By CNN
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The United States women’s soccer team won the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup on Sunday following a 1-0 victory over Brazil at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.
US captain Lindsey Horan scored the lone goal of the match with a brilliant back-post header just moments before half-time.
It was far from a vintage performance from the US, which is undergoing somewhat of a rebuild after last year’s World Cup disappointment, but it did just enough to keep Brazil out during a tight final.
“This is a group that’s moving forward together, that still wants more time together. It’s time to go back to club [seasons] for them and do those things, but we genuinely enjoy being together and feel like we’re just getting started,” said interim coach Twila Kilgore after the win, per ESPN.
“This is a group that’s just getting started.”
All the US players celebrated on the field at the final whistle, as the 31,528 spectators in attendance cheered on.
It was far from an easy road to the title for the US.
On Wednesday, the team snuck past Canada in a semifinal penalty shootout with the game being played on a heavily waterlogged pitch in San Diego after torrential rain fell in the build-up. As a result, huge sections of standing water affected the path of the ball and players’ ability to run at pace with it at their feet and both spectators and Canada’s head coach called the game “unplayable.”
New chapter
The campaign also involved a shock defeat to Mexico in the group stage – it was just the second time La Tri has beaten the US in 43 fixtures, with its only previous victory coming back in 2010.
But, despite the setbacks, the US found a way to win and can now boast 15 trophies at a Concacaf championship tournament. This, though, was the first time it had won the newly configured W Gold Cup tournament.
After scoring four goals, US forward Jaedyn Shaw was named the best player of the tournament, with the 19-year-old helping to usher in a new era for the national team.
“I think that it’s honestly a really healthy environment because it’s so challenging, but we all really encourage each other and we make sure that we are all in this together and that’s ultimately how we won this tournament,” Shaw told CBS Sports after the win.
In its next game, the US is set to play Japan in the SheBelieves Cup at Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, on April 6.
