Women On A Mission: USA Just Getting Started

Tim Hall’s View From 101

The United States Women’s National Team are the reigning and defending World Cup champions, and therefore the bookies’ pick to repeat as such. The US are also number one on the FIFA women’s national team rankings, although those are a bit like the miles-per-gallon stats you hear in car commercials: you know in your gut that there’s some jiggery-pokery being played with the actual numbers, but so long as everyone is being played with the same math, it is a serviceable lie and a usable metric.

The USWNT’s opponent for their first game in the group stage of the 2019 World Cup was Thailand, who are presently ranked 34th in the world. So, for sake of comparison, number one in the world on the men’s ledger is Belgium, and number 34 is Austria. Now, on a good night, could a motivated Austrian side go out and hold Belgium to a scoreless draw? Sure, that wouldn’t upend the footballing world. Could Austria even so a good old smash-n-grab and steal a win against the Belgians? Of course! Crazier things have happened. That’s why we love this sport.

But that explains the difference between the men and women’s games presently. The gap between the very top tier and those hopeful to rise to that stature in the men’s game is very small, the difference of a few good results, one or two top players here or there. In the women’s game, however, the gap is a gulf. The gulf has closed over the last decade, especially at the top. Whereas there were only two or three contenders for the title eight years ago, there might be six nations with a realistic shot this summer, depending on how the draw shakes out. But no one, outside the most delusional Thai supporter, would have foreseen anything less than a dominant US win to open proceedings in France on Tuesday. 

So when USWNT star Alex Morgan opened the scoring on twelve minutes, the promising young star-in-the-making Rose Lavelle doubled the lead eight minutes later, and 2018’s National Women’s Soccer League Most Valuable Player Lindsey Horan made it three just after the half-hour mark, all the while never feeling threatened by the Thailand attack coming the other way, it appeared for all that the US would cruise to an easy victory. Just that first half scoreline – combined with Sweden’s 2-0 win over Chile earlier – just that scoreline would have put the three-time champions into first place in Group F. 

Unfortunately, at least for the Thai fans in attendance, that first half scoreline didn’t hold.

To their credit, Thailand came out after the break and looked lively; they would not go quietly into the French night. Perhaps that angered the Americans, impossible to say for sure, but the second half statistics read like something out of a videogame. And if it was a videogame, Thailand would have been well within their rights to throw the controller at the wall and kick a hole in the TV.

Mewis 50’

Morgan 53’

Mewis 54’

Lavelle 56’

Morgan 74’

Rapinoe 79’

Morgan 81’

Pugh 84’

Morgan 87’

Lloyd 90+’

The USWNT scored ten goals in the second half and utterly broke the Thai team’s spirits, probably before half of those goals were registered. There were Thailand players crying when the final whistle blew and the scoreboard read 13-0. Even before that point, there were US fans that were starting to feel embarrassed and calling for mercy.

It was the most goals scored in any World Cup game, men or women. It was the largest margin of victory for any World Cup game, men or women. Alex Morgan’s five matched the most goals ever scored in a World Cup game, men or women. The US wasn’t just out destroying the competition, they were annihilating the record books.

After the final whistle, the Fox TV talking heads wondered aloud if 13-0 was disrespecting the opponents. It did make them cry after all. 

But if the last few years of politics in the States have given us any training, let’s explain to the people at that Rupert Murdoch-owned property why they are wrong for their concern trolling. 

This is the World Cup. This is supposed to be the level upon which all national teams are judged. If you’ve come this far, you have earned the right to be judged against the very best. This isn’t a friendly where the US should take their foot off the gas to make sure everyone has a good time and then go wave and shake hands with the people in the stands. Goal differential might matter, after all. Probably not to the tune of +13, but there’s nothing stopping the Swedes from hanging twenty on Thailand next match.

There’s also an old axiom from baseball where one team is running up the score: hey, promise you won’t score, and we’ll do the same. Sadly that’s never been answered or requited.

The most disrespectful thing of 13-0 that people will miss wasn’t the scoreline itself, it was who wrapped it up. Carli Lloyd scored in the 92nd minute. Carli Lloyd, the joint top scorer from the 2015 World Cup. Carli Lloyd, who scored a hat trick in the 2015 World Cup final. Carli Lloyd, who is either the USWNT’s first or second best scoring threat.

Carli Lloyd, who started the Thailand match on the bench and came on in the second half to spell Rose Lavelle, who had already scored twice.

This was not a statement of disrespect, not to any team or nation, and surely not to Thailand, who the US players hugged and shook hands with after the final whistle. Thailand just happened to be in the way. This was a statement of intent from the champions, the holders, from a US Women’s National Team to the rest of the nations in the tournament.

The USWNT is not on a victory lap. The USWNT is on a mission.