Beach WNT Claims Third Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup With Wins Against Brazil, Mexico And Japan

The U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team utilized comeback wins against Brazil and Japan, and a dominant performance against Mexico to claim its second BSWW Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup from April 9-11 at Arena GNP Seguros in Acapulco, Mexico.

Having previously won in the tournament in 2023, Morgan Church’s side was led by three goals each from Hannah Adler and Sam Martinez and two apiece from Ali Hall, Tori Phillips and Vanessa Valentine over the course of three matches.

Meanwhile, Gabby Batmani became the first goalkeeper in Beach WNT history to score when she found the back of the net in the 7-0 win against Mexico, also backstopping the USA to its third shutout of 2026.

For her efforts, Batmani claimed the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best goalkeeper, while Martinez took tournament MVP honors and shared the Top Scorer award with Adler.

With the three wins, the Beach WNT moves to a perfect 6-0-0 on the year, matching the team record for victories which was first set in 2023.

BEACH WNT DEFEATS BRAZIL 5-4 IN ACAPULCO OPENER

After winning a corner kick, Hannah Adler got the USA on the board just three minutes in as Sam Martinez served a ball towards the near post where the attacker’s diving header beat Brazil ‘keeper Lele Lopes.

Brazil battled back four minutes later, catching the USA out in transition before Ester’s left-footed effort that sneaked inside the lower left post, sending the teams into the first intermission tied 1-1.

The cagey first period led to a goal fest in the second. About 90 seconds in, Lopes threw a long ball forward that Jeané Sunseri-Warp won at the back. The U.S. captain’s powerful header forward put Martinez through alone one goal, beating the Brazil ‘keeper inside the right post to restore the lead.

Brazil hit back hard, tallying three consecutive goals in just over a two minute span as Mayara, Ester and Isabelle found the back of the net to make it 4-2 with about 7:45 remaining.

The USA continued to battle and pulled one back before the break as Ashley Triplett’s powerful free kick from just outside the box was partially saved by Lopes, but deflected inside the right post to make it 4-3.

Brazil was able to keep the USA off the board for much of the third period, but Morgan Church’s side stayed committed. With 2:31 remaining, Martinez’s corner from the right was deflected on goal by Marissa Vasquez and saved by Lopes, but Vanessa Valentine was there on the doorstep to bundle home the equalizer.

Charged by that goal, the USA retook the lead just 17 seconds later as Batmani played a ball out to Adler in space on the right. The Beach WNT’s all-time leading scorer rushed towards goal before hitting a rocket that was partially deflected by a Brazil defender before beating Lopes.

From there, the USA saw out the match to earn its first-ever win against Brazil in women’s beach soccer.

-U.S. WOMEN’S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Beach Soccer Women’s National Team vs. Brazil

Date: April 9, 2026

Competition: Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup

Venue: Arena GNP Seguros; Acapulco, Mexico

Attendance: -

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET

Weather: 90 degrees

Lineups:

USA: 1-Gabby Batmani, 3-Hannah Adler, 6-Jeane Sunseri-Warp (captain), 9-Marissa Vasquez, 11-Sam Martinez

Substitutes: 4-Vanessa Valentine, 7-Tori Phillips, 8-Ashley Triplett, 10-Ali Hall, 17-Grace Bailey

Subs Not Used: 12-Vanessa Amaral, 13-Jennifer Muñoz

Head coach: Morgan Church

BRA: 1-Lele Lopes, 4-Cecilia, 9-Sil, 10-Adri, 11-Taii

Substitutes: 12-Valeria, 2-Giulia, 3-Jessica, 5-Mayara, 6-Ester, 7-Barbara (captain), 8-Isabelle

Head coach: Rosemery Andrade

Misconduct Summary:

None

Officials:

1st Referee: Jonathan Josue Her (CRC)

2nd Referee: Jorge Tunon Moran (PAN)

3rd Referee: Ignacio Gongora Ga (MEX)

Timekeeper: Daniel Misael Mari (MEX)

BEACH WNT RUNS TO DOMINANT 7-0 WIN AGAINST MEXICO ON MATCHDAY TWO IN ACAPULCO

Fully confident after the tournament opening win against Brazil, the USA put in another dominant performance with a 7-0 win against hosts Mexico.

Hannah Adler needed less than a minute to open the scoring and captain Jeané Sunseri Warp made it 2-0 with just over two minutes gone. Ali Hall, who earlier this year earned her first international caps since recovering from ACL surgery, tallied two back-to-back goals to give the USA a commanding 4-0 lead at the first intermission.

Continuing to push in the second, the USA got a fifth from Vanessa Valentine, who hit a beautiful right-footed free kick inside the top right corner two minutes in. Then a bit of history was made as Gabby Batmani juggled forward and unleashed a rocket of her own to beat the Mexico ‘keeper, becoming the first goalkeeper to score for the Beach WNT since the program launched in 2019.

Holding a commanding 6-0 lead after two periods, the USA put an exclamation point on the match four minutes into the third. Batmani juggled forward again and let loose a shot that Mexico ‘keeper Natalia Cano batted off the crossbar before it fell to the sand where Tori Phillips bashed home the rebound to close the scoring at 7-0.

-U.S. WOMEN’S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Beach Soccer Women’s National Team vs. Mexico

Date: April 10, 2026

Competition: Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup

Venue: Arena GNP Seguros; Acapulco, Mexico

Attendance: -

Kickoff: 10:00 p.m. ET

Weather: 83 degrees

Lineups:

USA: 1-Gabby Batmani, 3-Hannah Adler, 6-Jeane Sunseri-Warp (captain), 9-Marissa Vasquez, 11-Sam Martinez

Substitutes: 4-Vanessa Valentine, 7-Tori Phillips, 8-Ashley Triplett, 10-Ali Hall, 13-Jennifer Munoz, 17-Grace Bailey

Subs Not Used: 12-Vanessa Amaral

Head coach: Morgan Church

MEX: 12-Natalia Cano (Captain), 2-Leilani Cruz, 6-Olga Mina, 7-Valeria Acosta, 8-Andrea Garcia

Substitutes: 1-Avelar, 3-Adriana Salguero, 5-Esmeralda Parra, 9-Fernanda Perez, 10-Kiara Escobar, 11-Valeria Torres

Injured: 4-Cristian Cruz

Head coach: Fatima Leyva

Officials:

1st Referee: Alexander Rafoso (CUB)

2nd Referee: Julio Josué Ramos (SLV)

3rd Referee: Mario Alberto Nava (MEX)

Timekeeper: Jonathan Josue Her (CRC)

BEACH WNT EARNS 4-1 COMEBACK WIN AGAINST JAPAN TO CLAIM THIRD ACAPULCO BEACH SOCCER CUP

Knowing any type of win on the final day against Japan would clinch the tournament, the Beach WNT stayed focus on its mission, but a scoreless first period then led to the Asian side taking the lead Mei Nishio five minutes into the second period.

That goal lit a spark under Morgan Church’s side who found the equalizer through a well-worked goal with about five minutes remaining. Gabby Batmani flipped the ball forward to Vanessa Valentine in stride on the left, where she headed it across the pitch for Hannah Adler. The attacker then played an alert ball toward the back post, who slid home to knock it home from close range.

The USA took the lead with three minutes remaining in the second as Jeané Sunseri-Warp’s quick kick-in from the right was redirected into goal by Japan defender Anzu Kanefuda.

With the lead in hand, the USA put the hammer down in the third. It took just 23 seconds to make it 3-1, as Batmani’s long throw forward found Adler, whose highlight-reel bicycle kick on the right beat Japan ‘keeper Chiho Himono inside the lower left post.

Batmani again played provider five minutes later, lining a ball to Ashley Triplett whose redirected header beat Himono inside the left post to cap the scoring at 4-1 and confirm the Beach WNT’s third Acapulco Cup title.

-U.S. WOMEN’S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Beach Soccer Women’s National Team vs. Japan

Date: April 11, 2026

Competition: Acapulco Beach Soccer Cup

Venue: Arena GNP Seguros; Acapulco, Mexico

Attendance: -

Kickoff: 10:00 p.m. ET

Weather: 92 degrees

Lineups:

USA: 1-Gabby Batmani, 3-Hannah Adler, 6-Jeane Sunseri-Warp (Captain), 9-Marissa Vasquez, 11-Sam Martinez

Substitutes: 12-Vanessa Amaral, 4-Vanessa Valentine, 7-Tori Phillips, 8-Ashley Triplett, 10-Ali Hall

Subs Not Used: 13-Jennifer Munoz, 17-Grace Bailey

Head coach: Morgan Church

JPN: 1-Chiho Himono, 3-Yurina Ishi, 5-Kede Hirai, 8-Chinatsu Shiroshita, 11-Harune Takayama

Substitutes: 12-Haruki Ito, 2-Mei Nishio, 4-Anzu Kanefuda, 6-Haruka Kusunoki, 7-Marin Fujisawa, 9-Sarina Kato (Captain), 10-Urara Ueno

Head coach: Yamauchi Shusei

Misconduct Summary:

None

Officials:

1st Referee: Jorge Tunon Moran (PAN)

2nd Referee: Jonathan Josue Hernandez Avila (CRC)

3rd Referee: Julio Josué Ramos Mejia (SLV)

Timekeeper: Daniel Misael Marin Quiroz (MEX)