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USWNT’s fluid shape continues: Five talking points from Gold Cup-opening win

A 5-0 win over Dominican Republic showed off a USWNT system that threw conventional wisdom out the window

Midge Purce with the USWNT
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The United States women’s national team kicked off the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup on Tuesday with a 5-0 victory over Dominican Republic. The result was predictable, but the United States’ lineup was not.

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Interim head coach Twila Kilgore, with the remote input of impending coach Emma Hayes, rolled out a youthful starting lineup that played in a fluid, aggressive shape. Eighteen-year-old Olivia Moultrie and defender Jenna Nighswonger each scored their first international goals in the comfortable victory.

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These are the big talking points from the match.

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A refreshing lineup

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It was expected that the U.S. would roll out some creative lineups at the Gold Cup, but to get that different of a lineup in the opening match was a pleasant surprise.

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