Alex Morgan scored a penalty late in the second half to guide the United States to a 1-0 victory over Canada in the CONCACAF W Championship final in Monterrey, Mexico on Monday night.
The game was a rematch of last summer's Olympic semifinal game, which Canada won 1-0 before going on to win the gold medal in Tokyo, with the victory securing the USWNT a spot in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Vlatko Andovoski's side looked lively from the outset, with Mallory Pugh's well-hit volley testing Canada keeper Kailen Sheridan and Morgan firing just wide of the far post inside of the first five minutes. — Kassouf: Should CONCACAF keep the W Championship format Both teams continued to have chances in a back-and-forth opening 45 minutes, with Sheridan somehow keeping Sofia Smith's shot from point-blank range out just before the half ended 0-0.
Smith missed another golden opportunity just after the hour mark. After outrunning the Canada defense to a perfectly weighted through ball from Morgan, Smith rounded Sheridan but slipped as she went to shoot into a wide open goal with her effort ending up in the side netting.