The U.S. Women’s National Team’s World Cup Qualifying quest could not have started any better, with much of it down to Megan Rapinoe.
The midfielder, who wore the captain’s armband against Mexico, recorded two goals and two assists, and was directly involved in the build-up of a fifth. Her first opened up the scoring after only three minutes, and she once again set momentum in the USWNT’s favor with her assist on the second early on in the second half. Overall, it was an incredibly dominant performance from a team led by a player who was just as impressive on her own accord.
On a day when the U.S. team was relentless, the likes of Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath deserve honorable mentions for their performances. Morgan marked a standout night for herself by scoring a brace of her own, while Heath showed her usual flair and picked up a goal in the process in what was essentially a perfect outing for the front line.
Who do you think stood out for the USWNT in their qualifying opener? Share your thought in the comments below.
Certainly, Megan stood out here with her all-around play, and was the star of the match. But everyone looked good out there. Alex Morgan demonstrated her skill sets in championship fashion. But Alex has a few shortcomings which appear all too often. The most notable is her being offside. Not only was she reported to lead the NWSL in off-sides, but based on my observations, she typically has more than 50% of the U. S. total for any particular match. GREAT Soccer Players do NOT have 3-4 off-sides every match. If Alex truly wants to get to a Player-of-the-Year level in FIFA, she will have to attempt to correct this shortcoming. Being offside is simply a lack of focus and concentration on where you are on the field.