The U.S. fell short in the final game of a group stage that provided interim boss Twila Kilgore, and her players, plenty of lessons.
Well, that Mexico loss let the air out of the balloon a bit, didn't it? Prior to it, the U.S. women's national team was riding high on the back of two wins over the Dominican Republic and Argentina. Things were going well – the young stars were firing, the veterans were holding their own.
And then Mexico happened.
2-0 to El Tri, a huge loss for the USWNT, but a historic humbling, one that served as a harsh reminder that this team is still a work in progress. That loss in the third game doesn't erase the good of the first two, but it certainly does overshadow it.
There was plenty of good during the Gold Cup group stage, plenty of moments to look at and find hope in. There was also a decent amount of bad, particularly in that third game. In that Mexico defeat, the U.S. looked a whole lot like the team that limped out of last summer's World Cup and not the one that has been building so diligently to escape it.
The Gold Cup isn't over. The knockout stage is now calling, and the U.S. have a lot of work to do if they want to end this tournament with a trophy in hand.
GOAL takes a look at the USWNT's biggest winners and losers from the Gold Cup group stage…
GettyWINNER: Jaedyn Shaw
The old saying states that if you're good enough, you're old enough. It's been made very, very clear that Shaw is good enough to contribute to this team.
Shaw, still just 19, was the star of the show against Argentina, scoring twice in the 4-0 win. That's now four goals in just even caps for the teenager, who has never shown a single sign of fear despite playing under the USWNT microscope.
Fitting Shaw in isn't easy, though. The U.S. is loaded in the attack with talent and this Gold Cup group is even missing a few players, names like Mallory Swanson, Alyssa Thompson and Catarina Macario who could surely start any given game.
Shaw, though, has proven that she's a player that deserves to be involved. She's too talented right now and her ceiling is too high in the future. Let her use these games to get that extra little bit of experience before the Olympics, when she could be poised for a real breakout.
On form, Shaw has earned that Olympic chance already. If what we've seen so far is any indication, she could be next up in the long line of USWNT stars.
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Becky Sauerbrunn
Sauerbrunn will have been the first to raise her hand and acknowledge it. She's made so few during her illustrious USWNT career, which is what made Monday's even more impactful.
"I made a mistake," she said atfter the game. " It's very obvious that it was all on me. I probably should have done anything [other] than what I did.
"As a veteran, you have some rough days at the office and tonight is definitely a rough day. But luckily, you’ll have another day at the office and it’s just what you make out of it."
The 38-year-old defender is currently fighting for one last tournament, one last chance to play on the big stage. With Naomi Girma having already locked down one centerback spot, the question has become who will partner her, with there being several contenders for that job.
Sauerbrunn is one of those contenders, but Monday's performance won't have helped her case. Her lack of pace made Monday a difficult night for her and the USWNT defense. Girma, of course, is a player that can help cover some of that up and Sauebrunn's experience is invaluable. The question is if that'll be enough to keep her in it for the Olympics.
You have to remember that Sauerbrunn wasn't even originally in this squad, too, and was only called in as an injury replacement for Alana Cook. That makes it seem like she faces an uphill fight already, and Monday's performance has made that hill a bit steeper.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Olivia Moultrie
Another young star on the rise, Moultrie is finding her feet with the USWNT.
It's a shame we didn't see any more of her after her brace against the Dominican Republic. She was fantastic in that match, continuing her ascendance even earlier in her career than can be expected. You have to remember that Moultrie was anointed as next up at age 13. Now 18, she's living up to and exceeding the hype.
After that opening-game brace, it felt like this would be a perfect tournament to really toss Moultrie into the deep end. By resting her against Argentina, an understandable choice, she'd be ready to go against Mexico, right? Wrong, unfortunately.
The hope is that we'll see more of Moultrie because she has earned it. The young midfielder is clearly the future, and that future could be coming faster than many are ready for.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Rotation for the sake of it
Twila Kilgore promised rotation, which makes sense. Three games close together for a group in preseason form… it makes sense to move things around.
What doesn't make sense, though, is rotating at the expense of developing young players. There's a time for everything, sure, and Monday night's loss to Mexico really did feel like a time for young players, not veterans.
Veterans are what we got, though. The two centerbacks, Sauerbrunn and Dahlkember, were a combined 78 years old. The first two players off the bench, Morgan and Lynn Williams, were both over 30. Alyssa Naeher started in goal, while Crystal Dunn started at left-back, too.
All of this for a game that, essentially, didn't mean too much. The USWNT had already booked a spot in the knockout stages, largely through the play of their young stars. Those stars need every second available to them if they want to be ready for the Olympics this year and, if the performance fo some of the veterans was any indication, they may be needed as soon as possible.
Why didn't we see more of Shaw and Moultrie? Why did Jenna Nighswonger start just one of the three games? Korbin Albert played plenty, too, and surely took her chance, but why weren't some of the other new faces given a similar opportunity?
It'll be interesting to see how Kilgore balances it all going into the knockouts. There's no more room for error or rotation or rest. Will she place her trust in some of the young guns, for better or worse, or will she hope to ride veterans to a trophy? Whichever we she goes, it'll likely have a pretty big impact on the road to France this summer.
