The U.S. Women’s National Team strolled to a 4-1 win against Korea Republic in front of more than 13,000 fans at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Goals from Kristie Mewis, Lauren Cheney Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach gave head coach Tom Sermanni’s team an easy win in the first of two international friendlies in the span of six days
June 15, 2013
Hanson, Mass., Native Kristie Mewis Scores First International Goal in front of Hometown Fans
Lauren Cheney, Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach Add Goals in front of 13,035 Fans in New England
Wambach Now at 156 Career Goals, Just Two Shy of Mia Hamm’s All-Time Record #ChasingMia
USA Will Face South Korea on June 20 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., with Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (June 15, 2013) – The U.S. Women’s National Team strolled to a 4-1 win against Korea Republic in front of more than 13,000 fans at Gillette Stadium as Abby Wambach scored her 156th career international goal, just two shy of tying Mia Hamm on the world’s all-time scoring list. Goals from Kristie Mewis, Lauren Cheney, Carli Lloyd and Wambach gave head coach Tom Sermanni’s team an comfortable win in the first of two international friendlies in the span of six days.
The U.S. will face South Korea again on June 20 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., in what will be the USA’s last match before the end of the National Women’s Soccer League season. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also follow both games on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.
Wambach, who was playing against South Korea for the first time, has now scored against 31 different countries.
#ChasingMia on ussoccer.com
The WNT got off to a quick start when forward Sydney Leroux scampered up the right sideline and slipped in a low cross toward strike partner Alex Morgan at the near post. Korean goalkeeper Kim Jungmi was able to get a touch to it but the ball fell kindly to Mewis and the U.S. left back finished easily in the open net for her first National Team goal.
Four minutes later the U.S. doubled its lead. Mewis took a throw-in from the right sideline to midfielder Tobin Heath who played the ball first-time for Cheney inside the penalty area. Cheney took a touch inside her marker before lashing a shot past the diving Jungmi at the near post for her 19th international goal.
In the 26th minute, Korea Republic pulled a goal back against the run of play, which started when Jeoun Eunha got into space and crossed a ball back towards the top of the area. It missed the first player but that left space for Cho Sohyun to bury her right-footed shot past goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart into the lower left corner.
Hope Solo replaced Barnhart at half time for her first appearance since Feb. 13 against Scotland in Nashville, Tenn. She was immediately forced into action, diving to her right to come up with a big save in the 46th minute to push Ji Soyun’s chance wide right of the net.
In the second half, midfielder Carli Lloyd restored the USA’s two-goal advantage with a trademark strike from distance in the 57th minute. Winger Heather O’Reilly squared the ball to Lloyd, who took one touch before smashing a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner from 30 yards out.
The USA had bushel of late chances through Wambach, who came on for Leroux to start the second half, but despite several headers that were on goal, she didn’t find the back of the net until the final moments of the match. After Alex Morgan was bundled down in the box to earn a penalty kick, the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year calmly stroked her shot to the goalkeeper’s left to send the crowd home happy and reignite the chase for 159.
Additional Notes:
This is only the third time forwards Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux, who won the 2008 FIFA U-20 in Chile together, have started up top for the full national team. The other two times came at the Algarve Cup last March in a 5-0 win over China and a 2-0 win over Germany in the final.
20-year-old midfielder Morgan Brian, a member of the USA’s 2012 Under-20 Women’s World Cup champions, earned her first senior team cap when she came on for Lauren Cheney in the 77th minute. Morgan is a rising junior at the University of Virginia.
Leroux’s assist on Mewis’ goal was her fifth for the USA. Heath’s assist on Cheney’s goal was her 14th. O’Reilly’s assist on Lloyd’s goal was her 44th.
Carli Lloyd’s goal was the 44th in her National Team career, tying her for 10th all time with Alex Morgan and Tisha Venturini.
U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe, forward Christen Press and defender Meghan Klingenberg did not suit up after just getting in some brief training arriving into camp late from Europe where they are playing club soccer.
Ali Krieger got the final 20 minutes, coming on for Rachel Buehler in the 70th minute.
Buehler captained the U.S. team as she was honored during the pre-game for earning her 100th cap back in March at the Algarve Cup.
Christie Ramppne played in her 282nd match for the USA, but in a different position than usual. She started at right back, the position she debuted at in 1997, before moving back into the middle when Ali Krieger came into the game.
The USA moves to 8-0-2 record in 2013, with the draws coming against Germany and Sweden
The USA is riding a 33-game unbeaten streak since the last loss, which came to Japan (1-0) on March 5, 2012 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. Over those 33 games, the U.S. has scored 105 goals while allowing 26 in 28 wins and five ties.
The USA is also riding a 71-game home unbeaten streak. Those 71 games have included just nine ties and 62 wins. The last loss for the USA on home soil came on Nov. 6, 2004, a 3-1 setback to Denmark in Philadelphia. It was one of just two losses the USA has suffered when Abby Wambach scores a goal.
The match marked the 100th win for the USA when Abby Wambach scores a goal as the Americans are now 100-2-8 when she finds the net at least once.
- U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report -
Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Korea Republic
Date: June 15, 2013
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Attendance: 13,035
Weather: 71 degrees, sunny
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 2 4
KOR 1 0 1
USA – Kristie Mewis (Sydney Leroux) 3rd minute
USA – Lauren Cheney (Tobin Heath) 7
KOR – Cho Sohyun (Jeoun Eunha) 26
USA – Carli Lloyd (Heather O’Reilly) 57
USA – Abby Wambach (penalty kick) 90+3
Lineups:
USA : 18-Nicole Barnhart (1-Hope Solo, 46); 3-Christie Rampone, 19-Rachel Buehler (capt.) (11-Ali Krieger, 70), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 8-Kristie Mewis; 9-Heather O’Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd (16-Yael Averbuch, 67), 12-Lauren Cheney (25-Morgan Brian, 77), 17-Tobin Heath; 2-Sydney Leroux (20-Abby Wambach, 46), 13-Alex Morgan
Substitutions Not Used: 6-Crystal Dunn, 14-Whitney Engen
Head coach: Tom Sermanni
KOR: 1-Kim Jungmi, 4-Shim Seoyeon, 6-Lim Seonjoo, 20-Kim Hyeri (14-Kwon Hahnul, 80), 5-Lee Sejin, 8-Cho Sohyun, 15-Kim Narae (13-Lee Mina, 71), 17-Park Heeyoung (22-Lee Jungeun, 62; 3-Jeong Younga, 87), 10-Ji Soyun, 12-Yoo Younga (2-Kim Jihye, 90), 18-Jeoun Eunha (16-Kim Sangeun, 54)
Substitutions Not Used: 19-Shin Jiyoung, 21-Yoon Younggeul
Head coach: Yoon Dukyeo
Stats Summary: USA / KOR
Shots: 21 / 8
Shots on Goal: 13 / 4
Saves: 3 / 8
Corner Kicks: 7 / 2
Fouls: 3 / 12
Offside: 4 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
none
Officials:
Referee: Kari Seitz (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Veronica Perez (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Marie Josee Charbonneau (CAN)
Fourth Official: Christina Unkel (USA)
Woman of the Match: Kristie Mewis