2022 CONCACAF W Championship semi-finals: Top things you need to know as USA, Canada advance and hosts Mexico crash out

The USWNT have begun their football's CONCACAF W Championship defence in style.

Vlatko Andonovski’s side stormed to the top of their group unbeaten, playing some scintillating football along the way.

Not only did they comfortably progress to the semi-finals with nine goals scored, but they also avoided conceding a single goal across the three group games.

They will be joined in the next round by rivals, and defending Olympic champions, Canada.

With three wins from three, the Canadians also made it through to the knockout rounds without losing a game or conceding a single goal.

But, for hosts Mexico, it was a devastating end to their Olympic and World Cup hopes, finishing bottom of the group.

With three straight losses, Mexico will now go a fifth straight Olympic cycle of not qualifying.

Their last appearance was, and for now will remain, at Athens 2004 where they made it to the quarter-finals.

With World Cup spots settled, attention now turns to qualifying for Paris 2024.

The winner of Concacaf will confirm their place at the next Olympic Games.

But for the runners-up and the third placed team, a head-to-head tie will determine who will head to France in two years time and who will miss out.

As we look ahead to the knockout round, here are the top things you need to know about the Concacaf W Championship semi-finals.

The story so far: USA, Canada end group stages with 100% record

Group A

For the USA, it was business as usual.

The defending Concacaf champions swept the group stages with three wins from three.

A 3-0 win over Haiti was swiftly followed by a 5-0 thumping of Jamaica.

But things were not so routine against Mexico, relying on a 90th minute Kristie Mewis winner after the hosts pushed them to the end.

They will be joined in the semi-finals by Jamaica, who progressed thanks to wins over Mexico and Haiti.

After Haiti beat Mexico, second place was settled in a crunch tie between themselves and Jamaica.

But ultimately the latter were too strong, running rampant in a 4-0 victory.

Although their Olympic hopes may be over, a third place finish still gives Haiti an opportunity to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.

They will enter inter-confederation play-offs, due to be played next year.

Without a single point registered, Mexico finished bottom of the group.

The Concacaf hosts will now not be in contention to qualify for a major tournament until the 2027 World Cup.

Group B

Echoing the performance of rivals USA, Canada finished top of their group with three wins from three.

Their open encounter saw them knock Trinidad and Tobago for six, with all-time international leading scorer Christine Sinclair getting among the goals.

The momentum of that emphatic win didn’t carry to their next game as expected, scoring just once past Panama, courtesy of Julia Grosso.

But thanks to a 2-0 win over Costa Rica, their 100% record remained intact as they progressed through to the semi-finals.

Despite losing their final game, Costa Rica will join the Canadians in the knockout round.

Wins against Panama (3-0) and Trinidad and Tobago (4-0) saw them finish second in the group.

In doing so, they have qualified for the World Cup for just the second-ever time, appearing once before in 2015.

But for Panama, a third placed finish will see them enter the WWC inter-confederation play-offs in a bid to qualify for their first-ever major tournament.

With three defeats, Trinidad and Tobago finished bottom of the group and walk away from the Concacaf championship empty-handed.

Players to Watch

Going into the knockout rounds, there have been a handful of players who stood out in the initial group stages.

So who should you look out for as we go into the semi-finals?

Sophia Smith - USA

21-year-old Sophia Smith has well and truly announced herself to the international stage.

The Portland Thorns forward made herself known in the USA’s outing against Jamaica when she scored a brace in the opening 10 minutes.

Not only did she score one of the goals of the tournament, but potentially one of the best we will see this year.

She does exceptionally well to lift the ball over the head of the defender, before taking the finish in her stride.

Hitting the ball with the outside of her foot, she bends it beyond Rebecca Spencer in goal to get her second in the game.

Smith has been in and around the national team set-up since 2020, but over last year and this year she has really found her feet and that is beginning to show.

Julia Grosso - Canada

After dominating the headlines when she scored Canada’s gold medal winning penalty at Tokyo, Julia Grosso has been determined to write a new chapter of her story beyond that.

And that is exactly what she has been doing at the Concacaf W Championship.

Canada has an exciting group of attacking players at their disposal and Grosso is at the heart of them.

She bagged a brace in their opening game against Trinidad and Tobago, before getting the only goal of the game in a crucial 1-0 over Panama.

The 21-year-old is rapidly becoming someone head coach Bev Priestman can rely on whether she starts or is brought off the bench.

Khadija Shaw - Jamaica

Alongside Julia Grosso of Canada, there is Khadija Shaw leading the way as joint-top scorer with the CONCACAF championship.

The 25-year-old scored the only goal of the game against Mexico.

And in a tournament defining clash between Haiti, she scored twice to help Jamaica secure a 4-0 win.

Canada's defence hasn't really been tested all that much so far, but Shaw could be the player to cause some problems.

She can operate effectively anywhere along the front line and is able to pick up pockets of space between the defence.

The Manchester City forward can be a tricky opponent to mark and if Canada switch off once, it is likely she will punish them for it.

Katherine Alvarado - Costa Rica

In keeping with the theme of forwards who could be decisive for their teams, Costa Rica's Katherine Alvarado could be one to watch.

The 31-year-old has been composed in key moments, scoring goals in crucial wins over Trinidad and Tobago and Panama.

With the USA tipped as favourites to progress to the final, Costa Rica will need to be clinical with any opportunities they're able to generate.

And Alvarado's calmness in front of goal will go a long way in helping them do so.

CONCACAF W Championship semi-finals: Schedule

14 July

United States v Costa Rica, 18:00 CDT

Canada v Jamaica, 21:00 CDT

How to watch the CONCACAF W Championship semi-finals

The CONCACAF semi-finals will be aired across all participating countries.

Paramount+ will be the home of all the action in the United States.

And One Soccer will be airing it across Canada.

For those wanting to tune in across the rest of the world, games will be made available on the Concacaf GO app.

A full breakdown of broadcast details can be found on the CONCACAF website here.