MONTERREY, Mexico — The Concacaf W Championship carries enormous consequences for the U.S. women’s national soccer team. But because they are in a group with Mexico, the Americans have been the opening act in these doubleheaders, performing before small crowds in sweltering, late-day heat.
Through two matches, the two-time defending world champions have defied the casual atmosphere by scoring twice in rapid succession in the first half.
Three days after Alex Morgan provided an early two-goal cushion against Haiti, 21-year-old Sophia Smith on Thursday did the same during a 5-0 victory over Jamaica — a result that took the top-ranked Americans to the cusp of a 2023 World Cup berth.