The U.S. defeated New Zealand by a score of five goals. The song is called "2:24." How do you evaluate a win when your opponent has a historically bad performance and a player scores three own goals? That is the question for the United States women's national team and coach, who beat New Zealand in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday with the help of three own goals. Moore's goals were the USWNT's first three before the New Zealand center-back was replaced in the 40th minute, setting up an easy win before the Americans had even earned it. The USWNT were a step off in the first half, but found their footing in the second and scored two goals. - Murray: Rodman, Smith headline USWNT players to watch at SheBelieves
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Moore's 50th cap came to an end in the fifth minute when forward Sophia Smith's ball went off her shin into the net from a wide angle. One minute later, full-back Sofia Huerta came from the opposite right side for a similar cross intended for Catarina Macario, but it knocked off the face of Moore and in.
Moore made an obvious error in the 36th minute when she kicked the ball into goal instead of toward the sideline as she intended, as Midge Purce whipped a short, skipping ball into the box.
It is rare for three own goals to be scored in a single match. There were no other examples that weren't part of a deliberate protest in any recent major competition. Stan Van Den Buys was credited with three own goals in a Belgian league match in 1995, but video footage shows one of them was not actually an own goal.
It is unfortunate that it happened to the same player, but she is incredible and I actually thought her positioning was.
The USWNT took a three goal lead over New Zealand into halftime.
The SheBelieves Cup has been used to evaluate new players that could be the USWNT's stars of tomorrow, and Andonovski insists that his side deserves credit for the moments that led to the own goals. Even though they were their own goals, he said, the way we built up to come to those opportunities was very good.
In the first half, the USWNT struggled to get clear-cut chances. By the time the USWNT found itself ahead 2-0, they had not even registered a shot on target and they had only generated 0.11 in expected goals, which is an advanced stat that measures the likelihood of a goal. The USWNT only had seven shots in the second half, one of them on target.
The score made it look like the USWNT were dominating in front of the goal. New Zealand was very unlucky in a few moments and sloppy in another. Even if there wasn't precision in the first half for the USWNT, they still put New Zealand under a lot of pressure, which helped the result.
We all know that this is a process, Andonovski said.
In the second half, the USWNT seemed to find their rhythm, and in doing so, it was clear that the Golden Boot winner last year in the National Women's Soccer League was familiar to those who watched her. Hatch rose up and headed it inside the near post in the 51st minute after Huerta picked her head up from the center of the field.
Hatch said that they have been working on swinging the ball around their outside backs and wingers and making sure they are available in the box.
In her first start for the USWNT, and with the help of her teammate, Huerta stood out for her chance creation and both earned an assist. At one point, he danced past a defender hugging the slideline and recorded.20 expected assists, or xA. The most of any player was Huerta, who had the second-most touches of any player on the field and was all over.
The USWNT player who has been on the outs since the World Cup scored in the 93rd minute, racing behind on a break and beating the goalkeeper for a sweet finish. It was his 19th goal.
The second half was what Andonovski was hoping to see after a lackluster draw with the Czech Republic. The U.S. was sloppy in the final third and struggled with chance creation. Against New Zealand, the Americans were better off of the ball and they were also better off of it.
The USWNT looked more aggressive against the Czech Republic. The Americans wanted to play more direct and test New Zealand more, so they played the ball into the box more, which resulted in the own goals.
Purce said that they tried to put the ball into spaces where it would go into the goal.
The Americans finished the match with 19 shots and 2.64 xG compared to New Zealand's six shots and 0.41 xG, and their win reflected the dominance they enjoyed overall.
The starting lineup on Sunday was slightly older than the group on Thursday, but it was less experienced and averaged just 36 caps per player. The number was inflated by the fact that Andonovski made six changes to his starting lineup for the Czech Republic on Sunday, and that defender Becky Sauerbrunn made her 200th cap.
We want to win every game, we want to win every tournament, but right now the development of this group of players is the priority.
The USWNT snapped a 181-minute goalless streak, which was the longest in the history of the team, by scoring from an own goal.
The USWNT had failed to score in their last 13 matches going back to the start of the Olympics. The Americans have been held without a point in four of their 120 matches since the World Cup.
Trinity came off with a knee injury in the 81st minute of the game, but Andonovski said it was not serious. Rose Lavelle was held back from the game due to a minor injury.
The USWNT got a helping hand from the New Zealand own goals on Sunday. As the USWNT still looks to be recovering from a Tokyo Olympics where they struggled, and this summer's World Cup/Olympic qualification inches closer, a five-goal win and the major confidence boost it provides is nothing to ignore.
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