On April 4th, the USWNT held their first home match of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. The international friendly, first in a send-off series to the World Cup, was played in front of a record crowd with an attendance of 35,817. The U.S. proved themselves to their fans as they netted in four goals to beat opponents New Zealand. The U.S. scored one goal in the first half, followed by three within a five minute span in the second half. Three of the goals were scored by defenders who provided great support to the team’s attack strategy throughout the game.
Dream-like Success
The U.S. developed numerous scoring opportunities throughout the game and continuously tested New Zealand’s goalie, Erin Nayler, who succeeded in blocking three shots on target. Midfielder Meghan Klingenberg scored the first goal of the game, and her second career goal with a long-range blast into the upper left corner in the fourteenth minute. Playing in her hometown, Defender Lori Chalupny was thrilled to score the second goal of the game:
“Just to be here playing in Busch Stadium and in St. Louis in front of friends and family is enough. Then, to score a goal is pretty amazing. I feel like I’m living in a dream a little bit. Absolute joy.”
A header by Julie Johnston sent the score to 3-0 minutes after Klingenberg’s goal, and Morgan Brian ended the scoring margin at 4-0 in the 81st minute.
Up Next for the USWNT
Catch the women in the second game of their send-off series, as they take on Ireland in San Jose, California on May 10, 2:30 P.M. ET. The game will broadcast on FOX Sports 1.
Image and video courtesy of US Soccer.