Heaps leads, Shaw scores as USWNT scrape past Argentina; Rodman injury concern

The USWNT opened the SheBelieves Cup with a scrappy but effective 2-0 victory over Argentina at GEODIS Stadium. The match was physical, chippy and uneven early, forcing the backline to think rather than simply circulate, but goals from Lindsey Heaps and Jaedyn Shaw proved decisive.

Heaps wore the captain’s armband and led like a player with 170 caps, surrounded by a starting XI that totaled just 99 combined appearances. She settled a lofted delivery from Emma Sears at the top of the box and calmly finished past Solana Pereyra. Argentina pressed, forcing Tara Rudd and Kennedy Wesley to play through midfield pressure, and Claudia Dickey endured a few nervy moments in goal.

Jaedyn Shaw curled a second-half strike beyond Pereyra to give the U.S. breathing room after scoring a brace the last time these sides met. Even as substitutions rolled through and the tempo stretched, the match remained scrappy and unsettled until the final whistle.

United States

uswnt, shebelieves cup, argentina, geodis stadium, lindsey heaps, jaedyn shaw, solana pereyra, emma sears, claudia dickey, tara rudd