USWNT plays Colombia to scoreless draw in Utah friendly

SANDY, Utah. – The U.S. Women’s National Team played to a scoreless draw against Colombia in a match that featured numerous U.S. chances and a missed penalty kick in the first half.

Strong defensive performances by both sides and the Alex Morgan penalty kick that smashed off the right post kept things level in the first of two international friendlies between the countries. The shutout marked goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s ninth this year with the USWNT, tying her career-high for clean sheets in a calendar year as she also had nine in 2018 and 2019.

The early moments were measured and calculated as both teams tried to find ways to break lines. Possession was split evenly with a Colombian side that enjoyed its best-ever World Cup performance this past summer, defeating Germany in group play and advancing to the quarterfinals before falling to England, 2-1. The first threat came in the 16^th minute as forward Trinity Rodman beat her defender with a nifty nutmeg on the right wing and sent a cross deep into the box which was cleared out by scrambling defender Carolina Arias.

The U.S. created a handful of chances sparked by forwards Lynn Williams and Morgan as well as midfielder Lindsey Horan, but the best chance of the first half came after Rodman was dragged down inside the box while battling for position on a corner kick just moments before the halftime break. Morgan stepped up to the penalty spot and fired a powerful strike that hit square off the right post and rebounded back to her. She took a swing at the ball, but the play was whistled to a stop as the taker cannot be the first one to touch a penalty kick that comes back off the woodwork.

The second half was a similar story as the U.S. did well to get into the final third but lacked quality inside the penalty area. Morgan had a chance in the 50^th minute after a good effort from Williams on the left flank to beat her defender with pace produced a dangerous cross, but her first-time shot from a difficult angle sailed over the bar. Forward Ashley Hatch – a former All-American and star at BYU who received a warm welcome from the Utah crowd after coming into the match in the 67^th minute – did very well to beat her defender with strength in the 74^th minute to get on the end of a long ball by Williams and get a shot on frame, but a quick reaction by goalkeeper Natalia Giraldo parried the ball out of danger for a corner.

The USA created a final good chance in the dying moments of the match as forward Sophia Smith, who entered the match as a substitute in the 76^th minute in her first USWNT action since the Women’s World Cup, received the ball in left side of the box in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Smith shook her defender off with a cut back to her left foot on the end line and fired a dangerous strike toward goal, but her shot was denied by the post and then bounced off the ‘keeper’s back and out for a corner.

The USA had nine corner kicks to Colombia’s one, and several free kicks from dangerous spots on the field but couldn’t find the net from set plays either.

Forward Jaedyn Shaw came on in the 87^th minute to make her U.S. Women’s National Team debut. The 18-year-old Shaw becomes the 71^st teenager and 255^th player overall to earn a cap for the USWNT.

The USA and Colombia will now head to San Diego where they will square off on Oct. 29 at Snapdragon Stadium in a match presented by AT&T 5G. Sunday’s game in San Diego kicks off at 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT with coverage available on TNT, Max, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and FDP Radio.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• The USA is now 11W-0L-4D in 2023 (penalty kick shootouts count as draws in FIFA records) with three games remaining, the one against Colombia in San Diego and two against China PR in December.

• Defender and team captain Becky Sauerbrunn made her return for the first time since the injury which kept her out of the Women’s World Cup earning her 217th cap and first since April 11 in St. Louis.

• Jaedyn Shaw became the fourth player to debut for the USA in 2023 and the third in three games under interim head coach Twila Kilgore.

• The USA is now 9W-2D-0L across 11 matches against Colombia. Four of the previous 10 meetings between the USA and Colombia have come at world championship events – twice at the World Cup and twice at the Olympics.

• Lindsey Horan captained the USA for the seventh time this year and the 15th of her career as she earned her 136th cap.