She believes, I believe, we all believe
Meandering thoughts on believing, and the USWNT winning the SheBelieves Cup
— Columbus, Ohio
In retrospect, there was something inadvertently thematic about the entire day. When it started, I was driving toward Columbus through the bits of West Virginia and Pennsylvania that cluster by the Buckeye State. Stopping for a coffee and gas near West Virginia Penitentiary, not so far off from Wheeling, I happened upon the type of place that has gauche redstate Americana for sale by the camping supplies. Lighters with guns on them and the caption: “9MM. Faster than 911”. That type of thing. Stickers for sale with Joe Biden pointing admonishingly, “Putin did this!”, written below.
Anyway the coffee was just fine and as I was out by the gas pumps, a road-worn lookin’ fella cruised in on a big old motorcycle blasting Journey’s relentless wonder, “Don’t Stop Believin”, at a decibel notably high for 9:40 AM.
Later that night, in Columbus, Ohio, believers of a different kind gathered in excess of 19,000 to cheer on the US Women’s National Team; an American cultural juggernaut with four World Cup trophies, six Olympic medals (four gold, one silver, one bronze) and a smiting penalty defeat to Sweden last summer turning all of their glorious narratives upside down.
As the internet quipped irresistible jokes surrounding the 9th edition of the SheBelieves Cup — she believes what?? What does #shebelieve, exactly? — the crowd and the hype videos and the marketers seemed to answer back. Beyonce’s “Who Run the World?” came on. “Dancing Queen” came on. A “flex cam” appeared on the big screen: Rosie the Riveter shown doing the famous muscle-wielding pose, young girls in the crowd encouraged to do the same.
The first half played out like a final between two rivals hoping to limit the other's attack. It was a bit sloppy at times, positionally ineffective, the US rotated and reformatted from their Saturday display. Neither side had a clear front foot. In a play eerily familiar to Saturday’s early concession, Canada exploited the USWNT’s positioning to punish them on the counter, taking the lead before the half. Adriana Leon did the damage, again.
Changes for the second forty-five included throwing Mallory Swanson on (have you heard she’s finally back?). Jaedyn Shaw returned to her role from Saturday in the midfield. Sophia Smith went from the wing to playing as a striker, Trinity Rodman replaced Morgan 64 minutes in. Those changes worked. Shaw found Smith for the equalizer, then Rodman found Smith to take the lead.
For the first time in a long time, after Sophia’s second goal, I heard the crowd break out in a thematically applicable, albeit hotly debated (the vibes aren’t for everyone) old American soccer chant: “I …. I believe… I believe that…. I believe that we will… I believe that we will win… I believe that we will win… I believe that we will… ” and so on.
But fate didn’t end there, despite the chants from the evening’s believers.
Crystal Dunn conceded a penalty in the 86th minute that Adriana Leon put away, sending the trophy match straight to penalties after ending 2-2 in regulation. That’s the second clash with Canada, mind you, to end 2-2 then head to penalties in the span of just two months.
Alyssa Naeher (who’s said she’ll go to her grave believing she saved Lina Hurtig’s penalty in Melbourne) played the role of penalty hero once more. The thirty-five year old veteran saved three penalties and made one of her own to clinch the USWNT’s seventh SheBelieves Cup trophy from its nine editions.
And with that, the interim era is done. Next time we get together Emma Hayes will be in charge.
It’s been eight months now since the seagulls descended like vultures on that penalty collapse in Melbourne, circling down on a humbled team departing the World Cup at the earliest stage in their history. In the intervening space between now and then, there’s been a spectrum of sporting emotion: limbo, loss (once, against Mexico), evolution, victory, entertainment, identity regained.
In their second tournament of ‘24 they took home a second trophy. They were tested, again, by strong international sides that will sharpen their preparation for this summer. Canada, Brazil, Japan, and Colombia will all be at the Olympics, and all of them tested Kilgore’s squad. The US were imperfect as they played them. But they learned. And they evolved as they came out, in the end, on top.
The SheBelieves Cup is over now. Though as I descended into this cafe in Columbus where I write to you, I’ve been hit in the head by the theme once more. Couldn’t help but notice a Columbus Crew sticker on the door, couldn’t help but spot a US Soccer sticker just next to it. And just north of the two, there’s a sticker that says “I believe”... above the image of Bigfoot.
Deep in the land of believers, where the people believe all kinds of things, it’s easy to imagine this team could challenge for a medal this summer. Perhaps not the gold, but who knows. What I believe is that it will be immensely difficult. Should they bounce out in the group stage, I also wouldn’t be shocked. As Kilgore said, in her parting thoughts as interim manager: “Listen, winning is hard. Winning is hard. It’s not easy. It never will be easy.”
But I do believe (as I think they believe, and the various others around them) that anything is possible, too.
With women’s nations league in uefa and Concacaf version along with the w gold cup does this mean this competition is not going to continue in the long term ?