USWNT scores two late goals to beat Iceland 3-1 in international friendly
AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. women's national team may have looked a little rusty, but the squad won its first match since its remarkable gold medal run at the Paris Olympics, beating Iceland 3-1 on Thursday night at Q2 Stadium.
Alyssa Thompson, who was not part of the Olympics team this summer, opened the scoring with a banger in the 39th minute. This was the 19-year-old's 10th cap, but her first-ever international goal, and it was a thing of beauty. Then Jaedyn Shaw, also 19, scored the winning goal when she nutmegged Iceland's goalkeeper to give the U.S. a 2-1 edge late in the second half. Sophia Smith, part of the now famous Triple Espresso front line trio, added a third goal for good measure.
Before the scoring frenzy in the final minutes of the match, however, the U.S. struggled to be clinical in front of goal. There were many wasted opportunities in the box, and the group probably wasn't as cohesive as manager Emma Hayes would have liked. But there are two more opportunities in this window, as the USWNT plays Iceland again on Sunday and then faces Argentina on Wednesday.
"We looked like a team with a lot of players on the back end of a season," Hayes said.
As promised, there were multiple debuts. Hayes was able to sub on Gotham FC forward Yazmeen Ryan in the 66th minute, as well as midfielder Hal Hershfelt, who came on in the 72nd. Hershfelt had been in previous camps and was an alternate at the Olympics, while this was Ryan's first call up and first cap.
Here are takeaways from the match:
Play of the game:
The U.S. wasn't efficient enough in the box for much of the first half. That was, until the 39th minute when Thompson unleashed a rocket shot into the upper netting to put her team up 1-0 before halftime. The teenager received the ball just outside the box, took her defender straight on, cut inside, and hit an unsavable shot. It was her first international goal.
It's been awhile since Thompson has been with the national team. She made it onto the 2023 World Cup roster, but hasn't been with the squad for the past 10 months due to form. She's earned her way back, though, and entered this training camp having scored five goals in her last eight NWSL matches for Angel City. Immediately after scoring, she jumped into Smith's arms on the sideline and the rest of the team swarmed her in celebration.
"I was like, this is surreal," an out-of-breath Thompson told the broadcast at halftime. "Being able to get my first goal, I can't describe how I feel. I'm just so happy."
Turning point:
Iceland equalized in the 56th minute when Selma Magnúsdóttir's shot from distance sailed past Alyssa Naeher. But that score line would not last.
In the 84th minute, Shaw received a pinpoint pass from Casey Krueger, took on her defender and poked the game-winning goal through Iceland's goalkeeper's legs to put the USWNT up 2-1. Shaw didn't have the Olympics she envisioned, sitting on the bench the entire Games with a lower body injury. Thursday, she got some redemption in her first match back with the national team.
In the 89th minute, Smith, who is building minutes while coming back from an ankle injury, put a third goal in from the top of the box to add some cushion.
"Soph is a top player," Hayes said. "Soph is becoming the prolific striker I want her to become."
Key stat:
One of the key messages that Hayes has discussed this week is wanting to broaden the player pool as the USWNT looks forward to the 2027 World Cup. She called up 26 players, six of whom were uncapped, 14 of whom have fewer than 20 caps, and 21 of whom are under the age of 30.
Thompson and Shaw are both 19 and are perfect examples of what the future of this team will look like.
What's next for the USWNT?
It's a tight turnaround for the USWNT. The team will play Iceland again on Sunday in Nashville and then travel to Louisville where it will face Argentina on Wednesday. Hayes is expected to roll out a different lineup for each of those games, with no player playing in more than two full matches, she said earlier this week. The purpose of this is so that Hayes and her staff can get quality looks at a larger group of players with the hope of expanding the talent pool as the team turns its focus toward the 2027 World Cup.
The U.S. will also continue celebrating its Olympics success over the next several days with fans, while also toasting Kelley O'Hara's retirement, and honoring both Mallory Swanson and Rose Lavelle for reaching 100 caps.
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
