Women’s World Cup: USWNT triumphs for fourth World Cup title

The United States Women’s National Soccer Team clinched their fourth-ever World Cup title in their 2-0 win against the Netherlands. Thy won every one of their 2019 World Cup games. Each match the US played in the tournament defined and solidified their style. The USWNT’s emphatic World Cup performance proves their brand’s dominance will endure a little longer.

All the winningest footballing nations are known for particular styles of play. Germans are known for their precision, Spain, its lyrical passing and Italy, its defensive prowess. English football is physical. Mexican futbol is fast paced. To watch Brazilian futbol is to understand why fans call soccer “the beautiful game.”

These styles are sacrosanct, established before anyone was born. Not true for American soccer. The world has watched the American style spring to life and grow up these last 40 years. And, unlike these other styles, the American style was created, and perfected, by women. The kind of soccer American women made is direct and physical. As it grew, tactics and technicality improved and US player fitness became unrivaled. The team prefers to score early. Often, they’ll see out a game with everyone but the center forward defending.

Leading up to the 2019 World Cup, it appeared a few women’s teams might have caught up to — even surpassed — the Americans. It didn’t happen.

In the 2019 World Cup, the US definitely played against more organized and experienced defensive sides: Sweden, the Netherlands. They simply overwhelmed these teams physically until they got the lead. Once they had a lead, the US increased their numbers in defense to keep it. The American team also faced more technically skilled sides, like France, yet early US goals and their willingness to sacrifice players to defend, disrupted France’s ability to build or counter.

England came the closest to handling  them. The English women play with a mix of possession and explosiveness. They can get extremely physical and, overall, their players are slightly more technical than US players. In their semifinal match, the US took an early lead, but England tied it up — twice. After England’s second goal was reversed by a lucky VAR intervention, the Americans again had the lead. Once they had it back, the whole US team defended until the final whistle and  moved on to the final.

The way the US women do things works. America now has its fourth Women’s World Cup title, the most of any nation. The other teams in the Cup were fierce, skilled, tenacious, yet none of them could stop the US. Unless the world’s women’s national teams come up with something totally original to respond to the way the United States plays, long will the USWNT reign.