Photo: Rob Simmons
The USWNT kicked off their first match of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in Reims, France today with a big win against Thailand. In the USA’s first match of the tournament, seven different players scored. Alex Morgan recorded five goals this match, tying the record for most goals in a World Cup match. 10 of the 13 goals were scored in the second half, the most ever scored in one half of a World Cup match. If you’re still questioning the USWNT’s readiness for this tournament, think again.
As one of the tournament favorites, the US started the match strong, attacking Thailand from the start. Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath were creating strong chances up the sidelines, making some beautiful crosses that were snatched up by goalkeeper, S. Chor Charoenying.
In the 12th minute, Alex Morgan opened up the match with an easy header to the back of the net after a cross from Kelly O’Hara. This was Morgan’s fourth World Cup goal. Rose Lavelle scored the red, white and blue’s second goal in the 20th minute. After a quick turn just outside the box, Lavelle hit a left footed rocket the keeper just barely got fingertips on, but couldn’t block or redirect.
VAR had to be consulted in the 24th minute after Sam Mewis went down in the box, but no penalty was given. It looked like she might have been grabbed and dragged to ground by a Thai defender, but the video review didn’t show enough evidence to call a penalty. This is the first time VAR is being used in the women’s World Cup and can have a significant impact.
Thailand’s first and only real chance came in the 28th minute. A breakaway down the left side allowed for a Thai attacker to get behind Kelley O’Hara, but Dahlkemper was still able to get to the ball first to clear it before Thailand could regain control. Seeming content to sit back and counter, Thailand had very few opportunities to score or even move the ball into the USA’s half of the field.
Horan scored the third goal during a scramble in the box after a USA free kick in the 31st minute. Thailand was unable to clear the ball after Heath’s free kick, and the ball fell to Horan who quickly had the ball up and over Chor Charoenying, hitting the roof of the net and putting the US up by three goals early.
Right at the end of the first half, during the two additional minutes of extra time, the US dominated, having about four real opportunities to score. Chances from Julie Ertz, Lavelle, Heath and Rapinoe were abundant and had the stadium rocking. Another VAR review occurred for a non-call when Horan went down in the box, and again no penalty was given. The first half ended with the US up 3-0 over Thailand.
The second half started off in the USA’s favor again, with a lot of quick attacks and an early goal. In the 49th minute, Rapinoe bested her defender to get a pass over to Mewis who took a shot that deflected off a Thai defender and snuck in just inside the near post. Mewis’ goal was the 800th goal of the women’s World Cup.
A quick round of three goals for the US came shortly after after Mewis’ goal. Morgan scored her second of the night off of another set piece in the 53rd minute, where she was able to get the outside of her left foot to redirect the ball past Chor Charoenying. Mewis scored her second of the night off the rebound from Lavelle’s shot in the 54th minute. Then Lavelle recorded her second goal in the 56th minute with a strong strike to the bottom right corner after a beautiful cross across the box. The US was up 7-0 before the first hour of the match.
But the USA kept pressing, and scoring. It wasn’t just the US exploiting a weaker team, it was tactical attacks, respect for Thailand as a team and the desire to hoist the Word Cup again, which is why Carli Lloyd and Christen Press made their first appearances of the tournament in the 57th minute.
Twenty minutes later, another round of goals came for the USA, including Morgan’s last three goals. Alex Morgan notched her hat trick in the 74th minute, beating her defender on the edge of the box with a beautiful pullback move and strike to the far post. Five minutes later, Rapinoe scored her first, on a sliding shot at the end of a breakaway run. For her fourth goal of the night and the USA’s tenth goal of the match, Morgan scored with an easy shot set up by Rapinoe in the 81st. About fifteen minutes after Mallory Pugh came on for Ertz, Pugh scored her first, making a run to beat the keeper and burying the ball in the back of the net. Morgan scored her fifth and final goal of the night in the 87th minute. Then the last goal of the match came from none other than Carli Lloyd in the second minute of extra time.
Hitting some big records this match, the ladies in red scored six more goals in the last half hour of the match. Ten goals were scored in the second half, the most in one half ever recorded in a women’s World Cup match. The USA are ready for the this tournament. Catch their next match on Sunday, June 16 at 6pm against Chile.
Three points
Alex Morgan is good. She had a busy night and had much more touches than expected. Morgan had an easy time going straight down Thailand’s throats as the central forward, an easier time than most thought she would have and expectations were already high. And, if you weren’t paying attention, Morgan recorded five goals in this match, tying Michelle Akers’s record.
Thailand parked the bus from the start. Thailand knew how this match was going to go when facing the defending World Cup champs. So they parked the bus from the start, hoping their defense would be strong enough to stop the USA’s attacks. The US exploited Thailand’s defensive weaknesses throughout the entire game, with several goals coming from poor defending.
US home crowd. There was a lot of red, white and blue in Stade Auguste-Delaune. Not a surprise considering the USA are often fan favorites and the expected winners. Having the majority of support in France is important to the USWNT and was a big part of this win today.
Lineups
USA
Alyssa Naeher; Kelley O’Hara, Abby Dahlkemper, Julie Ertz (Mallory Pugh 69′), Crystal Dunn; Rose Lavelle (Christen Press 57′), Samantha Mewis, Lindsey Horan; Tobin Heath (Carli Lloyd 57′), Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe. Unused substitutes: Becky Sauerbrunn, Morgan Brian, Ali Kreiger, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Ashlyn Harris, Allie Long, Adrianna Franch, Jessica McDonald
Thailand
S. Chor Charoenying; W. Phetwiset (O. Srimanee 71′), K. Saenkhun, N. Chinwong, S. Srangthaisong; K. Sung-Ngoen, W. Boothduang (P. Khueanpet 35′), A. Phancha, S. Intamee, R. Thongsombut (T. Dangda 65′); Nild. Unused substitutes: W. Boonsing, D. Sritara, S. Chuchuen, S. Pengngam, O. Waenngoen, K. Saengchan, P. Sornsai, T. Sornpao, P. Philawan
Goals
USA: Alex Morgan – 12′
USA: Rose Lavelle – 20′
USA: Lindsey Horan – 32′
USA: Samantha Mewis – 50′
USA: Alex Morgan – 53′
USA: Samantha Mewis – 54′
USA: Rose Lavelle – 56′
USA: Alex Morgan – 74′
USA: Megan Rapinoe – 79′
USA: Alex Morgan – 81′
USA: Mallory Pugh – 85′
USA: Alex Morgan – 87′
USA: Carli Lloyd – 90’+2′
Cards
Thailand: T. Dangda – yellow – 72′
“Thailand parked the bus from the start.” And, the USA stripped the bus, put it up on blocks and left nothing but the chassis. I am not sure what lessons, if any, either team took from that beatdown, except that overkill is unlikely to lead to any useful lessons. Good to see a win, tough to watch the machine gunning of the prisoners.
If Alex Morgan wrote the final season of Game of Thrones, Dany would have flame broiled the Tarleys, burned Kings Landing to the ground, had the dragon eat Jon Snow before hopping on its back to go sack the North, the Iron Islands, Dorn or anyone else who stood in her way. I’m all for it. Would have been fun.
Their celebrations were earned. Mercy rules are for children. Well done, Yanks.
If the USMNT had a just a touch of the ruthlessness that the women showed, maybe they would not suck as much…
What ????? The competition is completely different !!!! It’s reversed. The USWNT are ahead in the game when it comes to skill and knowledge compared to the women players from other countries. In the Men’s game, the USMNT is behind in skill and knowledge compared to the European teams.
The only meaningful question to ask the coach of the superior side afterwards is whether everyone came out of the match healthy. Nothing else of validity can be learned from so one-sided an event.
That is my point exactly. The celebrations are secondary; I just don’t think that either coach can learn much about their players, the players can’t learn much about the game, and the opponent is so shell-shocked that they learn little about anything.Having been on both sides of these, and reffed games like it, they are difficult all around.
While there may not have been much to learn from the game, it was still a chance for the team to get their feet wet, especially the players who were in their first World Cup.
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One thing that would have been better for the US would have been if the crowd had not been so pro US, especially given that it likely won’t be that way on June 28 against France (assuming everything holds to form).
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I have no problem with running up the score, but they could have toned down the celebrations a bit and acted like they had been there before. But I’m not a fan of in game celebrations in general (be it goals, touchdowns, home runs or anything else…save the celebration for when you actually win).
1. In countries like Thailand, the women’s team struggles both for revenue and respect. Making it to world cup they probably felt like they earned their compatriot’s respect that would in turn open wallets. Not now.
2. Replicate that sentiment across dozens of poor countries with struggling women’s teams and developing programs for women begins to shrink, not grow. Who wants to support a team making it to world cup only to have team and country humiliated like that. Hurts future competition and attendance. Few want to pay to see blowout.
3. For uswnt to complain about equality then humiliate a team not just by the running up the score but by the celebrating like this makes the accusations that t hey face no real opposition and gives fuel to their opponents. They came across like the stereotype of spoiled Lilly-white rich girls that many people view women’s soccer in US. Very harmful to image of women’s soccer in this country.
4. Many of our international friends and allies attempt to maintain a separation between Americans and ideals of America that they love and divisive actions and aggressive personality (arrogant, even) of our President. The actions of USWNT representing yesterday us make that separation a bit more difficult.
5. To those with no issue with running up score, humiliating another human being without remorse, bullying, I invite you to look up definition of class.
UnionGoal
They should run up the score Incase some games come down to goal differential. However, celebrating some goals as if the other team is on an equal playing field is just immature and disrespectful. Oh and this has nothing to do with politics……