USWNT vs. Jamaica, 2022 Concacaf W Championship: What to watch for

The United States Women’s National Team are back in action tonight as they take on Jamaica in their second group stage match at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship. The USWNT opened up group play with a 3-0 victory over Haiti on Monday, but didn’t have the best performance.

Their opponent, Jamaica, looked pretty good in a 1-0 victory over hosts Mexico, and they’ll look to pick off another upset victory over the Americans. The last time the USWNT played Jamaica, it was a 4-0 victory in June 2021 in Houston. However, this time around, the Reggae Girlz look incredibly strong. The winner of this match will likely clinch their ticket to the semifinals and book a place in next summer’s World Cup. That only raises the stakes for this match.

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (Washington Spirit)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave FC), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

FORWARDS (7): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC)

What To Watch For

Must play cleaner. The match the other night against Haiti was not a clean performance, and the USWNT knows it needs to play better. The defense has to be on point so as not to allow Jamaica to get behind them and get shots on goal. The midfield will also need to do a better job of tracking back when the ball is turned over. It will require a team effort to keep Jamaica off the board.

Watch out for Bunny Shaw. Bunny Shaw is a terrific play, full stop. She is dangerous whenever she’s in the building, and she’s already made the most of her opportunity so far in this tournament. She can not only score at will, but she can also distribute to teammates well. Locking her down is essential.

Have a game plan that takes Jamaica out of it. This will be a difficult match for the USWNT to create a ton of chances, as Jamaica has improved tremendously and are going to try and control the flow of the match. The USWNT needs to come out and play right at the Reggae Girlz, keeping them on their heels and giving them the edge.

Prediction

It’s a tough one for the USWNT, but they escape with a 2-1 victory.