USA vs Brazil – Football match report – February 22, 2023

Alex Morgan and Mallory Swanson scored and the United States defeated Brazil 2-1 on Wednesday night to win the SheBelieves Cup for the fourth year in a row.

Japan, who defeated Canada 3-0 in the previous game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, was the runner-up in the four-team tournament. All four SheBelieves Cup teams will play at the Women’s World Cup this summer in Australia and New Zealand.

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Morgan’s curling goal sailed out of reach of Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena. Morgan now has five career goals in games for the She Believes.

It was Morgan’s 14th goal since the birth of her daughter in 2020, giving her the national team record for most goals as a mother.

Swanson scored in the 63rd minute, her fourth goal of the tournament and seventh goal of the year, equaling her goal total for the entirety of last year.

Swanson, formerly Mallory Pugh, married Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson in December.

Ludmila scored in injury time for Brazil to avoid a shutout. It was the first goal allowed this year by the United States, who are unbeaten in five games in 2023.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle has started for the United States after missing the first two games of the tournament with a minor injury.

Japan snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Canada. Japan had not scored in four consecutive matches, including two from the SheBelieves, until Keiko Seki put her side ahead with a goal in the 26th minute.

Canadian players, in the midst of a labor dispute with their union, wore purple T-shirts reading “Enough is enough” for anthems, and wore purple wristbands during the game.

The United States players also wore purple wristbands in solidarity with Canada.

The United States entered needing a one-goal loss at worst to win the tournament, their sixth in eight years of the tournament. The Americans also won in 2016 and 2018 before continuing their current streak of titles beginning in 2020.

A Brazil win by two goals or more would have tied them at the top of the table with the United States on six points and handed the Brazilians the championship on a head-to-head win-win basis.