Heaps, Dickey and Shaw rise in USWNT's fiery SheBelieves Cup win

What started as fun in Nashville — the broadcast crew walked away with cowboy hats courtesy of coach Emma Hayes — quickly became scrappier, with cheap shots, hair pulling and rising tension. In a match defined more by those moments than by clean play, the players who kept their composure had the edge.

Lindsey Heaps set the tone, opening the scoring and organizing the midfield while helping to calm the group. She entered the night with 170 caps and used that experience to advocate with the referee and protect teammates. "All I said to them is, you know, I want to play football," Heaps said.

Claudia Dickey also stood out, handling heavy activity in goal to earn a shutout with timely saves and composed distribution. "I think it was a little more stressful than we anticipated," she said, noting Argentina's physical approach and the dicey scenarios she managed.

United States, Nashville

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