SheBelieves Cup: U.S. beats rival Canada 2-0 with a pair of goals by Mallory Swanson
The 2023 SheBelieves Cup kicked off on Thursday (16 February) with the host team denying the reigning Olympic champions. Earlier, Brazil had edged Japan, 1-0.
Football
American Mallory Swanson scored not once but twice in the first half as the host team earned a victory on the first day of play in the 2023 SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday (16 February).
Canada, the reigning Olympic champions from Tokyo 2020 in 2021, were playing for the first time in 2023. The Canadian players said they were taking to the field in protest as they seek to address budget cuts by Canada Soccer, with veteran captain Christine Sinclair tweeting, "This is not over."
The USWNT - after two wins vs. New Zealand in January - came out firing, with shots on goal in the first five minutes by Ashley Sanchez (2') and Lindsey Horan (5').
Two minutes later, it was Swanson who found the back of the net via an assist from Alex Morgan, who was celebrated before the start of play for her 200th international cap late last season.
Swanson would score again in the 34th minute off a mis-played defensive ball by Canada, the 24-year-old collecting the ball and firing it past a scrambling Kailen Sheridan. That goal marked a 30th in international play for Mallory.
Morgan was asked on the U.S. broadcast what's stood out to her about Mallory's play. "What have I seen?" she replied. "Just goals - only goals. She hasn't stopped."
Mallory also scored a trio of goals in two games vs. New Zealand, that trip part of the U.S. prep for later this year when the team goes to defend its FIFA Women's World Cup title in NZ and Australia.
"Everything is geared towards the World Cup later this year," Morgan added.
2023 SheBelieves Cup: Brazil edges Japan
Earlier, Brazil just slipped by Japan, scoring in the 72nd minute with a goal by Debora Cristiane de Oliveira, to win 1-0. Veteran superstar Marta returned to the pitch for the first time in nearly a year, the two-time Olympic medallist earning the assist just four minutes after subbing in.
The SheBelieves Cup sees four women's football powerhouses battle it out in the eighth edition of the round-robin tournament in the U.S. The event takes place 16 to 22 February, with two games per matchday at stadiums in Florida, Tenessee and Texas.
The friendly-style round-robin tournament takes on special meaning this year, with the looming Women's World Cup set for July and August.
The four teams head to Nashville for a pair of games on Sunday (19 February), when the U.S. will meet Japan and Brazil takes on Canada. See the full schedule of the tournament below.
The U.S. is now 22-0 vs. Canada at home, though Vlatko Andonovski's squad had plenty of opportunities to notch another goal. After a back-and-forth first portion of the second half, the Americans had a flurry of chances around the 70-minute mark, including a blast from Horan that was pipped by Sheridan.
Canada did well to get the ball into U.S. territory in the final 15 minutes, but were never able to attack with vigor. A save by U.S. GK Alyssa Naeher in the closing moments of the first half ended up being their best chance from a bolt of a ball by Janine Beckie.
SheBelieves Cup 2023: Full schedule and results
Here's what the schedule and results look like for the eighth edition of the SheBelieves Cup:
Thursday 16 February
Brazil def. Japan, 1-0
Scorers: Debora Cristiane de Oliveira (72')
USA def. Canada, 2-0
Scorers: Mallory Swanson (7', 34')
Sunday 19 February
USA vs Japan, 14:30 CT (20:30 GMT, 21:30 CET)
Brazil vs Canada, 17:30 CT (23:30 GMT, 00:30 CET)
Wednesday 22 February
Canada vs Japan, 15:00 CT (21:00 GMT, 22:00 CET)
United States vs Brazil, 18:00 CT (00:00 GMT, 01:00 CET)