USWNT defeats England 1-0 in SheBelieves Cup opener

TAMPA, Florida (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated England 1-0 on a spectacular second-half goal from Crystal Dunn in its first match of the SheBelieves Cup.

The USA is tied with Germany atop the standings with three points after Germany defeated France, 1-0, in the first match of the evening.

The crowd of 13,027 at Raymond James Stadium set a record for a U.S. WNT match in Tampa, breaking the mark of 9,799 that watched the USA play France on June 14, 2014.

Dunn scored the game-winner in the 72nd minute, less than 10 minutes after entering as a substitute. Meghan Klingenberg pushed up the left channel and passed to Dunn, who wiggled free of a defender inside the penalty area before sending a laser shot into the upper right corner just over the outstretched hands of diving England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.

Hope Solo was solid on the night, making two saves to record her 96th career shutout and 145th win, further extending her U.S. records. The U.S. WNT improved to 7-0-0 on the year with 29 goals scored and 0 goals allowed.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Crystal Dunn (Meghan Klingenberg), 72nd minute: Meghan Klingenberg did some nice work on the ball to the left of the penalty area and then slipped a pass between two England defenders for Dunn, who took two touches into the left corner of the box and then ripped a shot into the top corner for her seventh score of the year. USA 1, ENG 0 ( SEE GOAL) FINAL

Key Saves and Defensive Stops
USA – Hope Solo, 59th minute: Toni Duggan brought the ball down the right flank with pace as Jodie Taylor streaked toward the box with only Becky Sauerbrunn back on defense. Sauerbrunn positioned herself well and cut off the passing lane, forcing Duggan to take a shot from 10 yards out. Duggan’s low show was hit with pace, but Solo did well to secure the ball with a dive to her right.

Next on the Schedule: The U.S. WNT will face France in its second match of the SheBelieves Cup on March 6 (2 p.m. CT; ESPN3) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The U.S. will wrap up the SheBelieves Cup against Germany on March 9 in Boca Raton, Florida. Click here for the full tournament schedule.

Additional Notes:

• The USA is 7-0-0 in 2016, having scored 29 goals while allowing none with four consecutive games (including a double-header vs. Colombia) coming up against teams that made excellent runs at the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
• Crystal Dunn tied Carli Lloyd for the team lead with her seventh goal of the year. Dunn notably scored five goals on Feb. 15 against Puerto Rico, doubling her career total of five heading into the match.
• Tonight’s match was the fourth consecutive start for Kelley O’Hara and Mallory Pugh. It was also Pugh’s fourth career start and seventh cap, all coming in 2016.
• Emily Sonnett earned her third start of the year and fourth of her career. She has eight total caps.
• The USA used five subs. Christen Press replaced Lindsey Horan in the 63rd minute, Dunn replaced Mallory Pugh in the 67th minute, Ali Krieger replaced Kelley O’Hara in the 80th minute, Julie Johnston replaced Alex Morgan in the 80th minute and Whitney Engen replaced Meghan Klingenberg in the 90th minute.

Milestone Watch:

• Carli Lloyd earned her 218th cap tonight, while Hope Solo recorded her 191st, extending her record for a U.S. goalkeeper.
• Solo leads the WNT in all-time shutouts (96) and wins (145).
• Becky Sauerbrunn became the 35th U.S. woman to make her 100th appearance for the WNT in last month’s CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship Final. She will be honored for her achievement in a pregame ceremony before the SheBelieves Cup game on March 6 against France in Nashville. She will also wear the captain’s armband in that game.

– U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. England Women’s National Team
Date: March 3, 2016
Competition: SheBelieves Cup
Venue: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Attendance: 13,027
Weather: 65 degrees; Cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1   2   F
USA                        0   1   1
ENG                        0   0   0

USA – Crystal Dunn (Meghan Klingenberg) 72nd minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 5-Kelley O’Hara (11-Ali Krieger, 80), 15-Emily Sonnett, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 7-Meghan Klingenberg (6-Whitney Engen, 90), 14-Morgan Brian, 22-Lindsey Horan (12-Christen Press, 63), 17-Tobin Heath, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.), 2-Mallory Pugh (16-Crystal Dunn, 67), 13-Alex Morgan (8-Julie Johnston, 80)
Subs not used: 3-Samantha Mewis, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 18-Ashlyn Harris, 19-Jaelene Hinkle, 20-Lauren Barnes, 21-Alysssa Naeher
Head coach: Jill Ellis

ENG: 1-Karen Bardsley, 2-Lucy Bronze, 5-Steph Houghton (capt.), 6-Gilly Flaherty, 3-Alex Greenwood (18-Izzy Christiansen, 64), 4-Fara Williams (10-Karen Carney, 72), 8-Jill Scott, 7-Jordan Nobbs, 11-Demi Stokes, 19-Toni Duggan (20-Eniola Aluko, 88), 9-Jodie Taylor (22-Fran Kirby, 78)
Subs not used: 12-Alex Scott, 13-Siobhan Chamberlain, 14-Claire Rafferty, 15-Casey Stoney, 16-Laura Bassett, 17-Katie Chapman, 21-Carly Telford, 23-Gemma Davison
Head coach: Mark Sampson

Stats Summary: USA / ENG
Shots: 7 / 6
Shots on Goal: 3 / 2
Saves: 1 / 1
Corner Kicks: 0 / 5
Fouls: 14 / 16
Offside: 2 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
ENG – Alex Greenwood (caution)          31st minute

Officials:
Referee: Tatiana Alguera (NIC)
Assistant Referee 1: Marie-Han Gagnon (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Emperatriz Ayala (SLV)
4th Official: Miriam Leon (SLV)

Woman of the Match: Becky Sauerbrunn

2016 SheBelieves Cup Standings