USWNT routs Panama 8-0, advances to Concacaf Olympic Qualifying semifinals

HOUSTON – The U.S. Women’s National Team advanced to the semifinal round of the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament with a 8-0 victory against Panama in front of a crowd of 14,121 fans at BBVA Stadium – the second-largest attendance in history for a women’s Concacaf Olympic Qualifying match played in the USA.

After the second round of games in Group A, the USA and Costa Rica both have six points and will advance to the semifinal round of the tournament to be held on Feb. 7 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. Costa Rica defeated Haiti, 2-0, in the first game of the day meaning Haiti and Panama, both with zero points, have been eliminated from advancement.

2020 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Standings

The USA and Costa Rica will play for the Group A title on Monday, Feb. 3 with the winner earning a semifinal match-up against the Group B runner-up. The USA, which is ahead of Costa Rica on goal difference (+12 to +7) needs just a tie to win the group.

Lindsey Horan notched her first career hat trick while Lynn Williams, Rose Lavelle, Christen Press, Jessica McDonald and Tobin Heath also scored for the USA in a match that saw the Americans seize another early lead. In just the 3^rd minute, Horan bagged the opener before a three-goal barrage in six minutes put the WNT into a comfortable 4-0 lead by the 21 ^st minute. Goals from Williams in the 15^th minute and Lavelle in the 21st book-ended Horan’s second strike in the 18^th to highlight a stellar first half for the USA.

Eighteen-year-old Panama goalkeeper Yenith Baily had to leave the game in the 33rd minute due to an apparent head injury suffered a few minutes earlier in a collision with McDonald on a U.S. service into the box. She was replaced by Sasha Fabrega, who made 10 saves.

The second half saw more of the same for the U.S. which found its attacking rhythm after struggling a bit against Haiti in the first game, even if the finishing touch wasn’t quite there. With a bit more sharpness in the penalty area, the Americans could have scored quite a few more, but to Panama’s credit, it battled to the end.

The goals started to come again after U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski made a trio of substitutions, including bringing on Press and Heath who both scored within minutes entering the game. Press scored in the 70 ^th minute when she made it 5-0 and McDonald added another two minutes later.

Heath made it 7-0 in the 78^th minute before Horan capped off the scoring and her hat trick in the 81^st minute as the USA punched its ticket to the all-important tournament semifinals.

Next on the Schedule: The USA and Costa Rica will meet on Monday, Feb. 3 (8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 CT; FS1, TUDN). Fans will also be able to watch the game on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
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Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Lindsey Horan, 3rd minute: The USA opened the scoring in just the third minute as Lynn Williams burst free down the right flank and sent a cross on the ground into the middle. Panama goalkeeper Yenith Baily got a piece of the ball on the slide, but it rolled right to Horan who smashed it off a defender and into the goal from eight yards out. USA 1, PAN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Lynn Williams (Lindsey Horan), 15th minute: Williams scored her second goal of the tournament after Horan slipped her through up the middle with a perfectly-weighted pass. She raced in on goal, rounded the ‘keeper to the left and held off a defender before rolling the ball into an open net from the left corner of the goal box. USA 2, PAN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Lindsey Horan, 18th minute: The USA made it 3-0 with another attack down the right flank, but this time it was Jessica McDonald who raced by her defender to the end line and crossed on the ground back into the middle. Emily Sonnett, who was making a hard run from her right back position, dummied the cross, causing the ball to bounce off a retreating defender and right into the path of Horan, who had an easy tap-in for what was at the time her first career brace for the USWNT. USA 3, PAN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Rose Lavelle (Lynn Williams), 21st minute: Horan once again slipped a pass behind the defense to Williams, this time in the left side of the penalty area. Her touch past the advancing Baily took her too wide to shoot, but she turned to face Bailey, put her on the ground with a fake, and then found the wide-open Lavelle in the middle of the field. Lavelle first-timed her left-footed shot into the open net and just inside the right post from 12 yards out. USA 4, PAN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Christen Press (Lynn Williams), 70th minute: Williams used her speed to get free down the left side and serve a ball into the heart of the box where Press expertly held her run. She met Williams’ cross near the penalty mark and steered her header back the direction it came, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and looping her shot inside the left post. USA 5, PAN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Jessica McDonald, 72nd minute: The U.S. again worked the ball out to the left wing for Press and she sent a long cross into the center of the box that Heath tried to head toward goal. The ball hit a defender and fell perfectly for McDonald to smash into the upper left corner. USA 6, PAN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Tobin Heath (Lindsey Horan), 78th minute: The USA broke up field at pace and Horan picked out Heath’s run behind the Panama backline. In alone on goal, Heath was patient as substitute Panama goalkeeper Sasha Fabrega stood her ground, but the U.S. forward then sent a no-look shot sliding past her and into inside the near post. USA 7, PAN 0 [WATCH]

USA – Lindsey Horan (Jessica McDonald), 81st minute: The U.S. once again attacked through the center of the Panama defense via Horan, who spotted McDonald’s run toward the left side of the penalty area. She threaded a ball to McDonald and continued her run into the box where she met McDonald’s return cross and bounced a first-time through a host of players into the net goal. USA 8, PAN 0 [WATCH] FINAL

Additional Notes:

• Lindsey Horan’s first career hat trick upped her career goals scored mark for the WNT to 13. She has scored in back-to-back games.
• Lynn Williams scored her eighth career goal, giving her four goals in the last three games. She scored in the USA’s Olympic Qualifying opener vs. Haiti on Tuesday and finished 2019 scoring twice in the final match of last year against Costa Rica in a 6-0 win on Nov. 10 in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Christen Press’ second half goal was the 53rd of her WNT career. She has scored in three straight games, beginning with the USA’s final match of 2019 vs. Costa Rica.
• With Tobin Heath’s goal, she joined Carli Lloyd as the only U.S. players to score in four different (and consecutive) Olympic Qualifying tournaments. Canada’s Christine Sinclair is the only player to score in more as she has tallied in all five Olympic Qualifying tournaments she has played in.
• This was the first Olympic qualifying match for Ashlyn Harris, Andi Sullivan and Jessica McDonald.

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

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Panama
Date: January 31, 2020
Competition: Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying
Venue: BBVA Stadium; Houston, Texas
Attendance: 14,121
Kickoff: 7:40 p.m. CT
Weather: 54 degrees; mostly cloudy

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA                          4 4 8
PAN                          0 0 0

USA – Lindsey Horan 3^rd minute
USA – Lynn Williams (Lindsey Horan) 15
USA – Lindsey Horan 18
USA – Rose Lavelle (Lynn Williams) 21
USA – Christen Press (Lynn Williams) 70
USA – Jessica McDonald 72
USA – Tobin Heath (Lindsey Horan) 78
USA – Lindsey Horan (Jessica McDonald) 81

Lineups:
USA: 18-Ashlyn Harris; 2-Emily Sonnett, 11-Ali Krieger, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 19-Crystal Dunn (7-Abby Dahlkemper, 62); 6-Andi Sullivan, 16-Rose Lavelle, 9-Lindsey Horan; 14-Jessica McDonald, 13-Lynn Williams, (17-Tobin Heath, 71), 15-Megan Rapinoe (capt.) (20-Christen Press, 61)
Substitutes not used: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 12-Adrianna Franch, 3-Samantha Mewis, 5-Kelley O’Hara, 8-Julie Ertz, 10-Carli Lloyd
Head coach: Vlatko Andonovski

PAN: 1-Yenith Bailey (capt.) (12-Sasha Fabregas, 33); 2-Rebecca Espinosa, 4-Hilary Jaen, 5-Yerenis De Leon, 6-Maria Murillo, 14-Maryorie Perez; 7-Maria Guevara (15-Ana Rodriguez, 63), 8-Katherine Castillo, 10-Aldrith Quintero, 17-Gabriela Leonards (16-Gloria Saenz, 46); 11-Marta Cox
Substitutes not used : 3-Yomira Pinzon, 9-Amarelis De Mera, 13-Susy Cassinova, 18-Keisilyn Gutierrez, 19-Arlen Hernandez, 20-Nadia Ducreux
Head coach: Kenneth Zseremeta

Stats Summary: USA / PAN
Shots: 39 / 1
Shots on Goal: 21 / 0
Saves: 0 / 12
Corner Kicks: 12 / 0
Fouls: 8 / 7
Offside: 12 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Myriam MARCOTTE (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Chantal BOUDREAU (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephanie-dale YEE SING (JAM)
4th Official: Odette HAMILTON (JAM)

Player of the Match: Lindsey Horan