USWNT plays France to 1-1 draw in second SheBelieves Cup match

HARRISON, New Jersey (Via U.S. Soccer) – In its second game of the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, the U.S. Women’s National Team drew France 1-1 in front of 25,706 fans on Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena.

The first half was an even affair with the USA taking five shots to France’s four. The opportunities to score weren’t extensive for either side but both teams managed to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes, with Mallory Pugh striking first, and Eugenie Le Sommer finding some space for a clean finish from the left side for France’s game-tying goal in the 38th minute.

In the second half, the U.S. got off to a slow start but found its attacking form with second half substitutes Savannah McCaskill and Lynn Williams bringing fresh legs into the game to create opportunities. France had a pair of great chances in the final 10 minutes but USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher came up huge and stopped back-to-back point-blank shots from Valérie Gauvin and Amandine Henry to maintain the tie.

+READ: Hiring process underway for USMNT, USWNT General Manager roles

The U.S. WNT played in the first game of the day today, with Germany vs. England still to come at 3pm ET on ESPN3 before the final standings following two matchdays can be confirmed.

Next, the U.S. WNT travels to Orlando, Fla. for the final leg of the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday, March 7 at Orlando City Stadium, home of MLS’s Orlando SC and the NWSL’s Orlando Pride. France will take against Germany (4 p.m. ET; ESPN3), while the USA is set to wrap up the tournament vs. England at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNews.

2018 SheBelieves Cup Standings

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Mallory Pugh, 35th minute: Megan Rapinoe’s free kick led to a bit of a scramble inside the box, with France trying to clear it, but the ball hit the post and bounced back out to Pugh, who took a left-footed shot. France’s Sarah Bouhaddi got a hand on the ball but couldn’t stop the shot from bouncing into the back of the net. USA 1, FRA 0. WATCH .

FRA – Eugenie LeSommer (Griedge Mbock Bathy), 38th minute: France responded quickly and built from the back with Mbock Bathy sending a long ball into the box for LeSommer. The talented striker fought past Abby Dahlkemper and dribbled around USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher in front of the net before sinking a clean finish from the left side into the far side netting, for the game-tying goal. USA 1, FRA 1. FINAL

Key Plays and Defensive Stops:
USA – Alyssa Naeher, 82nd minute: France’s Asseyi sent a beautiful through ball to Valérie Gauvin inside the six-yard box. The forward took on Naeher one-vs.-one but was denied by the American who cleared it out of bounds. The subsequent corner kick led to the ball landing at Amandine Henry’s feet on the left corner. Henry tried to shoot it from close range but once again Naeher was present to block the shot and maintain the draw. WATCH .

Additional Notes :

• Mallory Pugh scored her team-leading third goal of 2018 today in her 32nd cap for the WNT. She is currently fourth in goal scored before the age of 20 with nine career WNT tallies (behind Cindy Parlow (15), Mia Hamm (14) and Christie Welsh (11)).
• Savannah McCaskill earned her third WNT cap today, coming in at halftime to replace Lindsey Horan. Ellis also made five other subs, bringing Casey Short in for Taylor Smith in the 43rd minute and Lynn Williams for Megan Rapinoe in at halftime. Later in the half, she brought in Carli Lloyd in for Andi Sullivan in the 73rd and Crystal Dunn for Mallory Pugh also in the 73rd. Due to injury, Ellis was forced to make one more sub almost immediately, bringing in Christen Press for Short, in the 76th. After Short’s injury, Dunn moved to outside back, a position she previously played during the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and at the beginning of her WNT senior career.
• Ellis used almost the same starting lineup that took the field against Germany on March 1. The two changes are Morgan Brian for Carli Lloyd and Andi Sullivan for Julie Ertz in the midfield.
• Just two players in the USA’s starting lineup (Alyssa Naeher and Morgan Brian) started against France at last year’s SheBelieves Cup on March 7, 2017. Today marked Brian’s first start with the WNT since that start against France last year. They both played all 90 minutes.
• There were two teenagers in the USA’s starting XI today, just like in the WNT’s first two games of the year against Denmark on Jan. 21 and Germany on March 1, in 19-year-olds Pugh and Tierna Davidson, both of whom are age-eligible for the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Against Denmark in San Diego, the pair combined for two goals and two assists. Before that match in San Diego, the last time two teenagers were in the WNT starting lineup was June 30, 2001 vs. Canada in Toronto. Aleisha Cramer (18) and Cat Whitehill (19) both played the entire game.
• Alyssa Naeher earned her 26th cap tonight. She has 13 career shutouts, most recently against Germany on March 1, and is the seventh goalkeeper in U.S. history to earn 25 or more caps.
• Dahlkemper made her 16th career appearance today. The 2017 NWSL Defender of the Year made her debut for the U.S. on Oct. 19, 2016, against Switzerland in Utah, and earned her first start against Norway on June 11, 2017 where she played all 90 minutes to help the U.S. defense claim a shutout in Sandefjord. She is a former captain of the U-17 Women’s National Team.
• Kelley O’Hara, one of the most experienced players on the squad, played all 90 minutes and made her 107th appearance today.
• Davidson earned her third cap for the USA today, after becoming the 21st woman to make a WNT debut under Jill Ellis on Jan. 21 in San Diego. She earned her first career assist on that game. The 19-year-old Davidson helped lead Stanford to the NCAA Championship this past season. She is the third teenager since 2013 to earn a first cap for the U.S. WNT. Pugh (17 in 2016) and Horan (19 in 2013) are the most recent teenagers to debut for the WNT.

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

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. France
Date: March 4, 2018
Competition: SheBelieves Cup
Venue: Red Bull Arena; Harrison, N.J.
Kickoff: 12 p.m. ET
Attendance: 25,706
Weather: 44 degrees; cloudy

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

USA – Mallory Pugh 35th minute
FRA- Eugénie Le Sommer (Griedge Mbock Bathy) 38

Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 22-Taylor Smith (2-Casey Short, 44, 23-Christen Press, 76), 7-Abby Dahlkemper, 17-Tierna Davidson, 5-Kelley O’Hara; 3-Andi Sullivan (10-Carli Lloyd, 73), 6-Morgan Brian, 9-Lindsey Horan (21-Savannah McCaskill, 46); 11-Mallory Pugh (19-Crystal Dunn, 73), 13-Alex Morgan (capt.), 15-Megan Rapinoe (12-Lynn Williams, 46)
Substitutes: 8-Julie Ertz, 14-Sofia Huerta, 16-Emily Sonnett, 18-Jane Campbell, 20-Allie Long, 24-Ashlyn Harris
Head Coach: Jill Ellis

FRA: 16-Sara Bouhaddi; 17- Marion Torrent, 19-Griedge Mbock Bathy, 2-Aïssatou Tounkara, 7-Amel Majri; 18-Viviane Asseyi, 23-Grace Geyoro, 6-Amandine Henry, 9-Eugénie Le Sommer; 13-Valérie Gauvin (20- Kadidiatou Diani, 86), 12- Gaëtane Thiney
Substitutes: 1-Karima Benameur, 3-Eve Perisset, 4-Laura Georges, 5-Estelle Cascarino, 8-Maeva Clemaron, 11-Ouleymata Sarr, 15-Marie-Charlotte Leger, 22-Sakina Karchaoui 
Head Coach: Corinne Diacre

Stats Summary: USA / FRA
Shots: 11 / 13
Shots on Goal: 2 / 4
Saves: 3 / 1
Corner Kicks: 7 / 4
Fouls: 9 / 13
Offside: 4 / 4

Misconduct Summary:
FRA – Viviane Asseyi (caution) 30th minute
FRA – Marion Torrent 33
FRA – Eugénie Le Sommer 90

Officials: 
Referee: Lucila Venegas (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Karen Diaz (MEX)
4th Official: Tatiana Montes (PAN)

Woman of the Match: Alyssa Naeher