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Women's World Cup: USA vs. England memes score big

Alex Morgan sipped some imaginary tea after scoring on her 30th birthday. Or was she smoking a joint?

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read
Alex Morgan celebrates after scoring against England in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

Alex Morgan of the USA celebrates after scoring her team's second goal against England during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France semifinal match.

 5021154 / Getty Images

USA vs. England? Those two countries definitely have met up before on a few battlefields. The social-media buzz was intense as the defending women's World Cup champion Americans took on England on Tuesday.

Yes, people did notice that the match was being played just two days before America's Independence Day, why do you ask? "The Second Revolutionary War begins today," Cameron Feil wrote on Twitter. "Here come the Colonists!"

Americans aren't exactly known for their love of soccer, er, football, er, soccer, but this game is different. Fans of the US Women's National Team sprouted up everywhere.

And national stereotypes? We got 'em! US player Alex Morgan scored on her 30th birthday and then mimed sipping a cup of tea, that famed British beverage that famously once landed in Boston Harbor.

"Clearly the US was spying -- how else would Alex Morgan know the British team likes to drink tea?" asked Patrick Monahan on Twitter.

Naturally, English broadcaster Piers Morgan wasn't pleased.

Morgan and some others saw a different motion in the US player's gesture. "Sipping tea or smoking a joint? Only Alex Morgan knows," wrote Mark Dignam.

Things looked tight for the Americans when England's Ellen White scored to tie things up. But White's goal was called back due to an offside call.

England had one more shot when captain Steph Houghton was granted a penalty kick, but US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made a perfect save.

England fans seemed to feel the penalty kick looked familiar.

Departing British Prime Minister Theresa May tried to console her country's team, but she's not exactly well-loved at the moment.

The US will take on the winner of Wednesday's Sweden-Netherlands match in the World Cup final on Sunday morning.

They seem to be a little excited.