USWNT's Gold Medal Chances Debated By Fans After Tie vs. Costa Rica Before Olympics

Sometimes the ball just doesn't want to find the back of the net. Tuesday was one of those nights for the USWNT.

The Americans only managed a scoreless draw against Costa Rica in their final warmup game before the Paris Olympics despite completely dominating the contest.

The match wasn't close, save for the scoreline. The USWNT held 79.7 percent of possession, outshot Costa Rica 26-2 (12-0 on goal) and took 16 corners to zero for its opponents. Costa Rican goalkeeper Noelia Bermúdez was arguably the player of the match, finishing with 12 saves.

So, not a banner night for Emma Hayes' charges, especially with the Olympics right around the corner. Suffice to say, fans and pundits—still perhaps smarting from the USWNT's disappointing performance at the 2023 World Cup—were feeling a bit nervous about the showing:

There's no doubt this United States team has talent, and adjusting to life under a new manager in Hayes—however exciting and prominent her hiring was—was always going to take some time.

But a narrow victory over Mexico and a draw with Costa Rica isn't going to inspire much confidence heading into the Olympics, with a tough group awaiting. The United States will to deal with Zambia, Germany and Australia to get out of their group, and that's before the possibility of dealing with powerhouses in the knockout phase of the tournament like France, Canada, Japan, Spain and Brazil.

The USWNT's bid for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics will begin on Thursday, July 25 against Zambia. There's plenty to clean up in those nine days.