Thalia Della Peruta kept her cool and scored the winning goal against North Carolina Courage goalie Laren Kellett, but it was more than just a winning goal.
With a prize of $1 million, the U.S. Women’s Club made history by winning the first-ever Women’s Soccer Tournament (TST).
Although the tournament is relatively new, it has already garnered a lot of attention.
TST was founded by the same people who started the basketball tournament in 2014 and has grown in popularity every year.
The tournament has also received financial backing from NBA star Chris Paul and former US national team player Clint Dempsey.
It’s a 7-on-7 World Cup format with a twist — and, oh yeah, there’s a $1 million prize to be paid to any member of the winning team.
Unlimited substitutions, kick-ins, no offsides, no sliding tackles – these innovations make the game more interesting.
Finally, TST introduced “target score times.”
what is that?
At the end of regulation time (two 20-minute halves), the TST is determined by adding one point to the leading score, making the tournament even more exciting.
The first team to reach the TST wins, and that’s just how the championship game ended.
The U.S. women’s team was made up of national team alumni alongside college talent, and the combination of big names like Ali Krieger, Allie Long and Heather O’Reilly, along with coaching staffers Carli Lloyd and Mia Hamm, helped them outclass the other seven players.
The team placed second in Group A and was drawn to face Tampa Bay Sun FC, the team that placed first in Group B. However, the seeding order did not faze the US Women’s Team, as they won 4-0.
The win advanced them to the final against College.
The match started with a back-and-forth battle, with the U.S. women’s team taking the lead three times before the college team tied the score each time.
Ultimately, the U.S. women’s team led 5-3 at the end of regulation, with a TST score of six.
After nearly a week of intense competition at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, Della Peruta finally achieved what many young players dream of: scoring the winning goal on the biggest stage of their career.
“This moment cannot be compared to any other moment in my career as a footballer,” she told TST after the match.
In addition, American female athlete Tessa De La Rose Top 7 of TSTproving her strong performance throughout the week.
The goal and win capped a great weekend for the U.S. women’s team and will be the first of many tournaments to come.
