The American women’s soccer team right now is incredible. Our players are really, really good.
If you’ve been tuning into the World Cup thus far – we’re not just 3-0; we’re obliterating the competition unlike any time in the history of our great nation. They just might be the greatest soccer team we’ve ever put together and now they’re proving to evoke that of our 1992 men’s basketball Dream Team with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and some of the best players ever.
And the United States Women’s National Team just made history at the FIFA World Cup in France in spectacular fashion.
There’s absolutely no question that none of the other 23 teams in the World Cup wanted to draw against the No. 1 ranked United States women. They really are that terrifying of a matchup for any of the other countries.
The U.S. women’s team put the world on notice in their first matchup with Thailand where they thrashed them 13-0 on June 11th. Star forward Alex Morgan scored five goals by herself.
To give you an idea of how devastating the record breaking World Cup was on a symbolic level, Thailand goalkeeper Sukanya Chor Charoenying slouched over, put her hands on her knees and stared straight down at the ground when the final whistle blew, as if to say “Thank God this is over.”
The U.S.-Thailand game was so catastrophically lopsided; the American women were actually criticized for having zero mercy for their opponent. But point differential is important in seeding for the tournament that our women should feel no shame in how they won.
Speaking of point differential, the following two games were against Chile and Sweden on June 16 and June 20, staying perfect with 3-0 and 2-0 respectively. This gave our U.S. women’s team 18-0; also meaning they are +18 going into the round of sixteen on Monday against Spain. Nobody has scored a single goal on them yet.
However, from here on out, it’s single-elimination.
This is something that had never been done before. Even more impressive is that Sweden is a good team, and yet, they were dominated.
Here’s another thing that is ultra bizarre heading into the round of sixteen in Reims. An area in France that’s the heart of the country’s Champagne region.
According to the New York Times, “The calculation was simple: The United States team has a level of support unmatched in women’s sports, attracting thousands of fans wherever it plays.”
The tourism marketing director in Reims, Alexandre Bariteaud, said, “When you host the team, you know their fans will make their way. So of course it was good news for us to hear we would have the U.S.A. team.”
Hotel rooms all across the city sold out when the tournament schedule was released in December.
Bariteaud also admitted no other visiting team guarantees the same kind of boisterous crowd.
Coach Jill Ellis was ecstatic about fans traveling from all over saying, “I can’t personally thank all of them, but the fans who have traveled, and what they create for us in terms of support for our players, is magnificent. They’ve had to travel a long way and, I’m sure, at large expense.”