Ochoa. Dest and Arteaga were sent off in the 86th for shoving each other.

“There was moments on both teams that we could have handled better,” Callaghan said.

Notes: Reyna, his hair dyed blond, made his first start for club or country since March 27, also the last time Dest and goalkeeper Matt Turner had appeared in any match. … Canada beat Panama 2-0 in the opener on goals by Jonathan David in the 25th and Alphonso Davies in the 69th. Mexico and Panama meet in the third-place match.

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After months of speculation, Messi announced his decision Wednesday to join a Miami franchise that has been led by another global soccer icon in David Beckham since its inception but has yet to make any real splashes on the field.

That likely will soon change. One of Inter Miami’s owners, Jorge Mas, tweeted out a photo of a darkly silhouetted Messi jersey shortly before the Argentinian great revealed his decision in interviews with Spanish news outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport.

It was widely believed that Messi eventually would choose to play for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, following fellow great and his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo to a nation where some clubs now are funded by the state’s sovereign wealth fund. Going back to Barcelona, a storied franchise that he spent most of his career with, was another possibility.

But in the end, he made the call that surprised many. Messi is joining MLS. He said in the interviews Wednesday that some final details still need to be worked out, but that he has made the call to “continue my path” in Miami.

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way,” Messi said.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner — they give that trophy annually to the best player in the world — makes his move after two years with Paris Saint-Germain. At 35, Messi has nothing left to prove in the game and filled the only significant unchecked box on his resume back in December by leading Argentina to the World Cup title.

Messi has more than 800 goals in his career, making him one of the greatest scorers in the sport’s history. In more than 17 years of representing Argentina on the international stage, he has scored 102 goals against 38 different national team opponents. He scored twice in last year’s World Cup final against France, a match that officially ended 3-3 with Argentina prevailing in penalty kicks.

He has been to the absolute mountaintop of the game.

And now he comes to MLS, and a team that is struggling — last place in the Eastern Conference, just a few days removed from the firing of coach Phil Neville (who was hand-picked by Beckham two years ago).

Messi’s decision to play in the U.S. might be the biggest boost ever for American soccer on the pro stage. Some of the game’s biggest names — Pele, Thierry Henry, Beckham himself — have come to the U.S. toward the end of their careers, but landing a player still no worse than near the pinnacle of his game and just a few months removed from hoisting a World Cup is simply huge.

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USL Super League Phoenix is led by the Phoenix Rising FC ownership group, and prominent local businesswomen and community leaders, while USL Super League Tucson is headed by FC Tucson owner Jon Pearlman and club chairperson Jeff Arnold.

“Today marks a major milestone for the United Soccer League as we take another step in building an integrated women’s soccer network unlike any other,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a press release Tuesday. “Our aim is to make the USL Super League globally recognized and admired for its financial stability, operational excellence, community building and high-level competition.

“We are establishing and growing our national footprint while ensuring that all our teams are owners or primary tenants of a soccer stadium. We are aligning our calendar and roster rules with the global game.”

The USL Super League intends to launch as a Division I sanctioned league under U.S. Soccer and is planning to have 10-12 teams in its inaugural season. Currently, the league has eight signed up with five other prospective cities in the mix for subsequent seasons pending completion of stadium projects.

USL Super League Phoenix plans to use Phoenix Rising’s stadium just north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We’re more than thrilled to help usher in a top level professional women’s soccer team in the state of Arizona,” Rising president Bobby Dulle said in a press release. “It’s exciting for us to be a part of the USL Super League, as the league will create a path to professional soccer for the thousands of girls and young women who play in our youth club and Arizona’s universities, and also generate more job opportunities for women in the sport of soccer, both on and off the field.”

As for USL Super League Tucson, multiple home sites are being considered and a location will be announced in the coming months, per the league.

The current cities included in USL Super League:

Inaugural USL Super League teams

– Phoenix
– Tucson
– Charlotte
– Dallas/Forth Worth
– Lexington
– Spokane
– Tampa Bay
– Washington, D.C.

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Uriel Antuna scored off an American giveaway in the 55th minute.

After Matt Miazga’s giveaway to Atuna led to Rodríguez’s shot off the crossbar, Miazga lofted the rebound from inside his penalty area to Sergiño Dest, who dribbled through the midfield and passed to Alan Soñora.

Soñora sent the ball wide to Jordan Morris, who crossed toward a streaking Ferreira. Defender Luis Chávez tried to clear and the ball glanced off a foot to Ferreira, who directed the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo from 7 yards out for his eighth goal in 18 international appearances.

Because the match was not on a FIFA international fixture date, just two Americans and three Mexicans started who had extensive playing time at the World Cup. The teams meet again on June 15 at Las Vegas in a CONCACAF Nations League semifinal, when top players figure to be available.

In the 75th match between the rivals, the U.S. extended its unbeaten streak against Mexico to five games. The Americans failed to take a single shot in the first half, ending a 64-match streak with first-half shots since a loss at Italy on Nov. 20, 2018.

Mexico scored after Kellyn Acosta played a sloppy cross-field pass for Aaron Long at the midfield circle. The sprinting defender reached out with his left leg for the off-target pass only for Antuna to win the ball.

Antuna dribbled in alone on Sean Johnson and, from 12 yards, slotted the ball past the goalkeeper’s left leg and inside the near post for his 10th goal in 41 international appearances. The goal ended an 803-minute scoreless streak for Johnson, a backup to Matt Turner at the World Cup.

The U.S. has 22 wins, 36 losses and 17 draws against El Tri. Interim coach Anthony Hudson, who took over from Gregg Berhalter in January, has led the Americans to two wins, one loss and two draws.

Walker Zimmerman at central defender and Dest at left back were the only U.S. starters who saw extensive playing time at the World Cup. They were joined in the starting lineup by Johnson, Long, Acosta, right back DeAndre Yedlin, midfielders James Sands and Cade Cowell, wingers Jordan Morris and Brandon Vazquez and forward Jesús Ferreira.

Ten starters were from Major League Soccer, along with Dest, unused by AC Milan since Jan. 24.

Vazquez made his third international appearance, all in friendlies. He remains eligible to switch affiliation to Mexico.

Caleb Wiley, an 18-year-old defender, entered in the 90th minute for his international debut. Miazga replaced Long in the 70th minute, his first international appearance since June 2021.

Mexico started just three World Cup regulars; left back Jesús Gallardo and midfielders Luis Chávez and Alexis Vega. Defender Víctor Guzmán and forward Roberto de la Rosa started in El Tri debuts, and Ozziel Herrera made his debut in the 87th minute.

A total of 10,437 fans were in the stands at PRFC’s new stadium location in central Phoenix at 38th and Washington streets, surpassing the previous record of 9,236 set at Wild Horse Pass in 2021.

Unfortuantely for the PRFC faithful, Phoenix squandered a 2-0 lead in the second half to drop points for the third consecutive match this season.

Rising forward Manuel Arteaga got both his first goal of the season and the opener at the new stadium location in the 35th minute of the first half.

Manuel Arteaga didn't miss this one! 1-0 Phoenix Rising.#PHXvSD | #RisingAsOne pic.twitter.com/UFRB3yjbV4

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) April 2, 2023

The Venezuelan then added to his tally with a brace in the 63rd minute of the second half.

Make it a brace for Manuel Arteaga on opening night at Phoenix Rising Stadium!

2-0 #PHXvSD | #RisingAsOne pic.twitter.com/BgmNNl4VX6

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) April 2, 2023

But as history has shown between these two sides, no lead is ever safe no matter how late in the match it gets, and San Diego (2W-1D-1L) proved that to be true once again by scoring twice within eight minutes in the 72nd and 80th.

Right on cue. We've seen this before between these two. Will we get a winner?

2-2 #PHXvSD | #RisingAsOne pic.twitter.com/BXHByv8tTg

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) April 2, 2023

Rising is now 0W-2D-1L this year and is still searching for its first win on the 2023 USL Championship campaign.

UP NEXT

Phoenix Rising hosts USL League One side Greenville Triumph SC in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.

The match will mark the return of $1 beer night after its hiatus at PRFC’s previous stadium location at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler.

Rising’s new stadium location is directly on a Valley Metro Light Rail stop and all game tickets allow fans to use the public transportation for free.

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The goal? To reset and key in on the main storylines for the state’s teams. The Arizona Cardinals prep for the draft with a No. 3 pick, the revamped Phoenix Suns aim to put things together for the postseason and the Arizona Diamondbacks head into spring training.

Beyond that, the Arizona Coyotes are riding a point streak to begin the week, Arizona State football first-year coach Kenny Dillingham sets the tone in spring ball, while the Sun Devils men’s basketball squad eyes a late run.

Newsmakers from the Arizona Wildcats, Grand Canyon Antelopes, Phoenix Rising FC and local events like the Fiesta Bowl and WM Phoenix Open are also on the docket.

Newsmakers Week starts Tuesday morning and runs through Friday on Bickley & Marotta‘s show from 6 a.m. through 10 a.m.

You can visit this story for full interviews and stories.

Times are tentative and additions are expected.

2023 Newsmakers Week schedule

Tuesday

Audio: Fiesta Bowl executive director and CEO Erik Moses 

Audio: Arizona football head coach Jedd Fisch

• Story: Arizona football shifts vision of growth from offense to defense for 2023

Audio: Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall

• Story: What changes could come if Diamondbacks opt to renovate Chase Field?

Audio: Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong

• Story: Coyotes’ rebuild at 40% with Jakob Chychrun trade a big next step

Audio: Arizona State men’s basketball coach Bobby Hurley

• Story: Coach K showed Bobby Hurley video to help control his emotions as freshman at Duke

Wednesday

Audio: WM Phoenix Open chairman Pat Williams

Audio: Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham

Audio: Coyotes president and CEO Xavier Gutierrez

• Story: Mullett Arena success has Coyotes feeling good about Tempe project

Audio: Suns play-by-play voice Al McCoy

Audio: Mercury general manager Jim Pitman

• Story: Mercury prepared for heavy media coverage this upcoming season

Audio: Arizona men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd

Thursday

Audio: Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort

• Story: GM excited DeAndre Hopkins ‘is on the team with me right now’

Audio: Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo

Audio: Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill

• Story: Cardinals weren’t willing to part with draft picks for Sean Payton

Audio: Valley sports legend Jerry Colangelo

Audio: Suns president of basketball ops and GM James Jones

Audio: Arizona State vice president for university athletics Ray Anderson

• Story: Anderson hopes Pac-12 media rights future clarifies soon

Audio: Grand Canyon University president Brian Mueller

Audio: Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny

Audio: Phoenix Raceway president Latasha Causey

Friday

Audio: Phoenix Rising FC president Bobby Dulle

Audio: Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen

Audio: Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon

• Story: Cardinals determined to find role Isaiah Simmons can ‘really thrive in’

Audio: Former Coyotes captain Shane Doan

Audio: Grand Canyon men’s basketball coach Bryce Drew

Saturday

Audio: Tommy Lloyd, Arizona basketball head coach

Audio: Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks manager

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This new deal allows anyone in Arizona to watch PRFC through 2025 and makes it the first franchise to join Arizona Family’s newest network, Arizona’s Family Sports and Entertainment.

The network will include 28 Rising matches for its 2023 season on channel 44 over the air and channel 116 on Cox Cable.

Five additional matches will be broadcasted live on KTVK (channel 3) and one match, later in the season, will be featured live on KPHO (channel 5).

The new network plans to debut on March 1 and will feature replays of select Phoenix Rising matches since the rebrand ahead of the 2017 campaign.

“This is an exciting time for Arizona’s Family,” Debbie Bush, vice president and general manager of Arizona’s Family, said in a press release.

“The creation of the Arizona’s Family Sports and Entertainment Network will allow us to provide viewers with exciting live sports at no additional cost to them. Arizonans love their soccer so when this opportunity presented itself, we knew it would be the perfect partnership to launch our network.”

Rising will also be playing in a new home this season at 38th and Washington streets, just north of Sky Harbor Airport.

PRFC’s home opener is scheduled for April 1 against San Diego Loyal SC.

He will still retain his previous duties as GM in the new role.

Dulle was originally brought in as a chief operating officer prior to the club’s rebrand from Arizona United SC to Phoenix Rising FC in November 2016.

After he became general manager in 2018, PRFC went on to win two Western Conference trophies (2018, 2020) and one regular-season title (2019) to go along with a 20-game winning streak that same season for an all-time North American outdoor soccer record.

“Phoenix Rising’s board is excited to announce this very deserving promotion for Bobby to the role of president,” club governor Bill Kraus said in a press release. “Bobby has been a steadfast leader since 2016 through both extremely positive and challenging times. We’ve made two USL Championship (Final) appearances… and promoted players to several first-division clubs.

“We have also endured stadium expansions and relocations, COVID closures and coaching changes. Through it all, Bobby has been the glue that holds it all together on both the business and sporting sides of the franchise.”

Under Dulle’s watch, Phoenix Rising saw its stadium capacity climb from 6,200 to 10,000 in 2021 when the club moved from its Tempe/Scottsdale location to Wild Horse Pass in Chandler.

PRFC will open its new central location on 38th and Washington streets when it hosts USL Championship Western Conference rival San Diego Loyal SC on April 1.

“My family and I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to work for this talented and committed ownership group and drive this club forward,” Dulle said in the release. “The fantastic support we have received from our fans, the community and our partners since inception is what motivates all of us at the club to make Phoenix Rising one of the top soccer teams in North America.

“I’m fortunate to be surrounded by very talented people in the front office and on the soccer operations side. I know this group will continue to push the organization to unprecedented heights both on and off the field.”

Manager Juan Guerra and Co. will kick off the 34-match campaign on March 11 away to Charleston Battery.

Phoenix Rising FC’s full 34-match 2023 USL Championship schedule: pic.twitter.com/rRcCPx5Trb

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) January 9, 2023

Follow @jwa1994

Soccer’s latest superstar against perhaps the sport’s greatest player in the World Cup final just about everyone was hoping for.

France and Mbappé are headed back to the biggest game in soccer, and to a much-anticipated matchup with Argentina, after ending Morocco’s historic run at the World Cup on Wednesday.

In front of the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, France beat Africa’s first ever semifinalist 2-0, with Mbappé playing a part in goals by Theo Hernandez in the fifth minute and substitute Randal Kolo Muani in the 79th.

Mbappé became a global phenomenon by leading France to the title in Russia in 2018 and has a chance to emulate Brazil great Pele as a champion in his first two World Cups when he comes up against the 35-year-old Messi, who has dominated the game with Cristiano Ronaldo for the past 15 years.

It’s the dream final for many, with France looking to become the first team to retain the title since Brazil in 1962 and Argentina on a mission to win soccer’s ultimate prize for the third time in what is likely to be Messi’s last World Cup.

“We need all our strength, all our energy to face a very competitive team with one of the legends in the sport with Messi,” France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said.

There will be no team from the Arab world in the final of the first World Cup in the Middle East, a prospect that seemed nigh impossible before the tournament yet nearly happened in Qatar.

Morocco has been widely lauded for breaking ground for Africa and generated an outpouring of pride among Arab nations after topping a group containing Croatia and Belgium and eliminating two more European powers — Spain and Portugal — in the knockout stage. Their players gave France a far-from-easy ride, too, before collapsing on the ground in despair after the final whistle.

“We are disappointed for the Moroccan people — we wanted to keep their dream alive,” Morocco coach Walid Regragui said. “We felt we could have gone further but we have given a good image of Morocco and of African football. That was important to us.”

Remarkably, Hernandez’s early goal was the first scored against Morocco by an opposition player in the tournament — the other had been an own-goal in the group stage — but the team responded to that and injury issues in its defense with a fearless performance in front of tens of thousands of fans who dominated the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium.

France was forced into some last-ditch defending at times but has developed a knack of pulling out victories despite not playing its best. The country will be playing in the final for the fourth time in the last seven World Cups, more than anyone else.

“It wasn’t easy,” France coach Didier Deschamps said, “and we showed our quality, experience and team spirit.”

Mbappé failed to add to his five goals in the tournament but helped create the opener for Hernandez when his shot deflected off a defender and into the path of the left back. Hernandez let the ball bounce before driving a downward effort into the net from a tight angle.

Typically a defense-first team, Morocco was forced to come out and play even though it was reeling from losing Nayef Aguerd to injury in the warmup and another center back, captain Romain Saiss, after only 21 minutes because of a hamstring injury. Both players were doubts ahead of the game but were risked by Regragui along with left back Noussair Mazraoui, who has had the flu and only lasted until halftime.

Roared on by its red-and-green-clad fans, Morocco came closest to scoring when Jawad El Yamiq hit the post with an overhead kick in the 44th minute and forced France to defend in numbers, with Antoine Griezmann — the team’s playmaker — effectively playing as a deep-lying midfielder and often clearing balls from inside his box.

However, Mbappé enjoyed more space as Morocco tired late in the second half and he was moved into a central position. After dribbling past two defenders, he took a shot that deflected toward Kolo Muani, who tapped in having been on the field for less than a minute.

The goal was celebrated in the VIP seats by Macron, who flew in for the match and had earlier visited the Souq Waqif bazaar in Doha before traveling to the stadium. The president congratulated France’s players in the locker room after the match.

They might need to raise their game against Argentina, though.

“Any team with Messi in,” Griezmann said, “is a totally different proposition.”

TOP SCORER

The World Cup trophy isn’t the only thing at stake on Sunday. Messi and Mbappé are tied as the leading scorers with five goals as they chase the Golden Boot award.

THIRD PLACE

Morocco’s World Cup isn’t over. The team will play the third-place playoff match against Croatia at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.

The USA (No. 16 in the world according to FIFA world rankings) won the possession battle over the Netherlands (No. 8) 58-42 and had 17 shots with eight on target but could not find the back of the net more than once despite many great chances.

The Netherlands had two shots on target in the first half, both of which were slotted past USA goalie Matt Turner.

Its second goal was scored by Daley Blind in the last breath of the first half which created an uphill climb the USA couldn’t overcome.

“When you play a team with so much quality like that and you give them three, four chances, they’re going to put three or four away,” USMNT captain Tyler Adams told reporters postgame.

“We can show that we can hang with some of the best teams in the world, some of the best players in world, and that’s a lot of progress for U.S. soccer.”

The United States clawed back in the second half with a deflected goal from striker Haji Wright in the 76th minute to cut the deficit to just one goal.

THERE IT IS!

THE @USMNT TAKES ONE BACK 🔥🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZaxPsw2pNU

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 3, 2022

The momentum was short-lived after the Netherlands put the game out of reach with a third goal in the 81st minute.

One of the best chances of the night for the red, white and blue came early in the 3rd minute when Christian Pulisic was slipped behind the back line but could not slot the ball past Dutch goalie Andries Noppert.

What a CHANCE for the @USMNT! 😱

The USMNT is knocking early against the Netherlands pic.twitter.com/PMuZwBYJuM

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 3, 2022

“I thought I was way offside when it happened, but I still hit it and he made a good save,” Pulisic said.

“It hurts after a tough loss like that when we feel like we could have had more,” he added, managing a voice only just above a whisper. “We don’t want to feel like this again.”

The United States finished the World Cup campaign with one win over Iran, draws against Wales and England and one loss.

However, the team could only manage three goals across the four matches.

While the Netherlands extended their unbeaten streak to 19 games and advanced to a quarterfinal with Argentina, the Americans contemplated how far they came and how short they fell.

“The American public should be optimistic,” said USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, the first person to play for and coach the U.S. team at a World Cup. “When you look at the way we wanted to play and did play, it should be positive.”

The U.S. hasn’t reached the quarterfinals since 2002 and was eliminated in the first knockout round, just like in 2010 and 2014.

After the American failure to qualify for the 2018, DeAndre Yedlin was the only holdover on a roster that was the tournament’s second-youngest, averaging just over 25 years.

“Now they know that feeling of what it’s like to lose after putting so much into it,” the 29-year-old defender said, “and the feeling of defeat from the past can only fuel success in the future.”

The U.S. is winless in 12 games against European opponents at the World Cup since 2002 and has won once and lost seven in knockout rounds since the championship launched in 1930.

“This tournament has really restored a lot of belief, restored a lot of respect to U.S. soccer and to soccer in our country,” USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie said. “I think we’ve shown that we can be giants eventually. Maybe we may not be there yet, but I think we’re definitely on our way.”

Players didn’t want to leave the field at first, wanting more time together.

“Just putting perspective and reflecting on the journey,” Yedlin said. “Just giving thanks to the Earth. After every training and game we try to do a thing called grounding. It just helps put in perspective to come, good or bad.”

Others absorbed the defeat without words.

“Just looking around that locker room, the silence is deafening,” USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner said. “We all want to create moments for people back at home to fall in love with the game and tonight was not one of those nights, unfortunately.”

EXTRA TIME

– The United States trained at Phoenix Rising FC’s former stadium and practice facilities at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler during the team’s January camp.

Throwback to the #USMNT camp hosted by @PHXRisingFC in January ahead of the #FIFAWorldCup in #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/Z43xEprsa4 https://t.co/3QPAMUteN5

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) November 21, 2022

UP NEXT

The USMNT begins the 2026 cycle with a match against Serbia on Jan. 25 in Los Angeles.

Our World Cup coverage is presented by Estrella Jalisco.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

U.S. winger Christian Pulisic opened the scoring in the 38th minute thanks to this bit of combination play:

PULISIC PUTS THE USMNT ON TOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸@USMNT pic.twitter.com/nkcQ5DDU0i

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022

United States right back Sergino Dest had the assist.

The 24-year-old Pulisic joins elite USMNT company as one of only five players to have both a goal and an assist in a single World Cup in the modern era after the likes of Bruce Murray (1990), Clint Mathis (2002), John O’Brien (2002) and Jermaine Jones (2014).

NOTHING WAS STOPPING PULISIC FROM SCORING 😤

Take another look at his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal for the @USMNT 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/s6tKehRLg2

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022

“Obviously we’re very thankful that he threw his body there,” U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie told reporters postgame. “At the end it was a heart-drop sinking moment, but we got it done and we’re excited to still be here.”

However, a pelvic contusion sustained on the goal forced United States manager Gregg Berhalter to put Brenden Aaronson in for Pulisic at halftime.

“I think that’s the American spirit, the way this group plays, and I think people will appreciate that,” Berhalter said.

Pulisic is listed as day-to-day, but posted on social media that he was proud of his teammates and would “be ready Saturday, don’t worry.”

The U.S. came into the match knowing that anything other than a victory would result in the team’s elimination from the competition. It also marks the seventh time and third consecutive World Cup in which the USMNT has qualified for the knockout stages after failing to qualify for the tournament’s previous edition in 2018 in Russia.

The United States has kept two clean sheets through three group stage games and has yet to allow a goal in open play. The lone conceded goal came off of the left foot of Welsh forward Gareth Bale on a penalty. Goalkeeper Matt Turner’s back-to-back shutouts are also the first in USMNT World Cup history.

“I always say it’s us against the world,” United States forward Tim Weah said. “No one believed the U.S. could play good football.”

EXTRA TIME

– Tuesday’s U.S. lineup was also the youngest to play in Qatar thus far at an average age of 24 years and 321 days.

– The USMNT practiced at Phoenix Rising FC’s former facilities at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler during the team’s January camp.

Throwback to the #USMNT camp hosted by @PHXRisingFC in January ahead of the #FIFAWorldCup in #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/Z43xEprsa4 https://t.co/3QPAMUteN5

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) November 21, 2022

UP NEXT

The United States will take on the Netherlands in the Round of 16 on Saturday at 8 a.m.

Our World Cup coverage is presented by Estrella Jalisco.

The Associated Press contributed quotes to this story.

Follow @jwa1994

The proposal calls for the team to lease 435,600 square feet (around 10 acres) of Sky Harbor land to construct a temporary soccer stadium and associated facilities potentially including concession stands, a portable sportsbook and practice facilities.

The stadium would be located near 38th and Washington streets, on the northeast end of the airport. There is also a light rail stop that drops off at the intersection.

“We are grateful to the City of Phoenix leadership and their Department of Community and Economic Development. This move will allow us to immediately upgrade our game day fan experience, which has always been our top priority,” Phoenix Rising FC Governor Bill Kraus said in a release.

“Accessibility to the site is excellent and there will be opportunities to create partnerships with the small businesses at Phoenix Park ‘n Swap. We have so much respect for the hundreds of business owners who operate there and the thousands of customers they serve every week.”

Rising currently play at Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex at Wild Horse Pass, another temporary stadium in Chandler. The team moved to Chandler in 2021 after starting at the temporary Casino Arizona Field in Tempe, north of the Arizona State campus.

The new proposed deal will be a five-year lease that has five one-year options to extend the term.

The city council anticipates $1,502,820 in expected revenue for the five-year term.

“Our goal is to engage more and more children,” Rising owner Tim Riester told the city council on Wednesday.

“This move to Phoenix will not only bring our pro team closer to the center of Phoenix, it will bring our pro team closer to the youth in Phoenix.”