Talia DellaPeruta maintained her composure and scored the winning goal against North Carolina Courage’s goalkeeper Laren Kellett, but this victory was far more significant than a typical game-winning goal.
This goal was worth $1 million, and the U.S. Women’s Club made history by clinching the inaugural women’s The Soccer Tournament (TST).
This tournament, although relatively new, has already generated a lot of excitement.
The TST was established by the same individuals who began The Basketball Tournament in 2014, gradually gaining popularity over the years.
The tournament also receives financial support from NBA star Chris Paul and former U.S. national team player Clint Dempsey.
It follows a seven-on-seven side World Cup format with some unique twists and, of course, a million-dollar prize for the winning team members.
These alterations add a layer of excitement to the game: unlimited substitutions, kick-ins, no offside calls, and no sliding tackles.
Finally, the TST introduced the concept of “Target Score Time.”
What does that mean?
At the end of regulation – two 20-minute halves – the leading score is incremented by one to determine the TST, adding another element of fun to the tournament.
The team that reaches the TST first emerges victorious. And that is precisely how the championship game concluded.
The U.S. Women’s team comprised former national team players along with college talents. This experienced blend of Ali Krieger, Allie Long, and Heather O’Reilly, with Carli Lloyd and Mia Hamm leading as coaches, helped them outshine their seven other competitors.
Finishing second in Group A, they faced the top-ranked team from Group B: Tampa Bay Sun F.C. This did not intimidate the U.S. Women, as they secured a 4-0 victory.
This win propelled them to the finals against the Courage.
The match began with intense back-and-forth action, with the U.S. Women taking the lead three times only for the Courage to equalize each time.
In the end, the U.S. Women held a 5-3 lead at the conclusion of regular time, setting the TST score at six.
After a week of matches at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., DellaPeruta accomplished something many aspiring athletes dream of: scoring the game-winning goal on a grand stage.
She expressed to TST that “this moment is incomparable to any other moment in my soccer career” following the match.
In addition, U.S. Women’s Tessa Dellarose was named among the TST’s Best 7, acknowledging her stellar performance throughout the week.
