No. 10 CanWNT prepares for the Concacaf W Gold Cup semis

The GIST: The inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup semis kick off tonight with two must-see matches between four regional powers from San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.

• As a refresher, this first-ever tourney pits the continent’s best against each other as a tuneup for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. Fan-footy-tastic.

No. 11 Brazil vs. No. 35 Mexico — Tonight at 7 p.m. ET: Brazil is learning to fly even without their fearless leader, Marta, who retired from international competition after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As Canarinhas have been displaying their famous footwork all tourney long, seriously outscoring their opponents along the way.

• Meanwhile, Mexico is demanding attention as they thrive on the cheers of their large fanbase and capitalize on their competition’s mistakes. But their defense will have their hands full against a flourishing Brazilian offense.

No. 2 USWNT vs. No. 10 CanWNT — Tonight at 10:15 p.m. ET: Bolstered by their strong defense, Canada is undefeated in Gold Cup play and boasts four straight clean sheets, thanks in large part to central defender Kadeisha Buchanan and standout goalie Kailen Sheridan.

• But in order to top the newly-vulnerable Americans for just the fifth time in 65 (!!!) meetings, the red and white will need to improve upon their biggest weakness: scoring. Forward Adriana Leon, don’t stop now.