The United States advanced to the semifinals of the World Cup on Friday, with a 2-1 win over host France. Megan Rapinoe netted her fourth and fifth goals of the tournament, bringing her to 49 international goals.
The Americans face England in Lyon, France, on Tuesday in the semifinals.
Here are three key takeaways from the victory:
1. Crystal Dunn held down the fort
Heading into Friday’s matchup, France’s Kadidiatou Diani was a major concern. Though she had yet to score, Diani tormented every team she faced down the right sideline. There were concerns about Dunn, who isn’t a usual left-pocket defender, having to take the brunt of Diani’s force.
Boy, did Dunn prove them wrong.
Dunn challenged Diani and absolutely smothered her whenever she came within striking distance. Who knows what could have happened if one of France’s most consistent offense creators had not been so diligently defended? Dunn didn’t falter once, which noticeably rattled Diani.
2. The best kind of defense
The U.S. defense was criticized for how it handled Spain in the Round of 16, but that wasn’t the case Friday. France took twice as many shots as the United States (20-10) and even maintained 61 percent of ball possession with a 78 percent pass accuracy, but they were facing a brick wall.
It was impossible to keep track of how many shots defenders Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper and Kelley O’Hara absorbed with their bodies. Whether they were sticking out their legs or throwing themselves into the air to deflect a ball, France had rare opportunities to go one-on-one with U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Rapinoe also played in the defensive zone a lot more than usual, which was a noticeable difference in the United States’ ability to transition up field.
3. Alex Morgan looked like Alex Morgan
After a shaky performance against Spain, Morgan was back to playing like herself. Her passes were simply exquisite and almost always right on target. But most importantly, she was hustling.
Morgan played an important part in both of Rapinoe’s goals, drawing the foul that led to the game-opening goal off the free kick and then jump-starting the play on the second goal with a perfect through-ball to Tobin Heath.
It will be important for Morgan to remain on top of her game. The U.S. is significantly more fluid when she plays the game on her feet, rather than in the dirt looking for fouls.
