USWNT falls to No. 3 ranked Germany 2-1 in Florida friendly

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. Women’s National Team continued its run of highly competitive matches in preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as it lost to No. 3 ranked Germany, 2-1, in its penultimate match of 2022. Megan Rapinoe scored for the USA in front of 16,971 fans at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale in a match that saw two goals scored in the final five minutes of regulation.

The match opened with U.S. repelling an energetic Germany, which recently topped its UEFA qualifying group for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and finished runner-up at the 2022 UEFA Women’s EURO. Goalkeeper Casey Murphy was at her best throughout the night and thwarted the early chances and shots that Germany created.

Midway through the opening stanza, the USWNT found its footing and came close to opening the scoring on multiple occasions. A slick move by Rose Lavelle to beat her defender on the endline in the 35^th minute with a dazzling nutmeg to put her in on goal where her cross was pushed away by Germany goalkeeper Merle Frohms. The rebound was put back on goal by Lindsey Horan only for the ball to hit the underside of the bar, bounce down onto the goal line and into the grateful arms of Frohms.

Minutes later, after Mallory Pugh burst in on goal on a long run, beat a defender to the inside and then drew a great save out a charging Frohms, Horan flashed a header just wide of the left post off a fantastic cross from right back Sofia Huerta. Captaining the USA for the fourth time this year, Horan was denied a penalty kick just before halftime when she was chopped down by German forward Alexandra Popp in the box only to have referee Odette Hamilton inexplicably wave play on. The teams went to the break tied at 0-0, although with a bit more sharpness in the attacking third, the Americans could have taken a multiple goal lead into halftime.

A pair of unfortunate bounces at the beginning of the second half went against the U.S. The first saw Horan smack an acrobatic volley off the left post. Having escaped going behind yet again, Germany capitalized on the counterattack and Klara Bühl’s bending shot hit the USA’s right post and bounced off the back of the diving Murphy before rolling across the goal line for a 1-0 Germany lead in the 52nd minute.

The USA pressed forward throughout the half as head coach Vlatko Andonovski emptied his bench. The changes paid off in the 85^th minute when Alex Morgan blocked a Germany clearance attempt then collected the loose ball and crossed low into the middle of the penalty box. An unmarked Rapinoe, who had entered as a sub for Pugh, lashed the ball home to draw the score level at 1-1. It was Rapinoe’s first goal for the USA in over a year and the 63^rd goal of her international career. Playing in her 199^th cap with the USA, Morgan tallied her first assist of the year and the 47^th of her international career.

The USA comeback was stymied in the 89^th minute as a pressing U.S. team fell victim to Germany counterattack that was converted by Paulina Krumbiegel. The goal gave Germany the win and snapped the USWNT’s 71-game home unbeaten streak, the second-longest such streak in program history.

The USA and Germany will meet again in the WNT’s final match of 2022 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. on Sunday, Sept. 13 (5 p.m. ET; ESPN).

GOALSCORING RUNDOWN:

GER – Casey Murphy (Own Goal), 52nd minute – After a USA corner kick that Lindsey Horan met with a flying volley that came back off the left post, Germany was able to win the ball and counter at speed. The attack looked to have been thwarted when Casey Murphy made an excellent save on Paulina Krumbiegel shot from the right side of the penalty box only for the ball to land at the feet of Klara Bühl. The German attacker hit a curling shot that caromed off the right post and into Murphy’s back, and then over the goal line. USA 0, GER 1

USA – Megan Rapinoe (Alex Morgan), 85^th minute  – With the U.S. pressing high as Germany tried to play out of the back, Morgan won the ball deep in opposition territory. She whipped a across through the box to an unmarked Rapinoe who ran onto the pass and blasted a one-time shot from the right side into the left side of the net to tie the game. USA 1, GER 1

USA – Paulina Krumbiegel (Jule Brand), 89^th minute – Long ball by Germany got substitute Jule Brand into a foot race against U.S. defender Alana Cook. Brand won the ball, charged into the box and before Murphy could arrive slide a pass to a wide open Krumbiegel knocked it home at the back post form close range. USA 1, GER 2

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Megan Rapinoe scored her first goal of 2022 and the 63^rd of her career. It was Rapinoe’s first goal for the USA since scoring against Korea Republic on Oct. 26, 2021, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

• Alex Morgan recorded the 47^th assist of her career and her first of 2022. Playing in her 199^th cap for the USA, Morgan is one appearance away from becoming the 13^th player in USWNT history reach 200 career caps.
• The loss is the first on home soil for the USWNT in five years, snapping the USA’s home unbeaten streak at 71 games. The USWNT’s last home defeat came on July 27, 2017, a 1-0 defeat to Australia in the Tournament of Nations.

-U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Germany
Date: November 10, 2022
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: DRV PNK Stadium; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Attendance: 16,917
Kickoff: 7:05 p.m. ET
Weather: 79 degrees, mostly clear

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

GER – Own Goal (Casey Murphy)                                 52^nd minute
USA – Megan Rapinoe (Alex Morgan)                 85
GER – Paulina Krumbiegel (Jule Brand)               89

Lineups:

USA: 18-Casey Murphy; 8-Sofia Huerta, 3-Alana Cook, 12-Naomi Girma, 23-Emily Fox (19-Crystal Dunn, 63); 17-Andi Sullivan (14-Sam Coffey, 63); 16-Rose Lavelle (20-Taylor Kornieck, 63), 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.) (2-Ashley Sanchez, 81); 11-Sophia Smith (6-Trinity Rodman, 73), 13-Alex Morgan, 9-Mallory Pugh (15-Megan Rapinoe, 73)

Substitutes not used: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Hailie Mace, 7-Ashley Hatch, 21-Adrianna Franch, 22-Kristie Mewis

Head coach: Vlatko Andonovski

GER: 1-Merle Frohms; 4-Sophia Kleinherne (25-Nicole Anyomi, 71), 23-Sara Doorsoun, 24-Sjoeke Nüsken (5-Jana Feldkamp, 63), 17-Felicitas Rauch; 20-Lina Magull, 14-Lena Lattwein (6-Lena Oberdorf, 63), 11-Alexandra Popp (Capt.) (26-Chantal Hagel, 63); 8-Maximiliane Rall (27-Paulina Krumbiegel, 46), 10-Laura Freigang, 19-Klara Bühl (22-Jule Brand, 85)

Substitutes not used: 12-Almuth Schult; 30-Ann-Katrin Berger; 2-Carolin Simon; 3-Kathrin Hendrich; 9-Svenja Huth; 16-Linda Dallmann

Head Coach: Martina Voss-Tecklenburg

Stats Summary: USA / GER
Shots: 18 / 17
Shots on Goal: 3 / 4
Saves: 3 / 2
Corner Kicks: 8 / 3
Fouls: 7 / 13
Offside: 4 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials: 
Referee: Odette Hamilton (JAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Shirley Perello (HON)
Assistant Referee 2: Lourdes Noriega (HON)
4th Official: Katja Koroleva (USA)