USWNT puts a frustrating night behind them as they look forward to next week’s Olympics

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

Washington (CNN) — A frustrating night on the soccer field for the US Women’s National Team was quickly forgotten Tuesday as attention turned to the start of the Olympics next week and the chase for another gold medal.

Intricate build-up play and an overwhelming amount of possession failed to result in a goal for the US in a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. But ultimately the game wasn’t necessarily about the result on the field, as the team looks ahead to traveling to France for the 2024 Summer Games.

The scenes at Audi Field in southwestern Washington, DC, were celebratory from the moment gates opened. Alternating sections of red and white flags blew in a summer breeze, and the players were greeted by fireworks, a fly over from military planes and even a skittish bald eagle who could have done without the noise from the explosions.

In the 90 minutes on the field, the mood went from that jubilant celebration to a more tense frustration as the game entered its final minutes with no American breakthrough. Ultimately the lack of finishing was the main story – and is going to be a key focus for head coach Emma Hayes ahead of kick off in Marseille next week.

Hayes credited Costa Rica’s low-block defense for stifling the American attack but said she’s confident the goals will come. She pointed out that the US had 26 shots, 12 of which were on target, and 67 touches in the 18-yard box – the most in any match for the USWNT since 2015.

“If you play a game of percentages or law of averages, we’re creating more and more high-quality chances and we’re getting more and more numbers in the box,” Hayes said after the game. “We’re getting into the key areas, we’re getting more touches in the key areas. The last part’s the hardest part. And I’m really patient.”

Kicking off in breezy but hot conditions – the thermometer read 97 degrees, but the heat index was well north of 100 – Audi Field felt more like a convection oven than a soccer stadium. Despite the heat, an energetic sold-out crowd helped inspire the Americans to a dominant first half that failed to result in any goals.

It was mostly one way traffic for the US against Las Ticas in the first half. The Americans enjoyed plenty of space on the Costa Rican wings, making run after run toward the touchline and pouring passes into the box. However, those passes were often a touch off or missed the mark, and the one time that the US put the ball in the net in the first 45 minutes was called back for offside.

The second half was more of the same, including another goal waved off for offside. A spell of intricate passing ended with the ball in the net, but forward Mallory Swanson was flagged for offside.

The Americans dominated play throughout the game, but goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher barely had to touch the ball in the final 45 minutes. The US passed the ball around, made intricate runs into the box and got close on multiple occasions, but simply couldn’t make the critical finish.

They came close on multiple occasions. Costa Rican goalkeeper Noelia Bermúdez was forced into several key saves that often went behind for corner kicks that went down ultimately as wasted opportunities. Swanson brought fans to their feet in the 54th minute with a driving run but chose to pass instead of shoot, and no one was on the end of her offering.

A scramble in the box in the 61st minute forced multiple saves from Bermúdez as the Costa Ricans scrambled to clear the ball. And Swanson missed by inches in the 75th minute after a great run by substitute Jaedyn Shaw set her up. The ball was deflected behind for a corner kick, which midfielder Lindsey Horan fired over.

“We’re getting in those positions and I think you take the positive from that,” Swanson said. “And then you just go back to the training ground and continue to work on the finishing, that last little bit. And yeah, I think it’ll come and me, myself, I need to be a little bit more clinical.”

The game ended in frustrating manner as Trinity Rodman, the game’s standout player for the US, took one last shot from outside the box and missed the top corner by inches. It ended up being the last kick of the game.

There was one bit of worry before the game for the US women: midfielder Rose Lavelle, one of the team’s stars who is expected to play a key role in France, was a late scratch from the starting lineup with leg tightness. With the Olympics a week away, the decision to sit Lavelle was ultimately aimed at keeping her healthy for Paris but the sight of her jogging off the pitch just after the anthems was concerning.

Though the night ended in a draw for the US, the game was ultimately about what will happen next week in France. Hayes said she decided to sit Lavelle and draw out other players at the 60-minute mark of the second half in order to make sure there were no injuries ahead of the Olympics.

Many of the 18,972 people in attendance stayed behind after the final whistle, waving red and white flags as messages from US service members wishing the team lucked played on the Audi Field big screen.

Midfielder Sam Coffey will be going to her first Olympics and said she couldn’t be more excited to get to France.

“It’s a new experience but that’s not going to make me enter it with fear, with nerves – nerves are, I think, natural – but obviously it’s a big exciting opportunity and I just want to enjoy it,” she said.

Olympic play for the Americans gets under way at 3 p.m. ET on July 25 in Marseille when they take on Zambia in group play.

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