AUSTIN, Texas — Alyssa Thompson scored her first purpose for the USA ladies’s nationwide staff and Jaedyn Shaw and Sophia Smith scored late on Thursday at Q2 Stadium because the People defeated Iceland 3-1 of their first match since successful a fifth Olympic gold medal in August.
Thompson broke the impasse within the thirty ninth minute, slicing inside to place the ball on her proper foot and smashing a shot off the underside of the crossbar close to the far nook.
“Coming onto the sector and sporting this jersey at first, I used to be like, ‘that is surreal,'” Thompson stated at half-time. “I simply — I am unable to describe how I really feel. I am so joyful.”
Thursday’s match was the beginning of the USWNT’s victory tour for the reason that Paris Video games. The People play Iceland once more on Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee, and Argentina on Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Iceland equalized early within the second half when Selma Magnusdottir scored on a low, left-footed strike from simply exterior the field after evading three USWNT midfielders.
The guests, ranked thirteenth on this planet, was organized defensively and outshot the USWNT within the first half regardless of holding solely about one-third of possession.
However the USWNT broke via within the second half with key contributions off the bench. Shaw, taking part in in her first sport since July after not taking part in a minute on the Olympics because of a decrease physique harm, slipped in behind Iceland’s protection within the eighty fifth minute and poked the ball between goalkeeper Telma Ívarsdóttir’s legs for the go-ahead purpose.
Shaw had entered the match within the 67th minute to take over the No. 10 position from captain Lindsey Horan. Three minutes after Shaw’s purpose, Smith scored on a volley from simply contained in the field. The Portland Thorns star has been coping with an ankle harm that precipitated her to overlook a month of the NWSL season not too long ago. She entered Thursday’s match within the 72nd minute.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes stated earlier this week that her staff’s objective on this worldwide window is two-fold: a mirrored image on the Olympics and a turning of the web page towards the staff’s subsequent section.
“The remainder of this 12 months may be very a lot celebrating this victory tour for the gamers, plus recognizing the achievements of people who have carried out very well within the NWSL,” Hayes stated.
That performed out on Thursday, with a well-known lineup rolled out initially adopted by returns and debuts.
Thompson made her first look for the USWNT in 10 months after collaborating within the 2023 World Cup as an 18-year-old. She was the one member of the USWNT’s beginning lineup on Thursday who was not on the Olympic roster.
Ahead Yazmeen Ryan and midfielder Hal Hershfelt made their USWNT debuts off the bench within the second half. Emily Sonnett began at center-back to earn her one hundredth cap, changing into the forty fifth participant in program historical past to hit the century mark.
