U.S. women’s national team players stand on the field during an Olympic send-off ceremony after a friendly against Costa Rica at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2024. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The Equalizer)
WASHINGTON — U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes didn’t see the banner the fans unveiled with her face on it before Tuesday’s match. She was busy, she said, dodging the bald eagle that was on the field for the national anthem.
It was that kind of night for the USWNT, which hosted Costa Rica at Audi Field in Washington in its final send-off game before the Paris Olympics. There was plenty of pomp and circumstance to go around, from the bald eagle to multiple fireworks displays.
However, the Americans’ performance on the field couldn’t match the spectacle around them. They controlled 80% of the possession and connected on nearly 500 passes, but they didn’t get a shot past Costa Rica goalkeeper Noelia Bermúdez in a 0-0 draw. Their 67 touches in the box, 26 shots and 12 shots on goal…
