United States vs. Brazil – Football Match Report – February 22, 2023

Alex Morgan and Mallory Swanson scored as the United States defeated Brazil 2-1 on Wednesday night to lift the SheBelieves Cup for the fourth consecutive year.

Japan, who defeated Canada 3-0 in the previous game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, finished second in the four-team round-robin tournament. All four SheBelieves Cup teams will play at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer.

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Morgan’s curling goal sailed out of reach of Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena. Morgan now has five career goals in SheBelieves games.

It was Morgan’s 14th goal since giving birth to her daughter in 2020, earning her the national team record for most goals as a mother.

Swanson scored her fourth goal of the tournament and seventh overall this year in the 63rd minute, matching her total from last year.

Swanson, formerly Mallory Pugh, married Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson in December.

Ludmila scored in added time for Brazil to avoid the shutout. It was the first goal conceded this year by the United States, who are unbeaten in five games in 2023.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle started for the United States after missing the first two games of the tournament with a minor injury.

Japan went on a four-game losing streak after beating Canada. Japan had gone four straight games without a goal, including two SheBelieves games, until Kiko Seike gave her team a 26th-minute lead with a goal.

The Canadian players again wore purple t-shirts that read “Enough is Enough” for the anthems amid a labor dispute with their federation, and they wore purple armbands throughout the game.

Players for the United States also wore purple armbands in solidarity with Canada.

The USA needed at most a one-goal loss to win the championship, their sixth in the tournament’s eight years. The Americans also won in 2016 and 2018 before continuing their current title streak in 2020.

A victory for Brazil by two goals or more would have taken them to the top of the table by six points and given the Brazilians the championship due to the direct win.