By Ray Alley
It was around the noon hour back on the East Coast of the USA. Seven time zones away on a very hot Sunday evening in Lyon, France a young 24-year old midfielder carved up the The Netherlands’ defensive back line. She saw the space in front of her and she took it.
At the top of the penalty box Rose Lavelle cut the ball to her left foot and slotted a shot into the bottom right corner of the goal, clinching a 2-0 win over the Dutch in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup title game..
At that moment, surely somewhere in America, one could almost hear the raspy, yet melodic voice of Willie Nelson as he sang “turn out the lights, the party’s over.”
The goal gave the U.S. Women’s National Team a two-goal margin in the 68th minute of the final. A half hour later the party began……in France and all across the United States.
The #1 team in the world, in front of a soldout crowd of 57,100, had fulfilled their mission. They had won their fourth world championship, and had successfully won it back-to-back, successfully defending their 2015 title. Winning once is very difficult. Successfully defending had eluded the U.S. women on three previous occasions.
It should be remembered that 2019 is the 20th anniversary year when another group of young women won the 1999 World Cup in Pasadena, Calif., with a dramatic penalty kick shootout over China. For the last two decades, that group of American soccer pioneers have been called the ‘99ers.
That was the team of Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Brandy Chastain, Carla Overbeck, Joy Fawcett and goalkeeper Briana Scurry.
Most of this year’s team were not yet teenagers when the ‘99ers made five consecutive penalty kicks back on July 10, 1999. Some watched the game with painted faces from the Rose Bowl stadium, others watched on TV. Levelle was only four years old at the time. Defender Tierna Davidson, the youngest on this year’s team, was only 10 months old.
Now this U.S. team may have proven themselves to be the GOAT…..Greatest Of All Time. In time, they will be known as the ‘19ers. You can pick your own heros.
This was a team of many personalties which blended into a single determined and tenacious unit, and found a way to win every game. The title victory was the team’s 12th consecutive World Cup win going back to 2015 in Canada. That’s a record!
Megan Rapinoe, who like teammate Becky Saurbrunn turned 34 during the tournament, scored six goals and earned the Golden Boot. Her penalty kick, her third in the tournament, broke a scoreless draw with the Dutch, eight minutes before Lavelle’s clincher. Actually she scored four consecutive goals in leading the U.S. to wins over Spain and France, both 2-1.
Rapinoe sat out the semifinal against #3 ranked England with a hamstring strain, and her replacement, Christen Press, scored the USA’s opening goal.
Alex Morgan scored five times in the opening 13-0 win over Thailand. She also had six goals in the tournament, collecting the other on a second-half header in the 2-1 semifinal win over England. She was awarded the Silver Boot.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was inexperienced in big international competitions, and there were critics who voiced concerns about how she would handle the pressure.
She did quite well, allowing only three goals in seven games and saved a penalty kick, and the game, against England. She posted four shutouts, including the final against the European champions.
There were also numerous doubters of Crystal Dunn, who were quick to praise her offensive abilities, but opined that she was not a left back. She proved to be more than ready-and-able to handle the best the opposition could throw at her. The last cut in 2015, she would not be denied four years later.
Kelly O’Hara suffered a head injury just before halftime in the final. She did not return for the second half, and her replacement, Ali Krieger, out of the national team for two years, replaced her at right back. Krieger did just what she was brought back to do and closed out the game with a strong defensive effort.
There were other stars who were brilliant in their roles. Tobin Heath up top. Abby Dahlkemper and Sauerbrunn in the back. Julie Ertz, Samantha Mewis and Lindsey Horan at midfield.
And much credit must go to Jill Ellis, the U.S. WNT coach who managed a strong, talented group of personalities. Much credit also goes to assistant Tony Gustavsson, who was by her side and in her ear throughout.
The team returns home to a Wednesday ticket tape parade in New York and then back to their NWSL professional teams. A five-game Victory Tour begins Aug. 3 in Los Angeles, and the next Olympics is just a year away.
Some players may retire before then, but most will stick around. More will be gone before the next World Cup in 2023. This year’s team was the oldest in the World Cup. Only eight players are in their 20s. Fifteen are 31 and younger.
Ellis’ contract is up this year, so that issue must be settled. Will it be extended through the Olympics, or for another four-year cycle? Only time will tell.
But one thing is certain, the ‘19ers have earned their place in history. Well done World Champions!