In its , the US girls’s nationwide soccer staff skilled a primary underneath Emma Hayes.
Iceland’s Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir scored a surprising “Olimpico” purpose within the thirty first minute, giving the USWNT its first deficit in Hayes’ 12 video games as coach. For 40 minutes after that, the No. 13 staff within the FIFA Girls’s World Rankings stymied the U.S. because it pushed for a monumental upset.
However Lynn Williams broke the dam within the 72nd minute, and from there, it was all United States. Lindsey Horan put the USWNT in entrance 4 minutes later, and Emma Sears put the sport away with a stoppage time purpose because the U.S. beat Iceland 3-1 in Sunday’s worldwide pleasant in Nashville.
“I am happy with the entire squad effort,” Hayes stated. “I need us to begin higher, however how we ended is one other signal of the assumption that we are able to come again from any state of affairs.”
USWNT rallies from first deficit of Emma Hayes period
Getting into Sunday’s match, the USWNT had received 10 of its first 11 matches with Hayes on the helm, together with a gold medal at this summer time’s Paris Olympics. The U.S. had outscored opponents 23-3 in these 11 video games.
The USWNT had 64.7% possession and completed the sport with 17 pictures to Iceland’s 4, however could not get previous Iceland goalkeeper Cecelia Rúnarsdóttir till Hayes went to her substitutes. Williams, Horan and Sears all got here off the bench, as did Sophia Smith and Alyssa Thompson, who contributed to the build-up on a number of objectives.
“I believed within the second half, we saved the ball higher,” Hayes stated. “Our connections had been nearer collectively. Possibly we did not play the ball in behind sufficient, particularly when Emma Sears got here on, however I believed the gamers that got here into the sport actually added lots of worth.”
NWSL TO NASHVILLE?
Emma Sears achieves uncommon feat
In her first sport for the USWNT, Sears assisted on Williams’ purpose earlier than getting on the scoresheet herself within the 93rd minute. Smith had a shot blocked contained in the penalty field, however the rebound made its solution to Sears, who beat Rúnarsdóttir with a left-footed strike.
“When she got here on, she had a giant smile on her face,” Hayes stated. “She regarded actually relaxed to me, whether or not she was or not. … What I favored about her was the intention. She’d flip, she’d face up, she’d go ahead.”
Sears turned the twenty third participant to attain a purpose in her USWNT debut, and simply the fourth to report a purpose and an help. The newest to take action was Christen Press, who had two objectives and an help in opposition to Scotland in February 2013.
“It is laborious to search out the phrases to clarify,” Sears stated. “I am positive it should all settle, however the feeling was tremendous surreal.”
Mallory Swanson, Kelley O’Hara honored
Earlier than kickoff, ahead Mallory Swanson was honored for her one hundredth cap with the USWNT, which she earned within the Olympic gold medal match in opposition to Brazil in August. Swanson, who turned the forty fourth participant to succeed in 100 USWNT caps and at 26, the youngest since 25-year-old Amy Rodriguez in 2012, scored the game-winning purpose in that match.
Retired defender Kelley O’Hara was honored in a ceremony at halftime. O’Hara performed for the USWNT from 2011-23, incomes 160 caps throughout her profession, and helped them win the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. The Twenty first-most capped participant in USWNT historical past, O’Hara introduced her retirement in Might after coping with continual knee degeneration.
“She deserves all of the flowers for her profession,” Williams stated. “Her profession most likely did not finish precisely how she needed to, however that does not imply we should not have fun all the issues that she’s completed inside this program.”
