Australian women down Japan 4-2 at Tournament of Nations
SAN DIEGO (AP) Sam Kerr scored three goals for her first international hat trick and the Australian women's national team beat Japan 4-2 on Sunday in the Tournament of Nations.
Kerr scored in the 10th, 14th and 43rd minutes, capping the trio of goals with a backflip. She plays professionally for Sky Blue of the National Women's Soccer League.
The Matildas were coming off a 1-0 victory over the United States on Thursday night in their tournament opener in Seattle. Tameka Butt scored the lone goal of the match in the 67th minute.
Australia, ranked No. 7 in the world, leads the tournament standings. The Matildas will wrap up the round-robin tournament against Brazil on Thursday in Carson, California.
Sixth-ranked Japan played to a 1-1 draw in its opening match against Brazil.
The United States was set to play Brazil in the late match at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday.
