USWNT qualifies for 2024 Olympics with victory over Canada

Alex Morgan scored on a penalty kick in the 78th minute as the U.S. women’s national team qualified for the 2024 Olympics by defeating Canada 1-0 on Monday night in the final of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship in Guadalupe, Mexico.   

 It was Morgan’s pass to Rose Lavelle that led to defender Allysha Chapman clipping Lavelle on the right side of the box. Morgan then stepped to the spot to score her 118th international goal in her 196th game.   
 Alyssa Naeher made five saves for the U.S.   

 Canada will play the tourney’s third-place team, Jamaica, in a September 2023 playoff to determine CONCACAF’S second representative in the Paris Olympics. 

 
 The U.S., Canada, Jamaica and Costa Rica had already qualified for the 2023 World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand by advancing to the Women’s Championship semi-finals. The U.S. is the two-time defending World Cup champion.   

 In the most recent U.S.-Canada match in August 2021, the Canadians won 1-0 in the semi-final of the Tokyo Olympics en route to winning the gold medal.   

 Each team entered the final with four wins, all by shutouts, and there was no separation in the first half on the scoreboard despite the U.S. leading in shots and shots on target.   (REUTER)