By Meg Linehan, Melanei Anzidei and Steph Yang
On Friday, the U.S. women’s national team advanced into the knockout stage of the W Gold Cup thanks to a 4-0 win over Argentina in its second group stage match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Their final group stage test awaits against Mexico, who rolled to a dominant 8-0 victory over the Dominican Republic. With a seeding of the top eight teams determining quarterfinal match-ups, one final win — and goal differential — will be crucial for the U.S.
After an early scare from Argentina, thanks to a long-range effort from Orlando Pride’s Mariana Larroquette striking the crossbar, the U.S. responded quickly with a pair of goals from forward Jaedyn Shaw, then a goal in the run of play from Alex Morgan in the first half.
Argentina went down to ten players in the 75th minute when Miriam Mayorga received a second yellow card for a handball in the box. Lindsey Horan converted the penalty kick, given after video review, for the final goal of the night and the only one of the second half.
“It was fun. I think we enjoyed the ball,” Horan said after the game. “The first three goals, getting them early, set the tone for us.”
Once again, the U.S. didn’t get much of a defensive test beyond those first few looks…
