No. 10 CanWNT crashes out of the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup

The GIST: The inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup championship match is set with the No. 2 USWNT advancing to face No. 11 Brazil on Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET. But the road to get there was, in fact, a river. Let’s slide right in.

How it happened: After playing to a 2–2 regulation draw, the red, white, and blue ultimately topped No. 10 CanWNT in a penalty shootout on Wednesday. Beyond battling each other, the two squads also competed against the elements, at times unable to even dribble the ball through the puddles at Snapdragon Stadium.

• Many expressed concerns about player safety, with both coaches saying the game should not have been played, sparking a debate as to who was responsible for not making that call.

• As for the other semi, No. 11 Brazil dominated No. 35 Mexico 3–0, as El Tri Femenil competed with just 10 players on the field after midfielder Nicki Hernández received a red card in the 29th minute.

What’s next for CanWNT: The red and white’s W Gold Cup dreams may be dashed, but the SheBelieves Cup — another tuneup tourney — kicks off in less than a month, with CanWNT slotted to take on fellow Paris Olympics competitor Brazil on April 6th. Onwards and upwards.