Argentina - USWNT summary: score, goals & highlights, CONCACAF W Gold Cup 2024
Argentina - USWNT: as it happened
That's all, folks!
Thanks for joining in on the action. Make sure you check out the rest of the W Gold Cup fun we've got going on over at AS USA.
Joe
Here's how the group looks after 2 games:
1. USWNT | 6 pts | +10
2. Mexico | 4 pts | +8
3. Argentina | 1 pt | -5
4. Dominican Republic | 0 pts | -13
Next up... USWNT vs Mexico
Full-time thoughts and MVP award:
It was all too much from the USWNT for Argentina who battled hard but were nowhere near the level required to properly compete.
Three quick-fire goals from the host nation (two from Shaw and one from Morgan) put the game to bed in the first 20 minutes.
From then on, It was an exhibition from the USA, who continued to pepper Oliveros in goal all night long.
Horan got a second half penalty to add to the scoreline but it was a done deal way before, with Argentina having only one shot on goal.
Had Larroquette's first half effort gone in instead of hitting the crossbar things might have been different, but given the gulf in class from minute one of the game, it is hard to imagine any other result than a win for Kilgore's side.
MVP: I'm going to be controversial here and give my MVP award to Cometti, in the Argentina back line. Despite the scoreline, things could have been a lot worse had she not been such a warrior in defence.
FULL-TIME!
The USWNT go through to the next round and take back top spot in the table with a resounding 4-0 win over Argentina.
CHANCE. Rodman can't believe it as she puts another header wide of the far post.
Into the final minute...
Lavelle tries a nice flick inside the box but Argentina defend well. The USA are still putting them under heaps of pressure.
CHANCE. Coffey's free-kick meets a completely unmarked Horan at the back post. She swings a wild leg at the dropping ball, causing the crowd to gasp in anticipation. Her contact on the ball is not ideal, however, and Argentina clear.
The challenges are still flying in from Argentina, who lost their heads over an hour ago.
It's the USA controlling possession as Argentina don't have anything left in their legs.
Horan almost sees her cross headed in by Braun, who did well to clear the danger in the end.
TEN added minutes.
Won't somebody think of the children?
It's stunning (and probably accidental, given her facial expression) from Horan, who sees her cross float in at the back post. Unfortunately for her, it won't count.
OFFSIDE!
90 seconds of normal time to go.
Rodman raises her hands to her face as she plays a weak cross in from the left that's easily cleared.
CHANCE. Lavelle does incredibly well on the right, dragging the ball past the full-back before sending a cross to the head of Rodman, who directs the effort over the bar from close range.
Murphy collects the corner from Stabile to a huge cheer.
Argentina make changes:
OFF: Larroquette, Palomar, Gómez, Cruz
ON: Sachs, Pereyra, Dos Santos, Falfán
Just as we're about to get going again, Oliveros goes to ground. The medical staff run from the touchline with Cruz to the goalkeeper, who is on the floor.
Cruz is down injured and the medical staff are on the pitch.
Argentina are preparing a host of changes as the US continue to pass the ball around the defence.
More USA changes:
OFF: Shaw
ON: Coffey
Horan takes her time and sends a deft shot into the top left corner of the goal.
Horan steps up...
Tensions are rising between the two sets of players who are pushing and shoving as the penalty taker is decided upon.
The player has seen a second yellow for the handball. It's incredibly harsh...
MAYORGA IS OFF!
PENALTY
There's a VAR check for a potential penalty. The ball looked to have skimmed off the arm of a defender on the way to hitting the post.
OFF THE POST. It's mayhem inside the Argentina box. Lavelle skips past a challenge on the right and plays across goal. Rodman can't get a shot away and plays to Sonnett, who fizzes a shot off the far post and into the grateful grasp of Oliveros.
JUST WIDE. Sonnett somehow sends the ball wide with a header from just a few yards out!
Stabile is judged to have tripped Shaw close to the right corner flag and the US have a free-kick. Given the challenges we've seen, that's a strange call from the referee.
Argentina have certainly done a better job at keeping their opponents at bay in the second period.
However, a cynical person may put that down to the changes, the scoreline, fatigue and the juicy tackles that have broken the flow of the game.
Shaw's free-kick is sent to the far post where Horan has made a run, but it's slightly overhit and whisks out of play.
Sophia Smith dances through a house of mirrors without touching the sides and is brought down by Cometti, who gets a booking.
The changes from the US have just seen the pace of the game drop ever so slightly.
Gómez Ares goes down after a leg is left in by Sonnett.
More US changes:
OFF: Krueger, Dunn
ON: Fox, Nighswonger
CHANCE. Smith sends a low cross in from the right towards Horan, who sees the ball swept from her feet at the last second.
We've had an hour of football and the friendship bracelets are just beginning to be stretched...
Shaw is booked for a late challenge on Larroquette.
I don't gamble, but I wouldn't be averse to shaking hands with you that there's going to be a red in this game at some point.
CHANCE. Horan gets on the end of Rodman's cross after Argentina fall asleep as the US take a quick free-kick. While the football has been slick from the host nation, Argentina have not helped themselves and look a beaten outfit.
CHANCE. Oliveros gets down to her right as Rodman threatens goal with a low drive after cutting inside from the left.
The ball is rolling once again.
A red-faced Braun steps off the field with a huge smile. Warrior.
Krueger thunders a shot towards goal which hits Braun in the face. The medical team race onto the pitch as the game is immediately stopped.
We're back underway...
I'm stunned. The VAR images show Gómez Ares grabbing Rodman inside the box as the ball is 20 yards away on the other side of the pitch. The referee goes to the screen, takes 3 days to check over the images at least 5 times and doesn't give a penalty.
I'm told it's for a possible penalty...
The US fly up the pitch and win a corner, which is cleared by Argentina before landing at the feet of Smith, who fires over.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY!
Let's see how things go...
USWNT changes:
OFF: Albert, Morgan
ON: Sonnett, Smith
We've got some changes coming up...
The US are set to switch things up for the second half.
They don't miss...
Neither Opta nor the USWNT miss against Argentina. Again, the side have shown their utter dominance over the spirited South Americans.
Half-time thoughts:
Three goals in 9 minutes from the USWNT - two from Shaw and one from Morgan - have made sure a brave but ultimately weaker Argentina side have looked dominated in all aspects of the play.
Apart from a few tasty tackles towards the end from the albiceleste, the USWNT have looked superior in every way, dominating proceedings both in and out of possession.
Every single one of the players in blue have looked threatening, with Krueger, Shaw, Rodman and Morgan the picks of the bunch, but I could name just about everyone except the goalkeeper.
HALF-TIME
It's complete control from the USWNT, who blitzed their opponents with three quick fire goals early on.
Mayorga, however, does go into the book for a tasty challenge on Horan.
Rodman kicks the ball away which is met by a push in the back from a clearly frustrated Núñez. 'Six of one and half a dozen of the other', says the referee, or something to that effect, who doesn't book either of them.
Morgan is flagged for offside as the USWNT transition in two passes up the field, starting with Girma at the back. It's slick, ruthless football from the host nation.
6 added minutes.
Nothing given. As you were.
It seems we've got a VAR check going on, which I assume is for the Palomar challenge on Morgan.
Palomar had brought down Morgan as the free-kick was swung in by Lavelle, just as Krueger clashed with the goalkeeper. Everyone's OK, but we're not underway just yet.
Oliveros collides with Krueger as the goalkeeper races out to punch a cross. There are a number of players on the deck.
CHANCE. Rodman drives inside and finds enough room between blue and white stripes to draw back her right leg and fire towards goal. Her effort spins over the bar.
Argentina have dropped back into a low block as the US continue to tap, tap, tap the ball from left to right and back again, looking for a way in.
Rodman is just pure class, isn't she? The forward takes the ball on the left wing, pulls it back to create half a yard of space from her marker and sends a wonderful cross-field pass into space to begin an attack down the right. Such talent at such a young age.
Argentina forced into a change:
OFF: Rodríguez
ON: Palomar
It looks like Rodríguez is having some physical issues.
The US are playing an incredibly direct, narrow and incisive style of play, not dissimilar to the typical 'Red Bull' model of football. I'm not normally a fan, but it's working a treat on this occasion.
CHANCE. Rose Lavelle breaks away down the left wing after a Shaw pass puts her through. I think she has more time than she realises as she goes for goal early, sending her shot spinning wide.
The atmosphere is sensational right now: the crowd are putting on a fantastic show of noise and have the full songbook on the go!
Oliveros does well to catch a ball that's sent directly over the top of the Argentina defence. Rodman was sniffing once again, like an opportunistic wolf.
Argentina have started to pop the ball around in their midfield for the first time so far in the tie. The US allow them to do so until they cross halfway, when they begin to rabidly press them, winning back the ball.
We're back underway. Cometti is also back on the pitch.
CHANCE. Rodman is slipped in through a gaping hole in the albiceleste defence and Cometti manages to get a late tackle in, but she's now down injured.
As you might imagine, Argentina are struggling to remember what shape the ball is as the mega-confident USWNT push it around from player to player in a fantastic showing of talent.
Wow, what a stunning response we've seen from the US, who clearly have Mexico's goal difference in mind.
Krueger sends in a whipped cross from the right and Morgan loops a header over the defence and goalkeeper to pretty much put the game to bed after 20 minutes!
MORGAN
It's superb from the US: Horan plays to Lavelle down the left who sends a cross towards the penalty spot. Shaw makes a perfectly timed run and crashes a volley into the far corner!
The right-footed rocket is hit towards Murphy from Núñez, who sees her shot saved.
Argentina have a free-kick around 30 yards from goal, just to the right.
Argentina break and Rodríguez is brought down on halfway, giving her side a breather.
It's a sensational finish from Larroquette, who swipes the ball into the net from a tight angle, but the flag goes up as she was just offside in the buildup.
OFFSIDE!
We're back underway and the crowd's nerves from that crossbar effort have calmed.
It's delightful. The US win the ball high up and Shaw breaks into the box from the left. The 19-year-old takes one touch and slots past Oliveros, making no mistake.
SHAW
OFF THE BAR!!! Larroquette goes for a sensational effort as she thunders a bouncing ball from close to the halfway line and we were 6 inches from seeing the goal of the year!
CHANCE. Rodman can't direct the header towards goal as Morgan's cross from the left is slightly behind the forward. The replay shows that Morgan may well have been offside in the buildup, so it would have been ruled out by VAR.
SAVE. Oliveros does well to get off her line and save Morgan's effort after she slipped behind the Argentina back line.
PENALTY SHOUT. Morgan is brought down by Cometti in the box and the Wave forward wants a penalty. Referee says no.
Argentina are pressing well but the rapid passing from the US is keeping them on their toes and at this stage, they haven't had a proper spell on the ball.
CHANCE. Horan, after a long buildup, crosses from the left and Morgan is inches away from heading into goal. The ball lands with Krueger at the back post but Argentina have enough numbers back to put out the fire.
CHANCE. Krueger advances down the right but she is crowded out on the wing as she crosses halfway. Morgan picks up the scraps and the ball is sent towards the far post, where Rodman heads wide.
It's the US with the early possession as Girma takes control of proceedings from centre-back.
AND WE'RE OFF!
Alex Morgan gets us going!
Time for the national anthems...
Two lovely renditions of two lively anthems. A great job from everyone. And super signing voices.
HERE COME THE PLAYERS!!!
The stadium is bouncing as the 22 players make their way onto the pitch!
Warmups complete!
The pre-game warmups are over and the two teams have made their way down the tunnel for the final team talks!
The atmopshere is building!
The stadium is rocking as the last-minute preparations to the pitch are being finalised!
Here's how the two teams line up:
If you've just joined us, welcome!
ARGENTINA:
GK: Oliveros
DEF: Stabile - Cruz - Cometti - Braun
MID: Ares - Mayorga - Núñez - Preininger
ATT: Larroquette - Rodríguez
USWNT:
GK: Murphy
DEF: Krueger - Dunn - Davidson - Girma
MID: Lavelle - Horan - Albert
ATT: Morgan - Shaw - Rodman
TWENTY MINUTES TO GO!
The fans are finding their way to their seats and the first of the players have emerged for the pre-game warmups!
SAEED KHAN / AFP
Who to watch: Sophia Smith
Call me Mr. Obvious, I completely accept that. But I also accept your admission and apology after I ask the question of ‘how could I not have mentioned Sophia Smith?’. Exactly.
The 23-year-old forward is the shining star of the future in this incredibly promising squad.
Born in the year 2000, the Portland Thorns player has captivated the hearts and minds of USWNT fans as she has shown her style across the States. She’s certainly one to keep an eye on, not just tonight, but in general.
Opta with the goods!
As usual, here is Opta to tell you the good news from their stats boffins in long white coats.
History is on the side of the USWNT, who have won by a whopping number of goals against today's opponents.
The last game for the USWNT, the first one of the group stage, wasa thundering 5-0 win over the Dominican Republic. The USWNT moved to the top of Group A with the 3 points but have since been kicked off by Mexico's recent victory.
We saw Mexico and Argentina play out a 0-0 draw before we realised that it was the US who had claimed all the goals of the night and duly thumped their opponents.
It was a resounding performance that put the worries of some fans into perspective: being tournament favourites comes with a lot of pressure but the side made no mistake in putting those worries to bed.
The USWNT supporting Black History Month
A fantastic design on the t-shirt from Playa Society made sure that these shirts sold out in an instant. And you can see why. A fantastic bit of kit for a fantastic initiative.
RONALD MARTINEZ / Getty Images via AFP
Morgan is back!
Good news! Alex Morgan is back in the squad for the side where she has come to be a household name across the world.
The San Diego Wave forward was, somewhat shockingly, left out of Kilgore’s initial squad list as the interim manager went for youthful exuberance over older, calmer heads.
However, injuries have limited the options up top for the USWNT and as such, Morgan has made the cut.
We won’t, however, be seeing Morgan in her classic number 13 shirt; instead she’s been given the number 7.
Dominican Republic 0-8 Mexico
The game in Group A has finished and it's a resounding win from Mexico, who sit top on 4 points and have roundly thumped their shellshocked opponents 0-8.
Here is how the Gold Cup lineup looks:
These are the teams battling it out for continental glory. Brazil and the US would be my favourites, but watch out for Colombia, who have some serious talent in their ranks.
The USWNT are at the stadium!
The players have arrived at the Dig! It won't be long before they're on the pitch for the pre-game warmups.
PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP
About the stadium...
Dignity Health Sports Park may not be the most appealing stadium in the US in terms of its catchy name that gets the heart racing, but the home of LA Galaxy and LAFC has certainly seen its fair share of historic football played out on the pristine pitch.
It holds 27,000 fans and when the club sides are in town, it can create one of the most formidable and spine tingling atmospheres in MLS!
USWNT STARTING XI:
Lindsey Horan is wearing the armband and Alex Morgan is up front. Trinity Rodman is also up top and Rose Lavelle is holding the fort in the engine room.
Seventh heaven for Mexico...
Jasmine Casarez has just made it 7 for Mexico. Goal difference could end up being a huge factor in the group and they're certainly making their voices heard...
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Before we get the team news, here's how the USWNT are expected to line up for their W Gold Cup game against Argentina.
Here's how things are going in the other group game...
Look away, Dominican Republic fans. Mexico are currently thumping their opponents and are currently 0-6 up with around half an hour to go.
ANDREW COULDRIDGE / Action Images via Reuters
But I thought that Emma Hayes was the USWNT manager... right?
Yes. Well, sort of.
Emma Hayes is strictly the USWNT manager, just not quite yet. The Chelsea boss is still in charge of the London team and will in fact take over as head coach of the national side in May, when the club season comes to a close.
For now, it's Twila Kilgore who's got the honour of leading the side into this tournament, and she did a fantastic job last time out, beating the Dominican Republic with ease.
The dressing room is set!
As the 'away side' in the tie, the USWNT will be in their lovely blue away strip, while Argentina will play in their home kit.
Team news: USWNT
Mia Fishel and Alana Cook are the two original squad players that dropped out and were replaced by Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan (more on her later).
As for the previous game against Dominican Republic, there were no injuries or suspensions.
Team news: Argentina
Germán Portanova has got a full squad to choose from after they emerged from their tightly-fought 0-0 contest with Mexico with no injuries or suspensions to speak of.
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the live text coverage of the W Gold Cup action between the USWNT and Argentina.
It’s Joe here for AS USA and I’ll be on hand to guide you through the action as it unfolds.
We should have kick-off in around an hour from now.