For three years, the U.S. women’s national soccer team has heard more alarm bells than celebratory chimes.
The 2021 Olympics ended in disappointment, the 2023 World Cup in disarray. The game seemed to be passing the Americans behind. Spain flashed exquisite skill, and England fulfilled promise. Japan played with style, and Colombia made big strides.
And while the U.S. team’s 1-0 victory over Brazil on Sunday in the Concacaf W Gold Cup final in San Diego will not compensate for recent duds — or extinguish concerns about the program’s general health in a sport growing at light speed — it did brighten the outlook 4½ months before the Paris Olympics.