Laken Litman
School Soccer & Soccer Analyst
ST. PAUL, Minnesota — And similar to that, Emma Hayes’ first camp as the USA girls’s nationwide group has come to an finish.
The USWNT beat South Korea 3-0 at Allianz Discipline on Tuesday night time amid regular rain and muggy circumstances in what was the ultimate match earlier than Hayes names a roster for the Paris Olympics.
Crystal Dunn, Sophia Smith and 16-year-old Lily Yohannes, who earned her first USWNT cap on this match, scored terrific objectives.
As promised, Hayes shook up the beginning lineup fairly a bit, with 9 modifications from Saturday’s 4-0 win in Colorado — captain Lindsey Horan and Jenna Nighswonger had been the one holdovers. Hayes went with a entrance line that had by no means performed collectively earlier than in Jaedyn Shaw, Alex Morgan and Dunn. Rose Lavelle earned her one hundredth cap taking part in because the No. 10, whereas Emily Sonnett began at middle again alongside Sam Staab, making her first ever begin for the USWNT.
Hayes mentioned Monday that it was essential to her for each participant to have a chance to point out how they have been decoding the knowledge and rules which were taught this week, particularly because the Olympics roster choice nears.
Maybe no person took that extra to coronary heart than Yohannes, who has nonetheless not dedicated to play for the USWNT (she can also be eligible to play for the Netherlands). This was her second U.S. name up, however first look. Lower than 10 minutes after coming onto the pitch, she scored off a low cross from Trinity Rodman within the 82nd minute to provide the U.S. its third purpose of the night time.
Listed here are some takeaways from the match:
Play of the sport
Within the sixty fourth minute, Hayes made her first substitution, which introduced Rodman, Smith and Mallory Swanson into the sport.
Within the 67th minute, they mixed for a purpose that might be indicative of what is to return from this group underneath Hayes’ stewardship.
Rodman intercepted a move simply previous midfield and instantly dribbled towards the purpose with tempo. She laid a move off to Swanson, who was sprinting alongside her, close to the penalty spot. Swanson flicked the ball behind her for an onrushing Smith, who ran it down and beat a Korean defender and the goalkeeper earlier than ending with a low shot into the again of the web.
The spectacular sequence put the U.S. up 2-0 and confirmed the form of deadly assault that may be anticipated from this group.
Turning level
Goalkeeper Casey Murphy made a clutch save within the thirtieth minute to protect the USWNT’s then-narrow lead. South Korea was awarded a free kick simply exterior the 18-yard field. Ji Soyun, who beforehand performed for Hayes at Chelsea and could be very shut with the brand new U.S. coach, curved her shot across the USWNT wall and would have scored had it not been for Murphy’s diving save.
With the Olympics roster restricted to 18 gamers, which means there are solely two goalkeepers. Alyssa Naeher missed this camp as a result of an harm, however Hayes mentioned this week that she is aware of “precisely who Alyssa Naeher is” and would not appear to want to see an excessive amount of else from her.
“Been a longtime goalkeeper for plenty of years,” Hayes mentioned of Naeher. “An harm prevented her from being right here. If she wasn’t injured, she’d for certain be on this camp.”
Assuming Naeher might be wholesome in time for the Olympics, and indicators factors towards that being the case, the three goalkeepers on this camp are competing for one backup spot. Jane Campbell performed within the first match, Murphy performed the total 90 minutes on Tuesday, whereas Aubrey Kingsbury remained on the bench.
Key stat
Dunn began at ahead for the nationwide group for the primary time since July 30, 2017. And to rejoice, she scored the sport’s opening purpose.
Within the thirteenth minute, Morgan dribbled the ball throughout midfield with endurance whereas Nighswonger made a run down the left wing. Morgan performed Nighswonger, who beat her defender after which served a ball throughout the field that Dunn, her Gotham FC teammate, acquired on the top of.
Dunn has notoriously performed left again for the nationwide group, which hasn’t at all times sat effectively together with her. She informed reporters on Monday that she discovered that Hayes named her a ahead on this camp when everybody else did.
“It is cool,” Dunn mentioned. “I feel it is one thing that I take plenty of pleasure in. My profession has been a bit of totally different than most. It is a blessing and a curse, I feel, in lots of moments, however I really feel honored that I am trusted to have the ability to be versatile. I feel that speaks lots to who I’m as a participant, who I’m as an individual, who I’m as a teammate. And I by no means attempt to play like anybody else.
“I can solely be Crystal Dunn and after I was named as a ahead, I used to be like, cool. Let me simply faucet into what which means for me and being essentially the most genuine model of myself I will be in that function.”
This was additionally the primary purpose Dunn has scored for the nationwide group since changing into a mother in Could 2022. Dunn was additionally given the captain’s armband when Horan was subbed out of the match within the second half.
What’s subsequent for the USWNT?
Hayes will title the 18-player Olympics roster later this month. Within the interim, gamers will return to their respective golf equipment and proceed making an attempt to state their circumstances for why they need to make the group.
As soon as the roster has been chosen, the USWNT can have two extra friendlies vs. Mexico on July 13 and vs. Costa Rica on July 16. Then it is off to France for the Video games, the place the U.S. hopes to win its first gold medal since 2012.
The Individuals had been drawn into Group B with Zambia, Germany and Australia.
Laken Litman covers school soccer, school basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA At the moment and The Indianapolis Star. She is the creator of “Sturdy Like a Girl,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
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