WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The U.S. women's national team had been falling, tumbling from the top of the women's soccer world, when Lindsey Horan darted to the rescue.
The U.S. then pushed for a second. Alex Morgan scored, but was correctly ruled offside. Trinity Rodman fired just wide of the far post. Sophia Smith had a left-footed drive cleared off the line. Pressure mounted.Long before Thursday, there had been a growing sense throughout the sport that the USWNT’s dominance was waning, that its aura was fading, and that foes were no longer afraid. “They still have so much quality on the pitch,” Netherlands midfielder Jackie Groenen said Wednesday.
“I think the whole women's football world is very interested in getting an answer on the question: Are we getting close?” he said. “And the feeling is yes, because of the improvement all over the world. But tomorrow is the first time we can check.”:"In the past, the American women were a lot fitter than the rest of the world, but I really think those days are over. If you look at the Champions League nowadays, you see the same level of intensity.
He added:"If you perform at such a high level for a long time, you are allowed to have a great amount of confidence. But on the other side, pride comes before a fall, so it's on us to be the first to show that their time to fall has come." Twenty-four hours later, his team almost showed that. But the USWNT, thanks to Horan and a second-half flurry, is still standing.
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