The U.S. Women’s National Team has dealt with adversity this year, but on Wednesday night, the team had to face one of soccer’s greatest foes: a waterlogged pitch.
The conditions, spurred by a rainstorm at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium, in Wednesday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal against Canada were atrocious, making it impossible for either team to really play with any strategy. All night, water splashed from players’ feet from visible and invisible puddles. The ball rolled, bounced and stopped unpredictably, making passes and progressions extremely difficult.