FRISCO, Texas — What happens when you invite a newbie soccer fan to one of the biggest tournaments of the year? A whole lot of cheering, eavesdropping on soccer facts and good vibes.
The final matches of the SheBelieves Cup took place on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, and they featured the women's national teams from the United States, Brazil, Canada and Japan.
Canada faced Japan in the first game, and the U.S. -- who came into the match in first place in the SheBelieves Cup standings -- faced off against Brazil.
Japan snapped a four-game losing streak with its win 3-0 over Canada, and the day only got sweeter from there as the US captured the SheBelieves Cup title for the fourth straight year by defeating Brazil 2-1. Japan was the runner-up.
If you’re not familiar with the tournament here’s a quick explainer.
The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational event that started in 2016. Its aim is to inspire and empower women and girls in sports and beyond to achieve their dreams.
This year, it also doubles as good preparation for some of the world's best teams as they prepare for the Women's World Cup that's set to take place this summer in Australia and New Zealand.
The United States Women's National Team (USWNT), ambassadors of the SheBelieves Cup, have won six of the last eight titles.
The winner of the round-robin tournament is determined by total points (three for a win, one for a tie), with the first tiebreaker being overall goal difference, followed by most total goals scored, then head-to-head results and, lastly, fair play ranking (if necessary).
After attending Wednesday's games, here are the takeaways from this year's SheBelieves Cup.
Representation matters
Any time you can step into an environment and witness people who look like you doing something as amazing as competing on a world stage, it's empowering.
That's the message of the SheBelieves Cup, and it resonates.
It was evident from the moment I walked into Toyota Stadium to the sound of an all-female music playlist, as families with young girls rocking jerseys of their favorite players could be heard and seen chatting and cheering amongst themselves, and squealing that they too may be able to be on that soccer field some day.
Once the USWNT took the field before what looked like a near sold-out venue, those sounds of excitement rose to near-deafening levels.
Wednesday's games also came with an added relevance: The date marked the one-year anniversary since the USWNT settled its class action lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation and won its fight to earn equal pay with the men's national team.
It's a similar fight to what the Canadian women’s national soccer team is now in with its home country's federation. To that end, Canadian players wore purple T-shirts reading “Enough is Enough” for the national anthems on Wednesday, and wore purple wristbands during their match. In a show of solidarity and support, players for the U.S. also wore purple wristbands while playing their own match.
It was inspiring to see.
There's absolutely nothing like a sporting event to bring people from all walks of life together, but it's just as important to realize and bring to light the struggles that take place behind the scenes.
Learning the chants is a whole thing
OK, so: We've established that I'm new to soccer.
Yes, I've watched it on TV, and I try to always watch the Women's World Cup in particular. But in the stands and among the fans on Wednesday, I learned one thing: I've got to learn the chants!
Soccer fans are serious when it comes to hyping their favorite team.
My rhythm, which I pride myself on, was admittedly off the whole night. Do we clap on the one or the two? Is it to the drum, or to the "U", the "S" or the "A"? I needed help -- and I wasn't the only one.
That said, the energy on display was nothing short of amazing. We as a collective held are breaths together, booed together and cheered the absolute loudest when the ball hit the back of the net.
P.S. Why aren't there more scoreboards in the stadium, and why can't you keep the soccer ball once it goes over the wall into the stands? Puzzling!
Alex Morgan is a legend
I mean, Alex Morgan is elite! Elite.
It's one thing to read about her and watch her on TV -- but in person, her skills are just a thing of beauty to witness.
In the first half of the match against Brazil, the USWNT striker was in a battle: She got taken down at least three times by the defense, but her toughness and grit won out in the end. Literal seconds before the half ended, she shot a banger into the net -- her 14th goal since giving birth to her daughter in 2020, which gives her the national team record for most goals as a mom.
Mallory Swanson, who scored a killer second-half goal for the U.S. en route to their 2-1 win, told the Associated Press how important Morgan's goal was to the team's morale.
"I think we needed it," Swanson said. "We needed the momentum to kind of shift in our favor. [It was] Alex doing Alex things -- simple, left foot, classic. She was getting beat up all first half, and ultimately she punished them."
Marta Vieira da Silva ain't too shabby, either
Listen, whenever one of the greatest players in women's soccer takes the field, you better cheer -- no matter which team she represents.
Marta Vieira da Silva, who not only plays on the Brazil national women's team, is also a forward for the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League here in the States. So, she has a lot of fans -- and the crowd let her know it in Frisco on Wednesday.
Any time Marta took the field -- and she is known mononymously as Marta -- the crowd (including myself) went wild. I think we were all rooting for her to score a goal when she entered the match.
Above all, go to a game!
My biggest takeaway from the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday is simple: If you've never been to a professional women's soccer tournament, you need to go!
I had an absolute blast: 10 out of 10, would recommend.
Support women's sports, y'all!
And, remember, the USWNT will vie for the Women's World Cup this summer -- so let's all be sure to cheer them on.
