USWNT routs Belgium 6-0, led by first half brace from Carli Lloyd

LOS ANGELES (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Women’s National Team came out firing on all cylinders, blanking Belgium 6-0 in front of 20,941 fans at Banc of California Stadium to continue its preparation for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France this summer. It was the USA’s first-ever meeting with Belgium.

The first four U.S. goals all came via headers, three from set plays. The USA opened the scoring in the 14^th minute via a header from Carli Lloyd, followed shortly after by a second headed goal from Lloyd in the 19th minute. It was Lloyd’s first multi-goal game since she scored a hat trick vs. Panama during World Cup qualifying last October.

Midfielders Lindsey Horan and Samantha Mewis added goals in the first half as the USA dominated the match form start to finish, ultimately out-shooting Belgium 17-4 while not allowing a shot on goal.

U.S. WNT head coach Jill Ellis made three subs to start the second half with forward Alex Morgan, defender Abby Dahlkemper and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris all coming on. Fresh off her 100th career goal, Morgan found the net yet again to make it 5-0 in the 50th minute as she roofed her shot from a tight angle off a world class assist from Lloyd. Jessica McDonald added the final strike on one last header in stoppage time to cement the 6-0 win.

At halftime of today’s match, U.S. Soccer honored the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship team with a tribute video and individual player recognition to celebrate their historic title 20 summers ago that forever changed the landscape for not only women’s soccer in the United States but women’s sports globally.

Up Next: The WNT players return to their NWSL clubs before gathering in early May to embark on the three-game Send-Off Series, Presented by Volpi Foods. The USA will face South Africa on May 12 in Santa Clara, California at Levi’s Stadium (1:30 p.m. PT; FOX), continue on to St. Louis for a test against New Zealand at Busch Stadium on May 16 (7 p.m. CT; ESPN2) and finish up the Send-Off Series vs. Mexico at Red Bull Arena on May 26 in Harrison, N.J. (Noon ET; ESPN, UDN).

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Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Carli Lloyd (Tierna Davidson), 14^th minute: The USA opened the scoring on a world class header from Lloyd via a free kick that Davidson sent into the penalty area from about 50 yards out. Lloyd judged the incoming ball perfectly and out-jumped Heleen Jaques to nod the ball on a bounce into the right corner from eight yards out for her 106th career goal. USA 1, BEL 0. WATCH.

USA – Carli Lloyd (Crystal Dunn), 19th minute: Lloyd doubled the U.S. lead just five minutes later – once again off a header. This time the goal came from the run of play as Crystal Dunn, playing as a midfielder tonight, did well to work her way free of a defender on the left flank and hit a cross into the six-yard box. This time Lloyd out-jumped Laura De Neve to spin her header into the right side of the net for her 107th career goal, tying Michelle Akers for fourth on the USA’s all-time goals list. USA 2, BEL 0. WATCH.

USA – Lindsey Horan (Christen Press), 26th minute: The USA’s third goal came off a corner kick from the right side as Christen Press sent an in-swinger into the penalty area. Horan stepped in front of Lloyd and out-jumped Chloe Vande Velde to loop her header into the right side of the net from nine yards out. USA 3, BEL 0. WATCH.

USA – Samantha Mewis (Christen Press), 33rd minute: The USA’s fourth goal – the fourth consecutive score off a header – came from a set play. Press chipped the ball into the penalty area from 40 yards out and it was met in right side of the box by the six-foot Mewis, who sent a looping header across the goal and into the lower left corner from eight yards out for her first score of the year. USA 4, BEL 0. WATCH.

USA – Alex Morgan (Carli Lloyd), 52nd minute: Morgan came on at halftime and seven minutes later scored her 101st career goal in front of her hometown crowd. She did well to bring down a chipped pass on the left side and then deftly played Lloyd through down the wing. Morgan continued her run and Lloyd cleverly back-heeled a pass between two defenders. It went directly into the path of Morgan who raced in on goal and smashed her left-footed shot from the edge of the six-yard box into the roof of the net from a tight angle. USA 5, BEL 0. WATCH.

USA – Jessica McDonald (Christen Press), 90+1: The U.S. won a free kick 30 yards from the left side of Belgium’s goal. Press measured a perfect cross to the top of the six-yard box that set McDonald up for a flicked header over the onrushing goalkeeper and into the center of the vacated net. USA 6, BEL 0. WATCH. FINAL.

Additional Notes:

• Carli Lloyd scored her 10th career brace in her 271st cap. The last time she scored a brace was on Sept. 4, 2018 vs. Chile. Her last multi-goal game was a hat-trick vs. Panama on Oct. 17 during WCQ. She now moves ahead of Kristine Lilly and Cindy Parlow into fourth-all time in multi-goal games with 18. With her two goals, she tied Michelle Akers for fourth all-time on the U.S. goals list (107). Her two goals were her first of 2019. Tonight, also marked her first start for the WNT since she was in the XI against Scotland on Nov. 13, 2018.
• Lloyd earned her 52nd career assist tonight and is in 9th place all-time, one behind eighth-place Shannon MacMillan. She has two assists in 2019.
• Lindsey Horan’s goal was her first of 2019 and upped her total to eight career goals in 66 caps.
• Samantha Mewis played in her 47th game for the U.S. WNT tonight and scored her ninth international goal. It was her second start of 2019 after last starting vs. Brazil on March 5.
• Diamond Bar, Calif. native Alex Morgan scored career goal No. 101 and her third of 2019. She is now in sole possession of sixth place on the all-time scoring list, behind Abby Wambach (184), Mia Hamm (158), Kristine Lilly (130), Michelle Akers (107) and Carli Lloyd (107). Morgan has scored 28 goals over her last 33 WNT matches, a span that runs from the end of 2017.
• Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. native Christen Press earned cap No. 113 tonight in front of her hometown crowd and earned three assists to up her career total to 27. She has four assists so far in 2019.
• Tierna Davidson earned her first assist of 2019 and third of her career. It marked the 19th career appearance for Davidson with the U.S. WNT.
• Crystal Dunn started in the midfield today for the second time this year and earned an assist. It was her second assist of 2019.
• WNT head coach Jill Ellis used all six subs in the game: at halftime goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, defender Abby Dahlkemper and forward Alex Morgan came on for Alyssa Naeher, Julie Ertz and Crystal Dunn, respectively. Allie Long entered for Lindsey Horan in the 60^thminute, Jessica McDonald for Mallory Pugh in the 61 ^st, and San Clemente, Calif., native McCall Zerboni replaced Samantha Mewis in the 73^rd.
• The meeting with Belgium was the first for the U.S. and marked the 54th opponent for the USA in its history. This was the second time this year the U.S. has played an opponent they had not previously played, along with Spain in January.

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

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Belgium
Date: April 7, 2019
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Banc of California Stadium; Los Angeles, Calif.
Kickoff: 6 p.m. PT
Attendance: 20,941
Weather: 70 degrees; Partly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1   2   F
USA                          4   2   6
BEL                           0   0   0

USA – Carli Lloyd (Tierna Davidson)              14^th minute
USA – Carli Lloyd (Crystal Dunn)                   19
USA – Lindsey Horan (Christen Press)           26
USA – Samantha Mewis (Christen Press)       33
USA – Alex Morgan (Carli Lloyd)                     52
USA – Jessica McDonald (Christen Press)     90+1

Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher (24-Ashlyn Harris, 46); 11-Ali Krieger, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 8-Julie Ertz (7-Abby Dahlkemper, 46), 12-Tierna Davidson; 9-Lindsey Horan (20-Allie Long, 60), 19-Crystal Dunn (13-Alex Morgan, 46), 3-Samantha Mewis (25-McCall Zerboni, 73); 22-Mallory Pugh (26-Jessica McDonald, 61), 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.), 23-Christen Press
Substitutes not used: 2-Emily Sonnett, 17-Tobin Heath
Head coach: Jill Ellis

BEL: 21-Nicky Evrard; 2-Davina Philtjens (5-Shari Van Belle, 59), 4-Heleen Jaques (17-Maud Coutereels, 59), 6-Tine De Caigny (3-Ella Van Kerkhoven, 80), 9-Tessa Wullaert (capt.), 11-Janice Cayman, 18-Laura De Neve, 19-Chloé Vande Velde (13-Elena Dhont, 46), 20-Julie Biesmans, 22-Laura Deloose (16-Sarah Wijnants, 85), 23-Kassandra Missipo (8-Lenie Onzia, 86)
Substitutes not used: 1-Justien Odeurs, 12-Lisa Lichtfus, 14-Davinia Vanmechelen
Head coach: Ives Serneels

Stats Summary: USA / BEL
Shots: 17 / 4
Shots on Goal: 8 / 0
Saves: 0 / 2
Corner Kicks: 4 / 2
Fouls: 6 / 10
Offside: 1 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Carli Lloyd (caution)             64^th minute
BEL – Maud Coutereels (caution)   90

Officials:
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Felisha Mariscal (USA)
4th Official: Karen Abt (USA)

Woman of the Match: Carli Lloyd