The U.S. Women's National Team won the Concacaf W Championship last night with a close 1-0 victory over the Canada Women's National Team at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico in a match that saw Thorns FC players going head to head.
With Portland teammates Becky Sauerbrunn and Christine Sinclair wearing the captain's armband for their respective countries – Sauerbrunn for the U.S., Sinclair for Canada – the game was guaranteed to see a Thorns player raise a trophy at the end.
With Alex Morgan's 78th minute penalty kick goal proving to the be the difference, Sauerbrunn played the full match helping the backline hold on to the shutout while Portland's Sophia Smith started and played 88 minutes in the game. Midfielder Sam Coffey was available off the bench but did not make an appearance. For the Canadians, Janine Beckie started alongside Sinclair with the captain going 68 minutes and Beckie going the full 90.
In the third place match earlier in the day, Rocky Rodríguez and Costa Rica fell 1-0 to Jamaica in extra time. Rodríguez started and played 104 minutes in the hard-fought match.
Tournament Leaders
Beckie had the most assists in the tournament with three while Sauerbrunn had the most correct passes (230) and was also named to the tournament Best XI.
World Cup, Olympic berths secured
All of the Thorns that went to the tournament helped their national teams qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia on the strength of the U.S. and Canada both taking first place in their respective group stage play while Costa Rica took second in their group. Additionally, the tournament championship win for the USWNT also secured a berth for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Canada will face Jamaica in a playoff at a date to be announced to determine the other federation Olympic berth.
