Late penalty kick booted in by Alex Morgan of the United States

Apparently women’s soccer has become another rivalry matching up with women’s ice hockey in the sports world of Canada and the United States.

Ice hockey has been a rivalry between the two for ages, and whether played in Canada or the USA brings big turnouts. Soccer is the newcomer and on Monday night it took a penalty kick from veteran Alex Morgan in the 78th minute to down the Canadians, 1-0, and claim the CONCACAF women’s championship and secure one of the region’s spots in the 2024 Winter Olympics.

As FIFA President Gianni Infantino watched from a private box at the site in Monterrey, Mexico, the United States finally broke a stalemate in the tight match when America’s Rose Lavelle was fouled in the box and Morgan got the penalty kick and booted it past Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan. It was Morgan’s 118th overall career goal.

In the earlier clash for third place there, Jamaica got past Costa Rica, 1-0, in overtime to gain third place in the tournament.

The four semifinalists had all earlier earned spots in the 2023 World Cup next summer in Australia and New Zealand. Runner-up Canada will play Jamaica in a playoff for the region’s other Olympic bid in September 2023.

Even though the USA is now 33-0 in World Cup or Olympic qualifying matches since losing to Mexico 2-1 in advance of the 2011 World Cup, this game against Canada was a rematch of the Olympic semifinal a year ago in Toyko when the Canadians nipped the Americans, 1-0, on a late penalty kick to advance to the final, its first victory over the US in 20 years.

Canada then went on to win the gold medal on a penalty shootout with Sweden. The Americans settled for the bronze.

In this match, Alyssa Naeher was in goal for the United States instead of Casey Murphy, who started the last game at the tournament. Defender Emily Fox also returned to the lineup for the US from CONCACAF protocol.

Temperatures hovered in the low 90s at the start of the match at Estadio BBVA. Sheridan had a big save in the 31st when Mallory Pugh made a break down the down the right side and took a hard shot at the goal that Sheridan stopped. She made another in the 45th with an assist from teammate Kadeisha Bachmann on Sophia Smith’s scramble to score at the goal line. Smith had another chance in the 64th but it went wide.

Canada had a flurry of late opportunities, including a header from Jordyn Huiterna that went wide.

The United States has been to every World Cup since the tournament began in 1991. It has won four titles, including the last two in 2015 and 2019. But Canada has made big improvements in that span.