USWNT cruises to 4-0 win over New Zealand

ST. LOUIS (Via U.S. Soccer) – In front of a record crowd of 35,817 fans that packed Busch Stadium, the U.S. Women’s National Team cruised to a 4-0 victory against New Zealand in its first match on home soil this year.

After Megan Klingenberg put the U.S. up 1-0 early in the first half, St. Louis native Lori Chalupny, Julie Johnston and Morgan Brian all scored within a five-minute span late in the second half to put the game away for the USA.

The crowd at Busch Stadium was the largest to watch a stand-alone Women’s National Team home friendly. In the history of the WNT program, only two other matches drew bigger attendances for home friendlies; however, both were part of double-header events.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA- Meghan Klingenberg, 14th minute: New Zealand cleared an Ali Krieger cross, but only to the top of the penalty box where it bounced to Klingenberg who ran onto it and blasted a first-time volley into the upper left corner. USA 1, NZL 0

USA- Lori Chalupny (Megan Rapinoe), 76th minute: After a short corner, Megan Rapinoe took the ball in from the right and laid a pass back to Lori Chalupny who curled a shot from 16 yards out into the far left corner of the New Zealand net. USA 2, NZL 0

USA- Julie Johnston (Lauren Holiday), 78th minute: From a free kick in the left channel, Lauren Holiday looped in a ball that Johnston met with a powerful header from the center of the New Zealand penalty area. Her shot left New Zealand goalkeeper Erin Naylor no chance as it sailed in just below the cross bar for her second-career goal. USA 3, NZL 0

USA- Morgan Brian (Sydney Leroux), 81st minute: Morgan Brian helped create a New Zealand turnover in midfield. The ball ended up on the foot of Sydney Leroux whose well-weighted through ball found Brian, who had continued her run, and she finished into the lower-left corner to provide the final margin of victory. USA 4, NZL 0 FINAL

Key Saves and Defensive Stops:
NZL- Erin Nayler, 14th minute (save): Amy Rodriguez received a throw-in and took a half-turn before firing off a quick volley from just inside the box. Nayler jumped and pushed the shot up and off the cross bar.

NZL- Erin Nayler, 16th minute (save): Christen Press received a pass from the left and cut past a defender to the middle where she blasted a shot that Nayler jumped for and just reached, tipping it over the cross bar for her second save of the match.

NZL- Erin Nayler, 61st minute (save): Megan Rapinoe took the ball of a pass and dribbled it from the left into the center ripped a shot that forced Naylor into a sprawling save.

Milestone Watch:
The attendance of 35,817 was the:
All-time largest crowd for a stand-alone Women’s National Team friendly match on U.S. soil
Third largest crowd for a Women’s national team friendly match at home*
12th largest crowd for any Women’s National Team match at home^
Megan Rapinoe earned her 100th cap. The Northern Californian will be honored for the achievement on May 10th in San Jose. She is the 31st American female player to reach 100 caps.
Meghan Klingenberg scored her second career goal on her long-range blast. Her first goal was a similar long-range effort that came against Haiti on October 8, during Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament last year.
Hope Solo earned her 167th cap and made her 161st-career start (the most for a WNT goalkeeper, surpassing Briana Scurry’s 159 starts [from 1994-2008]). Solo’s 167 caps move her into 10th place on the all-time list and passing Brandi Chastain (160 games from 1988-2004)
* The two higher-attended matches were double-headers – one with the Men’s National Team, while the other was part of the Nike U.S. Women’s Cup in 1999.
^Includes all matches, including FIFA World Cup matches and Olympic matches played in the United States

Next on the Schedule:
The U.S. WNT faces Ireland on May 10 in San Jose at 11:30 a.m. PT

Additional Notes:
The win pushed the WNT’s all-time record against New Zealand to 11-1-1.
Hope Solo extended her U.S. record for shutouts to 82.
Lori Chalupny’s last goal for the USA came against the Republic of Ireland on Sept. 20, 2008.
Julie Johnston’s goal was her second of 2015 and the second of her career. She scored her first goal at this year’s Algarve Cup against France in the championship game. She also scored that goal with a header from a set piece.
It was a homecoming for the St. Louis natives, Becky Sauerbrunn, who made the start at centerback and Lori Chalupny, who subbed into the match in the 57th minute and scored in the 75th.
In its last six games the U.S. has surrendered just one goal and has scored 12.
The four goals were the most scored by the U.S. WNT in a single game this year.
Nine different players have scored for the USA in 2015 (Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Amy Rodriguez, Christen Press, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Morgan Brian, Lori Chalupny and Carli Lloyd)
The USA now has a 12-game unbeaten streak against New Zealand and has posted eight shutouts with a 47-4 scoring advantage during that stretch.

– U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report –
Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. New Zealand
Date: April 4, 2015
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Busch Stadium; St. Louis, Mo.
Kickoff: 3 p.m. PT
Attendance: 35,817
Weather: 59 degrees; Sunny

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 3 4
NZL 0 0 0

USA – Meghan Klingenberg 14th minute
USA – Lori Chalupny (Megan Rapinoe) 76
USA – Julie Johnston (Lauren Holiday) 78
USA – Morgan Brian (Sydney Leroux) 81

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger (5-Kelley O’Hara, 83), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 26-Julie Johnston, 25-Meghan Klingenberg (16-Lori Chalupny, 57); 23-Christen Press (17-Tobin Heath, 56), 12-Lauren Holiday, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.), 15-Megan Rapinoe (14-Morgan Brian, 79); 8-Amy Rodriguez (2-Sydney Leroux, 57), 13-Alex Morgan (20-Abby Wambach, 73)
Subs Not Used: 6-Whitney Engen, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 24-Ashlyn Harris
Head coach: Jill Ellis

NZL: 1-Erin Nayler; 5-Abby Erceg (capt.), 6-Rebekah Stott, 4-Katie Duncan, 2-Ria Percival; 7-Ali Riley, 16-Annalie Longo, 14-Katie Bowen (11-Kirsty Yallop, 85); 9-Amber Hearn, 10-Sarah Gregorius (24-Jasmine Pereira, 65), 17-Hannah Wilkinson (13-Rosie White, 74)
Subs Not Used: 21-Rebecca Rolls, 3-Anna Green, 15-Meikayla Moore, 18-Catherine Bott, 12-Betsy Hassett, 26-Daisy Cleverley
Head coach: Tony Readings

Stats Summary: USA / NZL
Shots: 18 / 2
Shots on Goal: 11 / 0
Saves: 0 / 6
Corner Kicks: 6 / 2
Fouls: 6 / 11
Offside 6 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Carol Anne Chenard (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Marie-Josée Charbonneau (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Suzanne Morisset (CAN)
4th Official: Marie-Soleil Beaudoin (CAN)