John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports activities

Sunday was a time-old custom for the United States girls’s nationwide crew within the World Cup cycle: the sendoff sport, a paradox that’s the final official match earlier than the large present.

Simply because the world’s consideration begins to totally converge upon america girls, simply because the scrutiny dials up a number of ranges, they play a sport full of the pomp and circumstance of a championship however with the that means of, properly, a pleasant.

The U.S. defeated Wales, 2-0 on Sunday, behind a pair of late targets from second-half substitute Trinity Rodman. Her first was the end result of a pleasant mixture play between the three U.S. forwards on the sphere on the time, whereas her second was a chic end into the higher nook.