Sophia Smith bags a brace as USWNT defeats Colombia 3-0 in Colorado
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The U.S. Women’s National Team beat Colombia 3-0 in the first of two friendly matches in preparation for 2022 Concacaf W Championship which will serve as qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2024 Olympics.
A brace from forward Sophia Smith and goal in her USWNT debut from midfielder Taylor Kornieck lifted the USA past Colombia in front of an electric sold-out crowd of 17,143 fans at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
The USA put on a dominant display in the first half, posting 12 shots with three on goal but the Colombians defended with intensity while playing five in the back and dropping deep to limit the USA’s space in the attacking third. Goalkeeper Catalina Perez, who moved from Bogota to Florida as a child and played college soccer at Miami and Mississippi State, put in a fine performance, eventually saving not one but two U.S. penalty kicks.
The team’s best chance of the half came just before the break when Smith earned a penalty kick after being brought down inside the box. Midfielder Lindsey Horan stepped up to the spot, but Perez made a fine save to keep the score level.
Despite not scoring in the first half, the USA showed patience and maturity while continuing to create opportunities. The USA controlled the match even more in the final 45 minutes and shortly after substitute midfielder Ashley Sanchez, who made a difference after coming on at halftime, clipped a chipped shot off the top of the crossbar in the 50th minute, the USA finally got the opening goal in the 54th. Midfielder Rose Lavelle sent a long pass into the path of the streaking Smith who was running into the box on the left side. Smith beat Perez to the ball before stuffing it between her legs and into the net as she collided with the goalkeeper and a sliding defender.
Just six minutes later, Lavelle and Smith connected again to double the lead in a similar fashion as Lavelle forced a turnover near midfield and played another long ball behind the defense and into Smith’s path. She controlled the ball well and deftly finished from 13 yards out for her second goal of the night.
Nine minutes later, the USA had a chance to score a third after forward Alex Morgan, who had come into the match as a halftime substitute, was fouled inside the box, making way for Lavelle to step up to the penalty spot. She hit her shot well, but Perez was up for the challenge yet again as she once again turned the ball away.
Morgan’s was one of a handful of notable substitutions on the night as she and fellow veteran Megan Rapinoe saw their first international action since October of 2021. Kornieck, who attended college at the University of Colorado, made her international debut after coming into the match in the 73rd minute. In the dying moments of the game, she became the 22nd player in USWNT history to score in her first appearance after finishing a header off a set-piece service from Rapinoe, much to the delight of the Colorado crowd. At 6-foot-1, Kornieck also became the tallest field player ever to appear for the USA and the 248th woman to earn a USWNT cap.
The USA will close out its two-game set with Colombia on Tuesday, June 28 in Sandy, Utah. The teams will meet at Rio Tinto Stadium, home of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake, with kickoff slated for 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT on ESPN.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
USA – Sophia Smith (Rose Lavelle), 54th minute – Lavelle collected the ball at midfield and played a perfectly weighted through-ball into space to meet Smith on the run into the left side of the penalty area. She shot from 19 yards out on the slide and nutmegged the goalkeeper to open the scoring. USA 1, COL 0
USA – Sophia Smith (Rose Lavelle), 60th minute – Lavelle stole the ball from a Colombian player near midfield and played another fantastic pass, this one diangonally to Smith running into the right side of the penalty area. She took a touch and bent a left-footed shot from 13 yards out into the lower left corner to double the lead. USA 2, COL 0
USA – Taylor Kornieck (Megan Rapinoe), 90+1 minute – Rapinoe sent a cross in on a set piece from th left side. Kornieck run under it and redirected the ball with a flicked header just inside the right post for her first career goal. USA 3, COL 0
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- Sophia Smith’s goals marked her fourth and fifth in 2022, upped her career total to six and were her first goals for the USWNT in her home state of Colorado.
- Smith’s brace marked her second career multi-goal game and her first since her hat trick vs Uzbekistan on April 9. She is now tied for the team-lead in scoring with five goals on the year.
- With her two assists, midfielder Rose Lavelle has now been directly involved in seven goals in her last three games for the USA (two goals, five assists).
- After coming into the match as a halftime substitute, forward Alex Morgan made her first USWNT appearance since October 26, 2021 vs. Korea Republic.
- After coming into the match as a substitute in the 77th minute, forward Megan Rapinoe’s saw her first action for the USWNT since October 26, 2021 vs. Korea Republic.
- Rapinoe’s assist tonight on the final goal marked the 72nd of her career, putting her just one behind Abby Wambach for third on the all-time assist charts.
- Taylor Kornieck became the 14th player to earn her first cap under head coach Vlatko Andonovski. Ten of those players were called into this camp.
- The match against Colombia was the ninth meeting all-time between the two countries, with the USA now holding an 8-0-1 record.
- With the win, the USA extended its home unbeaten streak to 68 games which includes 61 wins and seven draws. During this unbeaten streak, the USA has outscored its opponents 258-28, including a 128-4 margin during its last 30 matches at home, all but two of which have been wins save for a 0-0 draw with Korea Republic on Oct. 21 and a scoreless draw vs Czech Republic on Feb. 17.
- Head coach Vlatko Andonovski is 33-2-6 in 41 games (two at the end of 2019, nine in 2020, 24 in 2021, and six so far in 2022).
-U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Colombia
Date: June 25, 2022
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo.
Attendance: 17,143 (Sell Out)
Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. ET (5:45 p.m. local)
Weather: 70 degrees; cloudy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 3 3
COL 0 0 0
USA – Sophia Smith (Rose Lavelle) 54th minute
USA – Sophia Smith (Rose Lavelle) 60
USA – Taylor Kornieck (Megan Rapinoe) 90+1
Lineups:
USA: 18-Casey Murphy; 5-Kelley O’Hara (8-Sofia Huerta, 61), 3-Alana Cook, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (Capt.), 19-Emily Fox; 17-Andi Sullivan (22-Kristie Mewis, 73), 16-Rose Lavelle (20-Taylor Kornieck, 73), 10-Lindsey Horan (2-Ashley Sanchez, 46); 11-Sophia Smith, 7-Ashley Hatch (13-Alex Morgan, 46), 9-Mallory Pugh (15-Megan Rapinoe, 77)
Substitutes not used: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 6-Trinity Rodman, 12-Naomi Girma, 14-Emily Sonnett, 21-Aubrey Kingsbury, 23-Margaret Purce
Head coach: Vlatko Andonovski
COL: 1-Catalina Perez; 17-Carolina Arias, 3-Daniela Arias, 19-Jorelyn Carabali, 20-Monica Ramos (14-Nancy Acosta, 68), 2-Manuela Vanegas; 6-Daniela Montoya (Capt.) (16-Maria Morales, 75), 5-Lorena Bedoya; 10-Leicy Santos (18-Linda Caicedo, 75), 21-Liana Salazar (4-Diana Ospina, 59), 11-Catalina Usme (23-Elexa Bahr, 67)
Substitutes not used: 12-Sandra Sepulveda, 13-Luz Katherine Tapia, 7-Ana Gabriela Huertas, 8-Angie Castañeda, 9-Mayra Ramirez, 15-Tatiana Ariza, 22-Daniela Caracas
Head coach: Nelson Abadía
Stats Summary: USA / COL
Shots: 22 / 1
Shots on Goal: 8 / 0
Saves: 0 / 5
Corner Kicks: 5 / 0
Fouls: 7 / 17
Offside: 0 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Carly Shaw-Maclaren (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Meghan Mullen (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Jennifer Garner (USA)
4th Official: Samantha Martinez (USA)
Woman of the Match: Sophia Smith
