EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – The U.S. women’s national team bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Portugal on Sunday as Olivia Moultrie scored two goals and honored former goaltender Alyssa Neher.
America was coming When we lost 2-1 to Portugal in the first game of the international window on Thursday in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was Portugal’s first win against the United States and the third loss for coach Emma Hayes’ national team.
The team’s goal was to come together after its final performance, 113 days since the group last met, Moultrie said.
“That last game wasn’t what we wanted it to be, and I think a lot of that has to do with us not being together for a long time, so we just got the opportunity to fully recommit,” Moultrie said. “Emma said before the game, “I don’t care what the result is, but I want you to feel like we played like ourselves, no matter what.”
Moultrie scored just 45 seconds into the game, giving the United States an early lead. Portugal equalized in the fifth minute when Jessica Silva headed in a cross from Beatriz Fonseca.
Moultrie added his second run in the 10th inning to put Team USA in the lead again. The 20-year-old has played 10 international games and scored two goals.
Sam Coffey, who came on as a substitute in the 77th minute, scored a goal in the 82nd minute to end the game. Coffey and Moultrie are teammates with the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Hayes made eight changes to his starting lineup from Thursday’s starting group.
Hayes said of the difference in performance: “I think we did a better job of being compact and not chasing the ball at the wrong moments. That’s probably the biggest thing without getting too technical.” “The second thing is, if you want to control the game and put your guys in the right positions up high, you have to build up really well and control in the right areas really well. We didn’t do that last night, but we did tonight.”
Before the game at Pratt & Whitney Stadium, the United States honored Neher, a native of Connecticut. retired from the national team Late last year, I won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Neher was the starting goalie for the American team. won the 2019 Women’s World Cup and 2024 Olympics. She is the only American goalie to have shutout victories in both the World Cup and Olympic finals.
The team was missing some star players. trinity rodman is Nursing for MCL sprain On October 15, he injured his right knee during a CONCACAF W Champions Cup game against his NWSL team, the Washington Spirit.
Defender Naomi Dilma suffered a calf injury before the start of Chelsea’s season in September and remained sidelined.
Forward Lynn Biendro, who was removed from the U.S. national team due to a knee injury, announced Saturday that she and her husband are pregnant with their first child. Other notable national team players who took maternity leave this year include: sophia wilson and Mallory Swanson.
Hayes said the U.S. soccer team is developing a more comprehensive “pre- and post-pregnancy” protocol to be announced in the future.
The United States has one more game in the current international window, against New Zealand on Wednesday at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
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