This is the game that truly matters.
The winner goes to Tokyo, the loser must wait four years to qualify for the Summer Olympics.
After rolling through Group A at the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament with a 4-0 victory vs. Haiti, an 8-0 win against Panama and a 6-0 win over Costa Rica, the USA earned first place in the group and a semifinal berth against the Group B runner-up Mexico on Friday, Feb. 7 (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on FS1 and Galavision) at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
In the other semifinal, Group B champion Canada meets Costa Rica.
The winners will meet in the final on Sunday.
The USA is riding a 26-game unbeaten streak and have scored two or more goals in 23 of those games.
The Americans have faced Mexico 38 times, but before the last four meetings, most recently a 3-0 win in the final Send-Off Match before the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and the three meetings in 2018, 4-1 and 6-2 U.S. victories in friendlies and a 5-0 victory in World Cup qualifying.
The victory in World Cup qualifying came in the first game and the USA scored in the third minute through Megan Rapinoe, entering the half with a 1-0 lead. The USA erupted with five goals in the second half, starting in the 47th minute from Julie Ertz, followed by goals from Alex Morgan (57), Tobin Heath (61), Rapinoe (70) and Morgan (80).
In the 6-2 victory on April 8, 2018, the USA was down 2-1 in the 24th minute, but equalized one minute later through a Lindsey Horan header and then stormed back to bag four unanswered goals.
In the 2010 Concacaf World Cup qualifying tournament, Mexico registered one of its greatest victories, beating the USA, 2-1, in the semifinal in Cancun to earn its World Cup berth, but then fell to Canada in the Championship Game, 1-0, on a Christine Sinclair penalty kick.
Road to 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying semifinal:
USA
Date Opponent Score U.S. Goal Scorers
Jan. 28 Haiti 4-0 W Press, Williams, Horan, Lloyd
Jan. 31 Panama 8-0 W Horan (3), Williams, Lavelle, Press, McDonald, Heath
Feb. 3 Costa Rica 6-0 W Press (2), Horan, Mewis (2), McDonaldMEXICO
Date Opponent Score Goal Scorers
Jan. 29 Jamaica 1-0 W Cuellar
Feb. 1 St. Kitts & Nevis 6-0 W Palacios, Lopez, Cuellar (2), Mayor, Mercado
Feb. 4 Canada 0-2 L —U.S. roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 12-Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns FC; 3/0), 18-Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride; 25/0), 1-Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 59/0)
DEFENDERS (6): 7-Abby Dahlkemper (North Carolina Courage; 56/0), 19-Crystal Dunn (North Carolina Courage; 99/24), 11-Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride; 106/1), 5-Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 127/2), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC; 173/0), 2-Emily Sonnett (Orlando Pride; 43/0)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 8-Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 97/19), 9-Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 81/17), 16-Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit; 40/11), 3-Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage; 62/16), 6-Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit; 16/0)
FORWARDS (6): 17-Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC; 164/33), 10-Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC; 290/122), 14-Jessica McDonald (North Carolina Courage; 16/4), 20-Christen Press (Utah Royals FC; 133/55), 15-Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC; 163/50), 13-Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage; 23/8)
2020 CONCACAF OLYMPIC QUALIFYING GROUP A FINAL STANDINGS
TEAM GP W L D GF GA GD PTS USA 3 3 0 0 18 0 +18 9 Costa Rica 3 2 1 0 8 7 +1 6 Haiti 3 1 2 0 6 -6 0 3 Panama 3 0 3 0 1 -20 -19 0 GROUP B FINAL STANDINGS
TEAM GP W L D GF GA GD PTS Canada 3 3 0 0 22 0 +22 9 Mexico 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 6 Jamaica 3 1 2 0 7 10 -3 3 St. Kitts & Nevis 3 0 3 0 0 24 -24 0 2020 USWNT OLYMPIC QUALIFYING SCHEDULE:
Date Match-Up Time TV Venue Feb. 7 CAN vs. CRC 4 p.m. PT Fox Soccer Plus Dignity Health Sports Park; Carson, Calif. Feb. 7 USA vs. MEX 7 p.m. PT FS1, Galavision Dignity Health Sports Park; Carson, Calif. Feb. 9 Championship 3 p.m. PT FS2, Galavision Dignity Health Sports Park; Carson, Calif.
