After completing a series of friendlies during the FIFA International window, the United States, Canada and Costa Rica women's national teams traveled south to compete in the Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey, Mexico with 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification on the line.
The tournament kicked off on Jul. 4 with five Thorns FC players competing for the three aforementioned sides. Christine Sinclair, Janine Beckie and Rocky Rodriguez found the back of the net for Canada and Costa Rica, respectively, while Sophia Smith and Becky Sauerbrunn both started for the United States – all three of their teams won its first match.
Arguably the headline match from a Thorns perspective came on Jul. 5 as Sinclair and Beckie scored in Canada's comprehensive 6-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago. Sinclair netted the games first goal with a powerful and well-placed header in the box in the 27th minute, her 190th on the international stage.
Beckie put her name on the scoresheet in the 86th minute, capping off a quick Canada attacking sequence by receiving the ball centrally in the box and putting her shot in the back of the net.
Earlier in the afternoon, Rodriguez scored Costa Rica's first goal of the tournament with a header at the back post. The 6th-minute goal, off a corner kick, helped spur her team to an important 3-0 win over Panama.
While neither of Portland's U.S. internationals scored against Haiti, both Smith and Sauerbrunn started in the 3-0 victory. Sauerbrunn anchored a defense that kept a clean sheet while Smith provided her usual energetic spark to the front three.
The United States next play at 4pm PT Jul. 7 against Jamaica (Paramount+), Canada will take on Panama at 7pm PT on Jul. 8 (Paramount+) and Costa Rica faces Trinidad and Tobago at 4pm PT on the 8th (Paramount+).
Also, be sure to keep an eye on Natalia Kuikka and the Finland women's national team, which begins its journey in the 2022 UEFA Women's EURO against Spain at 9am PT on Jul. 8 (ESPN+).
