A new fan shares 4 key takeaways from her first-ever US Women’s National Team visit.

FRISCO, Texas. What happens when you invite an aspiring football fan to one of the biggest tournaments of the year? Lots of applause, eavesdropping on football facts and a good mood.

The final matches of the SheBelieves Cup were held on Wednesday, February 22 at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, with the participation of the women’s teams of the USA, Brazil, Canada and Japan.

Canada faced Japan in the first game, while the United States, top of the SheBelieves Cup standings, faced Brazil.

Japan snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over Canada, and the day got even sweeter when the US captured the SheBelieves Cup title for the fourth year in a row with a 2-1 win over Brazil. Japan came in second.

If you are not familiar with the tournament, here is a brief explanation.

The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational event that began in 2016. Its goal is to inspire and empower women and girls in and out of sport to achieve their dreams.

This year is also good preparation for some of the best teams in the world as they prepare for the Women’s World Championship due to take place this summer in Australia and New Zealand.

The US Women’s National Team (USWNT), SheBelieves Cup ambassadors, has won six of the last eight titles.

The winner of the round robin is determined by total points (three for a win, one for a draw), with the first tiebreak being the total goal difference, followed by the highest number of goals scored, then the head-to-head results, and finally the fair play ranking (with need).

After attending games on Wednesday, here are the takeaways from this year’s SheBelieves Cup.

Every time you can step into the environment and see people just like you doing something as amazing as competing on the world stage, it’s inspiring.

This is the message of the SheBelieves Cup, and it resonates.

This was evident from the moment I entered the Toyota Stadium to the sound of a women’s music playlist, when families with young girls could be heard and seen rocking the jerseys of their favorite players, chatting and applauding among themselves and squealing that they may also be able to be on that football field someday.

As soon as the USWNT took to the field in front of what looked to be a nearly sold-out crowd, these sounds of excitement reached an almost deafening level.

Wednesday’s games also took on a special urgency as the day marked a year since the USWNT settled its class-action lawsuit against the US Football Federation and won the fight for equal pay with the men’s national team.

It is similar to the struggle of the Canadian women’s national football team with the federation of their native country. To that end, Canadian players wore purple “Enough” jerseys for the national anthems on Wednesday and wore purple wristbands during the match. As a sign of solidarity and support, US players also wore purple bracelets during their match.

There is nothing better than a sporting event to bring people from all walks of life together, but it is equally important to recognize and highlight the struggles that go on behind the scenes.

So we’ve established that I’m new to football.

Yes, I watched it on TV, and I try to always watch the Women’s World Cup in particular. But in the stands and among the fans on Wednesday, I realized one thing: I have to learn the chants!

football lovers serious when it comes to promoting their favorite team.

My rhythm, which I’m proud of, was admittedly faltering all night. Are we clapping one or two? Is it to the drum or to “U”, “S” or “A”? I needed help, and not only me.

However, the energy on display was nothing short of amazing. We as a collective breathed together, booed together and cheered for the absolute the loudest when the ball hit the net.

PS Why is there no scoreboard in the stadium anymore, and why can’t you leave a soccer ball after it flies over the wall to the stands? It’s puzzling!

I mean, Alex Morgan is the elite! Elite.

It’s one thing to read about her and watch her on TV, but in person her skills are simply beautiful.

In the first half of the match against Brazil, the USWNT striker was in battle: she was taken down by the defense at least three times, but in the end her tenacity and tenacity won out. Literally seconds before the end of the half, she scored a goal – her 14th goal since the birth of her daughter in 2020, which gives her a national team record for goals as a mother.

Mallory Swanson, who scored a killer second-half goal for Team USA en route to a 2-1 win, told The Associated Press how important Morgan’s goal was to team morale.

“I think we needed it,” Swanson said. “We needed momentum to somehow shift in our favor. [It was] Alex does Alex’s things – simply, with his left foot, classically. She was beaten the whole first half, and in the end she punished them.”

Look, whenever one of the greatest players in women’s football takes the field, you better cheer – no matter what team she represents.

Marta Vieira da Silva, who not only plays for the Brazil women’s team, but is also a striker for Orlando Pride in the Women’s National Football League here in the States. So she has a lot of fans – and the crowd informed her in Frisco on Wednesday.

Every time Marta took to the field – and she is mononymously known as Martha, the crowd (myself included) went berserk. I think we were All cheer for her to score a goal when she entered the match.

My biggest takeaway from Wednesday’s SheBelieves Cup is simple: if you’ve never been to a professional women’s soccer tournament, you need to go!

I had an absolute blast: 10 out of 10, I recommend.

Support Women’s Sports!

And remember, the USWNT will be fighting for the Women’s World Championship this summer, so let’s all be sure to support them.