Alex Morgan, Lindsey Horan Lead USA to 6-0 Win vs South Korea in Carli Lloyd's Finale
Oct 27, 2021
United States forward Carli Lloyd (10) chases the a pass between two South Korea players in the first half of a soccer friendly match, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
The United States women's national team sent Carli Lloyd off in style.
The reigning world champions earned a 6-0 victory over South Korea on Tuesday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was Lloyd's final match with the USWNT as she heads into retirement following the NWSL season.
Once the referee blew the opening whistle, though, it was back to business for Lloyd and her teammates.
Lindsey Horan put the USWNT ahead 1-0 in the ninth minute. Her shot took a deflection off Hong Hye-ji and wrong-footed South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi.
The United States benefited from more good fortune in the 45th minute to double its advantage. Andi Sullivan's header from a corner kick bounced off Cho So-hyun and into the back of the net. The South Korean midfielder was credited with an own goal.
Lloyd was unable to score on her big night, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. She let loose with a shot from just outside the 18-yard box in the 27th minute. Kim made a diving save.
The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year was subbed off for Alex Morgan in the 66th minute, allowing her to receive a standing ovation from the St. Paul crowd.
Lloyd's replacement, Alex Morgan, made an immediate impact. Morgan notched the United States' third goal in the 69th minute, slotting a low shot between Kim's legs.
Megan Rapinoe added a fourth in the 85th minute with a powerful half-volley from inside the box that caromed in off the crossbar.
Rose Lavelle piled on the misery for the USWNT's opponent four minutes later, only for Lynn Williams to tack on another in injury time.
South Korea held the USWNT to a 0-0 draw when the teams met less than one week ago. Vlatko Andonovski had 68 percent of possession and eight shots on target but couldn't find a breakthrough.
A victory Tuesday wasn't a foregone conclusion.
But improving upon the previous result and wanting to give Lloyd a proper farewell provided ample motivation for the players at Allianz Field. Lloyd walking off into the sunset after a draw or defeat would've felt somewhat deflating.
Instead, the USWNT closed the book on a legendary career in emphatic fashion.
U.S. Soccer Proposes 'Identical' Contracts for Men's, Women's Teams
Sep 14, 2021
DENVER, CO - JUNE 06: United States forward Christian Pulisic (10) is seen holding the United States Soccer Federation Crest in action during the CONCACAF Nations League finals between Mexico and the United States on June 06, 2021, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The U.S. Soccer Federation has presented a contract proposal that would see members of the men's and women's national teams covered under the same collective bargaining agreement.
The Athletic shared a statement from the federation about the plan:
This proposal will ensure that USWNT and USMNT players remain among the highest-paid senior national team players in the world, while providing a revenue sharing structure that would allow all parties to begin anew and share collectively in the opportunity that combined investment in the future of U.S. Soccer will deliver over the course of a new CBA.
Under the structure, the USMNT and USWNT would have identical contracts.
Last week, U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone published an open letter about the ongoing CBA negotiations and signaled a desire to offer equal terms to the men's and women's teams:
We are making important progress, but are also nearing a critical inflection point. I think it is important for you, as our fans, to know that U.S. Soccer will be offering the Men’s National Team and the Women’s National Team the exact same contract, just as we have in past negotiations. In no uncertain terms, that means offering CBAs that include equalized FIFA World Cup prize money, identical game bonuses and identical commercial and revenue sharing agreements – for both the men’s and women’s national teams.
Parlow Cone acknowledged the national federation is at the mercy of FIFA in terms of the prize money it receives from the men's and women's World Cup. To that end, she asked the respective players' unions to work toward an agreement that will evenly distribute those funds.
The financial gap between the two events is substantial.
France collected $38 million from the $400 million prize pool distributed at the 2018 World Cup. The earnings for Les Bleus exceeded the entirety of the sum ($30 million) awarded for the 2019 Women's World Cup. As the winners, players from the United States received $4 million.
Their victory came months after a group of players filed a gender discrimination suit against U.S. Soccer. That followed the filing of a legal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March 2016.
Members of the USWNT said they didn't receive the same working conditions or compensation compared to their male peers.
With the litigation ongoing, U.S. Soccer received criticism for a line of argument it used in a motion it filed in court: "The overall soccer-playing ability required to compete at the senior men's national team level is materially influenced by the level of certain physical attributes, such as speed and strength, required for the job."
Carlos Cordeiro resigned amid the outcry, with Parlow Cone taking over in March 2020 as president.
In December 2020, the USWNT and U.S. Soccer settled their case regarding working conditions. However, the USWNT in July appealed a judge's ruling dismissing their equal pay lawsuit.
Parlow Cone said that achieving a resolution "continues to be among our top priorities."
Olympic Soccer 2021: USWNT Loses in Semifinal; Canada vs. Sweden Final Set
Aug 2, 2021
United States' Carli Lloyd reacts after being defeated 1-0 by Canada during a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Kashima, Japan. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
The United States women's national soccer team suffered its first loss to Canada in 20 years on Monday morning.
The loss took the Americans out of gold-medal contention at the Tokyo Olympics. They will play Australia for the bronze medal.
Canada, who won back-to-back bronze medals, will take on Sweden for first place in the tournament. Both squads will be after their first-ever gold medal in women's soccer.
Sweden made the gold-medal match five years ago in Rio de Janeiro, but it came up short against Germany.
The Swedes produced their fifth victory in five games in the second semifinal against Australia thanks to an early goal in the second half.
Canada 1, United States 0
Canada finally got the best of its biggest rival after a 20-year wait.
The Canadians used a 75th-minute penalty from Jessie Fleming to earn the advantage over the USWNT that would put them into the gold-medal match.
Canada was awarded the penalty after a VAR review revealed that USWNT defender Tierna Davidson made contact with Deanne Rose's leg while going for a ball on the right side of the box.
Fleming stepped up to the spot after the review and sent her penalty into the upper corner of the net past Adrianna Franch.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2021
Franch was in net for the USWNT because starter Alyssa Naeher suffered a leg injury in the first half. Naeher went up in the air for a ball, collided with Julie Ertz and landed awkwardly on her leg. Naeher was seen on crutches at the end of the match.
The USWNT looked disjointed in attack for a majority of the contest. It created few significant chances that tested Stephanie Labbe. The Canadian goalkeeper's biggest save came on a headed attempt from Carli Lloyd in the 86th minute.
Vlatko Andonovski's USWNT attempted 13 shots, but only four of them went on frame. That low total came in a match in which it took 12 corner kicks.
Megan Rapinoe said after the match that the USWNT just did not have enough to earn a result on Monday, per ESPN.com.
"That's football. They got, I think, one shot on goal, a PK, and from what it sounds like it was a PK. So yeah, it's a bitter one to swallow. Obviously, we never want to lose to Canada. I don't think I've ever lost to Canada," Rapinoe said.
"So it's a bitter one. Obviously there's still a lot to compete for. That's what I told the girls and what we talked about in the huddle. It's not the color we want, but there's still a medal on the line. That's a huge thing and we want to win that game, but yeah, this is ... this sucks. It sucks."
The United States will go for its sixth-ever medal in seven Olympic women's soccer tournaments in the bronze-medal match versus Australia.
Sweden 1, Australia 0
Sweden continued its perfect run through the Olympic tournament with a one-goal victory over Australia.
Fridolina Rolfo provided the lone goal of the contest in the 46th minute at the end of a frenetic sequence near the left post.
The initial ball played in from outside the box bounced off the top of the bar and landed with Stina Blackstenius.
Blackstenius dropped the ball back to Rolfo, who had a better angle to shoot on the net. Rolfo struck the back of the net for what turned out to be the lone goal of the match.
Sweden's 1-0 win was the opposite result of the first match played between the two nations in the group stage. Sweden won that matchup by a 4-2 scoreline.
Sweden has been the best overall team in the Olympic tournament. It swept through its group-stage games with nine points, beat Japan convincingly in the quarterfinal and knocked out Australia in the semifinal round.
The Swedes have one medal at the Olympics since the women's soccer tournament started in 1996. They took silver in 2016. They finished fourth after a loss in the bronze-medal match to Germany in 2004.
USWNT Shut Out by Canada in Stunning Upset Loss in 2021 Olympics Soccer Semifinals
Aug 2, 2021
Canada's players celebrate after winning 1-0 to United States during a women's semifinal soccer match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Kashima, Japan. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
The United States women's national team will play for the bronze medal after Canada earned a stunning 1-0 upset over the international powerhouse in Monday's Olympic semifinal.
The match was scoreless until Jessie Fleming scored a penalty for Canada in the 75th minute:
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2021
The shot was just out of reach of backup goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, resulting in the only score of the match. Starting goalie Alyssa Naeher, who was the hero during the quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands, was forced to leave with an injury in the 30th minute.
Canada held on for the win and will face Sweden in the final for a chance at its first gold medal in women's soccer. Sweden beat Australia in the other semifinal match Monday.
The upset win was a breakthrough for Canada, which has earned bronze in the last two Olympics:
Canada beats the USWNT for the first time since 2001, ending a 36-game winless streak. 🇨🇦
Canada had never before beaten the U.S. in a competitive (non-friendly) match.
A gold medal would be the biggest moment in program history, while Christine Sinclair could add another achievement after already ranking as the top international goalscorer in history. The 38-year-old played 87 minutes in Monday's win.
The United States, meanwhile, was unable to build on its 2019 World Cup win with another major trophy.
The Americans had plenty of chances to score, outshooting Canada 17-5 in the match, including a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal. They simply weren't able to get anything into the back of the net, even after adding key subs Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Christen Press in the 60th minute.
It continued an up-and-down run of matches in Tokyo that featured just one win in 90 minutes. The USWNT also had one loss and one draw in group play before surviving the quarterfinal on penalty kicks.
"Obviously, our standards are perfection all the time, so we really never reached that, and we wanted the gold medal but we have a ton to still perform for," Rapinoe said after the match.
The team will now compete for the bronze Thursday against Australia. After finishing in just fifth place at the 2016 Olympics, the United States will try to win its first soccer medal since 2012.
Olympic Soccer 2021: USWNT Ties Australia, Faces Netherlands in Knockout Round
Jul 27, 2021
United States' Alex Morgan, left, and Australia's Tameka Yallop battle for the ball during a women's soccer match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Kashima, Japan. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
The United States women's national team played to a draw with Australia on Tuesday to conclude its group-stage play at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 0-0 draw secured a second-place finish in Group G for the USWNT and set up a rematch of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final with the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
The Dutch blew past China to finish on top of Group F and produce one of the most anticipated matches in recent Olympic soccer tournaments.
Brazil, Great Britain, Canada and Sweden all advanced to the final eight by finishing in the top two of their respective groups. Japan and Australia moved on as the two best third-place teams.
Tuesday Olympic Soccer Results
Women's Soccer
Group E
Canada 1, Great Britain 1
Japan 1, Chile 0
Group F
Netherlands 8, China 2
Brazil 1, Zambia 0
Group G
Sweden 2, New Zealand 0
United States 0, Australia 0
Recaps
United States 0, Australia 0
KASHIMA, JAPAN - JULY 27: Alanna Kennedy #14 of Team Australia battles with Alex Morgan #13 of Team United States before a game between Australia and USWNT at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium on July 27, 2021 in Kashima, Japan. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Gett
The USWNT did what was required to finish in second place in Group G.
However, the performance did not inspire a ton of confidence about the team's prospects of winning the gold medal. In fact, you could make the case the Americans are more likely to be eliminated at the quarterfinal stage for the second straight Olympics.
The USWNT put four of its seven shots on frame, but none of them found the back of the net.
The Americans had one goal called back after a VAR review in the first half. Alex Morgan was ruled offside in a tight decision made by the replay officials.
Vlatko Andonovski's side has now failed to score in two of its three Group G matches. It put six goals past New Zealand, which was one of four squads that failed to make it to the final eight.
Forward Alex Morgan noted the team implemented a more defensive-minded approach to secure passage into the final eight, per ESPN.com.
"This [knockout stage] is when the tournament starts," Morgan said. "It was a tactical decision by [coach Vlatko Andonovski] to shift defensively, a little more conservatively, and really allow them to get impatient, play along and give it back to us."
The Americans held the Matildas to two shots on target over 90 minutes. While the clean sheet is nice, the USWNT needs to be much better as a unit to get past the Netherlands.
In the group stage, the Dutch scored 21 goals, while the USWNT recorded just 14 shots on target. Most of the Dutch goals came against weaker opposition, but that number is still stunning.
Australia has a meeting with Great Britain on the top half of the bracket.
Netherlands 8, China 2
RIFU, JAPAN - JULY 24: Lynn Wilms of the Netherlands, Danielle van de Donk of the Netherlands, Dominique Janssen of the Netherlands, Jackie Groenen of the Netherlands, Lineth Beerensteyn of the Netherlands, Aniek Nouwen of the Netherlands celebrate after
The Netherlands' scoring machine rolled into International StadiumYokohama and stormed past China.
The Dutch women left no doubt about finishing on top of Group F as they put eight goals past the Chinese. Golden Boot leader Vivienne Miedema produced two of the eight tallies on Tuesday in the 65th and 76th minutes.
The Netherlands went into the half with a 3-1 advantage thanks to a goal from Shanice van de Sanden and two out of Lineth Beerensteyn. The attacking onslaught extended into the opening part of the second half with five goals between the 47th and 76th minutes.
Given the form the Netherlands is in, it has to viewed as at least a slight favorite to win the quarterfinal.
The USWNT is capable of slowing down the Dutch. In fact, it did so in the 2019 Women's World Cup final, but the two sides are in much different form than they were in France two years ago.
For the USWNT to beat the Netherlands, it needs to produce a much better overall performance to counter and contain an attack that is on fire.
U.S. Women's Soccer Players File Appeal to Overturn 2020 Equal Pay Lawsuit
Jul 23, 2021
Megan Rapinoe, second right, and her teammates warm up at a training session of United States women's soccer team at Prince Takamado Memorial JFA YUME Field Saturday, July 17, 2021, in Chiba, near Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Current and former players for the United States women's national soccer team have appealed a 2020 decision regarding its equal pay lawsuit.
Homero De la Fuente and David Close of CNN explained that Judge Gary Klausner ruled in May 2020 that the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) did not financially discriminate against the women's team despite the players' allegations that it does.
Friday's appeal said that decision "defies reality" and is "legally wrong" because it is "based on a flawed analysis of the team's compensation, despite the abundant evidence of unequal pay."
The players also denied they were offered the same collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as the men's team even though Klausner argued they played more games and made more money while rejecting the CBA that offered the same pay structure.
The appeal was filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
"If a woman has to work more than a man and be much more successful than him to earn about the same pay, that is decidedly not equal pay and it violates the law," player spokesperson Molly Levinson said Friday.
"And yet, that is exactly what the women players on the U.S. National team do—they play more games and achieve better results in order to be paid about the same amount as the men's national team players per game. By any measure, that is not equal pay, and it violates federal law."
The USSF responded to the appeal and said the organization is "committed to equal pay and ensuring that our Women's National Team remains the best in the world" while hoping to resolve the concerns away from the court system.
The response also said the previous ruling "correctly held that the Women's National Team was paid more both cumulatively and on an average per-game basis than the Men's National Team."
The United States women's team was widely seen as the gold-medal favorites coming into the Tokyo Olympics, but it lost a 3-0 stunner to Sweden in its opener.
It will look to bounce back in Saturday's game against New Zealand.
Christen Press, Tobin Heath Score as USA Cruises Past Mexico in 2021 Friendly
Jul 2, 2021
AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 16: Christen Press #23 of the United States psyching up her teammates during a game between Nigeria and USWNT at Q2 Stadium on June 16, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
The United States and Mexico squared off amidst a Connecticut downpour on Thursday night in their first of two matchups in the Send Off Series. And the USWNT provided a downpour of goals to match the rainy weather.
Christen Press led the way with a brace, while Sam Mewis and Tobin Heath added goals of their own to pace the USWNT in a comfortable 4-0 win.
Alongside the dominant win, the United States also saw Heath return to action for the first time since December after suffering an ankle injury with Manchester United in January.
So of course, all Heath did in her return was score a golazo. Oh, and it was her first touch of the game.
Can’t come back from a long layoff any better than Tobin Heath just did.
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) July 2, 2021
You can't draw it up much better than that.
Mexico, to their credit, didn't sit back and park the bus against the superior United States attackers, especially in the first half.
While Mexico's chances were few and far between, they had a few, with Abby Dahlkemper making a superb defensive play in the first half to prevent a dangerous shot on goal:
There was no way @AbbyDahlkemper was letting this chance go through 😤
All in all, it was a great showing for the USWNT as they ramp up for the Tokyo Olympics. They dominated the midfield, were strong in defense, pestered Mexico's goal with chances and looked the vastly superior side. Every goal was the result of fantastic build-up play.
Friendly or not, the USWNT looks primed and ready for Tokyo.
These teams will conclude the Send Off Series when they face off again on Monday at 5 p.m. ET (FS1).
USWNT 'LFG' HBO Documentary Live Stream, TV Schedule and Preview
Jun 23, 2021
United States' Megan Rapinoe ,center, with Alex Morgan, left, and Allie Long, celebrate with the trophy after winning the Women's World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
If you simply cannot wait until the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to watch the United States women's national team, HBO Max can provide your temporary fix.
CNN Films will present the documentary LFG on the streaming service starting Thursday. The film offers a "a no-holds-barred, inside account of the U.S. women's national team's ongoing fight for equal pay."
In March 2016, five members of the USWNT (Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Hope Solo) filed a complaint against U.S. Soccer with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A group of 28 players subsequently pursued legal action in March 2019, citing what they believed to be unequal pay and conditions compared to members of the U.S. men's national team.
ESPN.com's Graham Hays detailed 2019 court filings saying USWNT stars could earn a maximum of $99,000 by competing in and winning 20 friendlies over the course of a year, and that the average pay for a USMNT player over a similar stretch was $263,320, though a full comparison requires a deeper review. In a 2019 feature for the Washington Post's Fact Checker section, Meg Kelly wrote that those figures are from a collective bargaining agreement that was renegotiated in 2017, and did not factor base salaries: "Using the same 20-game scenario, we calculated the player on the women’s team would earn ... about 89 percent of the compensation of a similarly situated men’s team player. If both teams lost all 20 games, the players would make the same amount. That’s because the men [still] earn a $5,000 bonus when they lose and the women have a $100,000 base salary."
AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 16: United States fans hold up an Equal Pay banner in protest of unequal wages for female athletes in action during a Summer Series friendly international match between Nigeria and the United States on June 16, 2021 at Q2 Stadium in Aust
Kelly also delved into the moneymaking financials and concluded it's difficult to make a direct comparison, but that while the men's team was once more profitable, in recent years it's clear that revenue and profits between the two programs are now close.
"USWNT players and U.S. Soccer have offered contradictory narratives over whether USWNT players are paid more based on revenue generation attributed to their play," Michael McCann, University of New Hampshire law professor and former Sports Illustrated writer, told Kelly. "To the extent degree of revenue generation influences any pay increases, the two sides will need to find common ground on how that topic is empirically measured."
The litigation, which seeks back pay, included claims of unequal working conditions as well. The USWNT said they played on artificial turf far more frequently than the men and had to travel on commercial flights more often. In a 2020 settlement, the sides agreed to effectively equalize those issues across the two programs and provide "comparable budgets" for hotel stays.
Relations between the two sides reached a nadir in the spring of 2020 when details of U.S. Soccer's argument in court came to light.
"The overall soccer-playing ability required to compete at the senior men's national team level is materially influenced by the level of certain physical attributes, such as speed and strength, required for the job," the organization said.
U.S. Soccer also argued that members of the USWNT didn't require "equal skill, effort and responsibility under similar working conditions."
Prior to their 3-1 victory over Japan in the SheBelieves Cup final on March 11, 2020, the USWNT players wore their warmup shirt inside out as a statement against U.S. Soccer:
The outcry led Carlos Cordeiro to resign from his role as president of the federation.
A federal judge ruled in May 2020 that U.S. Soccer hadn't violated the Equal Pay Act and dismissed that portion of the lawsuit. The USWNT was allowed to continue with the allegations of unequal working conditions. The two sides reached the settlement on working conditions last December.
A statement from U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone on today’s agreement with the USWNT.
More than seeking equal treatment from U.S. Soccer, the lawsuit helped bring attention to the often wide disparity in resources allocated to male and female athletes.
One such example came during the NCAA basketball tournament this past spring.
Oregon forward Sedona Prince shared a video that immediately went viral contrasting the weight rooms the NCAA had arranged for the men's and women's players.
That was one of multiple areas in which the men enjoyed better amenities over the course of the tournament.
Followers of the WNBA have also pointed to the absence of coverage dedicated to the league for many years, on top of the sexism the players have experienced away from the court.
Editor's note: This article was updated after publish to provide a fuller detailing of the compensation picture and context around the litigation points and 2020 settlement.
Christen Press Leads US Women's National Team to 2-0 Win vs. Nigeria
Jun 17, 2021
AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 16: Christen Press #23 of United States kicks the ball during the Summer Series game between United States and Nigeria at Q2 Stadium on June 16, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
The U.S. Women's National Soccer Teamchristened the brand-new Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas with a 2-0victory over Nigeria on Wednesday in the final game of the USWNT Summer Series.
The game was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,500, according to The Athletic's Meg Linehan.
Now unbeaten in 42 consecutive games (and 56 straight in the United States), the U.S. maintained its perfect record against Nigeria, improving to 6-0 all-time against the Super Falcons in their first meeting in six years.
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 17, 2021
Playing without Rose Lavelle, who suffered an ankle injury in the first half of Sunday's 4-0 victory over Jamaica, the USWNT edged Nigeria thanks to a first-half goal from Christen Press, and then doubled down with a last-minute score from Lynn Williams.
Press scored in the second minute of added time to lead the U.S. into the break up 1-0, and it was a pretty historic moment for the star:
On the mark 💥
With that goal, @ChristenPress pushes her 🇺🇸 career total to 61, breaking a tie with Shannon MacMillan to take sole possession of 9th on the #USWNT all-time scoring charts 📈 pic.twitter.com/0UjYhvZsHH
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 17, 2021
She's now been directly involved in 33 goals in her last 35 games (and we've still got another half to play 🤫) pic.twitter.com/eYFpyAKubK
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 17, 2021
But the scoreboard didn't exactly reflect the domination by the Stars and Stripes in the opening half.
For starters, Press found the back of the net on another shot in the middle of the half, but it was called away because it deflected off of an offside Megan Rapinoe. Though it wasn't just Press who was putting on a clinic for the Flying Eagles.
The U.S. maintained possession for 70 percent of the game and passed with 81 percent accuracy, while Nigeria struggled to get the ball where it wanted it and maintained only 50 percent accuracy in passing.
Alex Morgan took the pitch in the 53rd minute, replacing Carli Lloyd, who was recognized before the game for earning her 300th cap with the USWNT—a feat she accomplished back in April in Stockholm.
Wednesday's game was her 304th, and only two other players have more: Kristine Lilly (354) and Christie Pearce Rampone (311).
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 17, 2021
Another pair of substitutions came in the 61st minute, when Emily Sonnett and Catarina Macario came in to replace Kristie and Sam Mewis, respectively.
A quiet second half was punctuated when the Press-Rapinoe combination that had been everywhere offensively had a look that would have doubled the lead, but Rapinoe's shot went too high.
And just when it seemed like the quiet night would end there, Williams forced Tochukwu Oluehi out of the net to meet her, then broke around her to score on a wide-open net and make it 2-0 in the 94th minute.
The only shot on target by Nigeria came from star Asisat Oshoala, who helped lead Barcelona to the UEFA Champions League.
Next up for the U.S. squad is a pair of friendlies against Mexico on July 1 and July 5 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Sam Mewis' Late Goal Powers USWNT Past Portugal in International Friendly
Jun 11, 2021
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 10: Jéssica Silva #10 of Portugal and Megan Rapinoe #15 of United States fight the ball uring the Summer Series game between United States and Portugal at BBVA Stadium on June 10, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
As part of their final preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, the United States women's soccer team kicked off a three-game Summer Series on Thursday with a 1-0win over Portugal in a friendly match.
Samantha Mewis, who was left unmarked, broke the scoreless tie in the 76th minute with a header that was set up by a fantastic corner kick from Christen Press.
Press also made history with her assist, becoming the 14th player in U.S. women's national team history to reach 100 combined goals and assists in her career:
With that *chef's kiss* assist, @ChristenPress now has 40 career assists to go with 60 career goals 🎯⚽️
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 11, 2021
Playing in their first game since April 13, Team USA showed some rust in the first half. They dominated the stats, holding possession for nearly 34 of the first 48 minutes and a 14-2 advantage in shots.
But none of the shots on goal were able to get past Portugal goalie Ines Pereira. Press had the best attempt at breaking the scoreless tie in the first half, but Pereira made a fantastic stop with her right leg.
The U.S. didn't come into this game at full strength, with Tobin Heath and Julie Ertz still recovering from injuries. Manager Vlatko Andonovski told reporters both players are expected back for the Olympics, but neither will play in the Summer Series.
Portugal entered Thursday with a 1-2-1 record in four matches this year, though that record doesn't do justice to how well it has been at preventing goals. Opponents scored a total of two goals in those four games.
Head coach Francisco Neto's defense continued to shine against a U.S. squad had outscored its opponents by a 22-1 score in eight matches coming into today.
Pereira, in particular, played like a superstar against the American's relentless offensive attack.
22' Still scoreless here at BBVA Stadium.
U.S. are knocking on the door, but finishing at close range has been an issue. Possession has overwhelmingly favored the Americans. Portugal, to their credit, have blocked a few key shots courtesy the back line and keeper Inês Pereira
43’ Rose Lavelle gets free on the right wing and sends a spinning cross to the far post that looked to be right on target for Alex Morgan’s head, but Portugal GK Pereira comes off her line to punch the ball out. Spectacular play by the keeper.
The one goal that Pereira allowed was mostly due to the fact that Portugal's defense, for whatever reason, decided to let Mewis stand in front of the net without putting a body on her.
Even though Team USA was clearly the more dominant squad on the field, it wasn't able to pull away from an overmatched Portugal team. The Americans only converted one of their 10 shot-on-goal attempts into a goal.
The U.S. defense does deserve a lot of credit for making things very easy on Alyssa Naeher. She only had to stop one shot-on-goal attempt the entire game.
It's certainly reasonable to expect that things will get better for Team USA as they continue to work their way back into form after an extended layoff.
They will return to the pitch on Sunday for an exhibition against Jamaica at BBVA Stadium in Houston. The game will be broadcast on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET.
