Megan Rapinoe scored a pair of goals for the second consecutive match on Friday to lead the United States Women’s National Soccer Team to a 2-1 quarterfinal win over the hosts from France in the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
This is the fourth straight World Cup where the host team has been eliminated in the quarterfinal round. Previous quarterfinal early exits were China (2007), Germany (2011), and Canada (2015). This is the 10th consecutive win for the USA in World Cup play, tying a record set by Norway between 1995 and 1999. The USA has also advanced to the semifinals in every World Cup they have played in (8-0 in quarterfinal matches).
Before 45,595 fans at Parc des Princes, Rapinoe scored on a free kick in the fifth minute, that went under the legs of a leaping France defender Julie Ertz and then between the legs of goalie Amandine Henry. She would then later score what turned out to be the game winner in the 65th minute on a kick from short distance. France got one back in the 81st minute on a header from Wendy Renard, but the USA survived several late threats from the French as the 10,000 or so estimated American fans in attendance celebrated a trip to a Tuesday semifinal for the ninth straight time. France even had shot late in the game in the box that looked to deflect off the arm of Kelly O’Hara, but nothing was whistled.
USA will now face England who is also unbeaten in this years World Cup on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. United States Eastern Time, for a shot at advancing to the World Final. Italy with face the Netherlands, and Germany faces Sweden in two more quarterfinal games Saturday. The Final is scheduled for Sunday, July 7 at 11 a.m.
