Morgan Header Gives WNT 1-0 Victory vs. China in First of Two-Game Series

SANDY, Utah (June 7, 2018) – The U.S. Women’s National Team scored the lone goal of the match in the second half and came out victorious in a tough contest against China PR in front of 13,230 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium on Thursday evening.

The teams got off to a slow start, with the USA creating more opportunities than its rival but none presented a major threat. China PR played low-pressure defense, with a compact midfield and backline that resulted in a 5-3 shot advantage for the USA in the first half. China PR managed to get two shots on goal to the USA’s none, but both were magnificently handled by U.S. WNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. [WATCH]

The USA made two substitutions to start the second half, with Samantha Mewis and Sofia Huerta coming on, and both helped reinvigorate the attack. The USA finally broke through in the 57th minute, when Alex Morgan headed home a beautiful cross off a Megan Rapinoe free kick. The goal was Morgan’s team-leading sixth of the year.

Next, the U.S. WNT will travel to Cleveland, Ohio, tomorrow in advance of its second of two friendlies vs. China PR on June 12 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 & UDN) at FirstEnergy Stadium.

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Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Alex Morgan (Megan Rapinoe), 57th minute: Megan Rapinoe took a free kick from the right side and sent the ball straight to the middle of the six-yard box where a perfectly placed Morgan waited to head the ball over the China PR’s ‘keeper reach and into the back of the net. USA 1, CHN 0. FINAL. WATCH .

Additional Notes :

• The USA is 6-0-1 so far in 2018, with wins over Denmark, Germany, England, Mexico (twice) and China PR, along with a tie against France.
• The USA is unbeaten in its last 15 matches (13-0-2). The USA has outscored its opponents 47-12 over those 15 matches, and has scored in all 15 games.
• Alyssa Naeher earned her 29th cap tonight and 15th career shutout. She is the seventh goalkeeper in U.S. history to earn 25 or more caps. She’s allowed 14 goals in her 29 caps, but six came over two games, a 3-0 loss to France at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup and vs. Brazil in the 4-3 win at the 2017 Tournament of Nations.
• Alex Morgan scored her 86th international goal tonight in her 141st cap. At age 28, she sits in sole possession of seventh place on the USA's all-time goal scoring list. She’s scored 13 goals over her last 14 WNT matches. This was Morgan's third consecutive game with a goal. It was also her fourth goal against China, and first since a brace on May 27, 2012.
• Megan Rapinoe made her 136th international appearance today. She has 36 career goals and has moved ahead of April Heinrichs and Sydney Leroux into sole possession of 15th on the all-time goals list. She leads the USA with six assists on the year, including tonight’s, and now has 50 for her career, tying Carli Lloyd and Shannon McMillan for seventh in U.S. history. Rapinoe’s 50 assists in 136 caps is the best assist to games ratio of anyone ahead of her on the all-time list except for Mia Hamm, who had a remarkable 145 assists in her 276 caps.
• In the 46th minute, Sofia Huerta went on for Lindsey Horan and Samantha Mewis for Savannah McCaskill. This was the first U.S. WNT action for Mewis since she last played against Canada on Nov. 12, 2017.
• Ellis made three more subs in the 66th minute, Carli Lloyd for Megan Rapinoe, Allie Long for Julie Ertz and Christen Press for Abby Dahlkemper. Press earned cap No. 99 tonight and is now one away from becoming the 37th woman in U.S. WNT history to reach the century mark.
• Amy Rodriguez came in for Alex Morgan in the 76th minute, making her first appearance for the WNT since April 6, 2017. Rodriguez made her NWSL debut this year on April 14, 2018 after missing almost two full club seasons due to coming back from the birth of her second son in 2016 and then tearing her ACL in the NWSL opener in 2017. She has 30 goals in her 131 caps, which include several notable scores in U.S. history.
• McCall Zerboni earned her second cap tonight and played all 90 minutes, while Savannah McCaskill earned her sixth and played the first 45. They both made their first U.S. WNT career starts tonight.
• Tierna Davidson, Lindsey Horan, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe are the only four players on the U.S. roster to start every game so far in 2018.
• Nineteen-year-old Davidson made her seventh consecutive start in as many international appearances. On Jan. 21 in San Diego, she became the 21st woman to make a WNT debut under Jill Ellis. She earned her first career assist on that game. She is the third teenager since 2013 to earn a first cap for the U.S. WNT. Mallory Pugh (17 in 2016) and Lindsey Horan (19 in 2013) are the most recent teenagers to debut for the WNT.
• Not dressing tonight were Casey Murphy (GK), Tobin Heath (F), Ashlyn Harris (GK) and Rose Lavelle (MF).

– U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. China PR
Date: June 7, 2018
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Kickoff: 7 p.m. MT
Attendance: 13,230
Weather: 88 degrees; Sunny

Scoring Summary: 1   2   F
USA                          0   1   1
CHN                         0   0   0

USA – Alex Morgan (Megan Rapinoe)             57^th minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 7-Abby Dahlkemper (23-Christen Press, 66), 12-Tierna Davidson, 19-Crystal Dunn; 2-Julie Ertz (20-Allie Long, 66), 9-Lindsey Horan (3-Samantha Mewis, 46), 25-McCall Zerboni; 26-Savannah McCaskill (14-Sofia Huerta, 46), 13-Alex Morgan (capt.) (8-Amy Rodriguez, 76), 15-Megan Rapinoe (10-Carli Lloyd, 66)
Substitutes: 21-Abby Smith, 6-Morgan Brian, 27-Merritt Mathias
Head coach: Jill Ellis

CHN: 12-Peng Shimeng; 25-Lou Jiahui (18-Han Peng, 85), 5-Wu Haiyan, 6-Lin Yuping, 2-Liu Shanshan (4-Li Danyang, 46); 11-Wang Shanshan (30-Yang Li, 46), 27-Yao Wei, 20-Zhang Rui, 23-Ren Guixin ( 16-Yan Jinjin, 68), 7-Wang Shuang (29-Li Tingting, 85); 10-Li Ying (21-Xiao Yuyi, 90)
Substitutes: 9-Tang Jiali, 13-Lu Yueyun, 14-Xu Yanlu, 19-Tan Ruyin, 24-Yang Yan, 26-Wang Yan, 28-Miao Siwen
Head coach: Jia Xiuquan

Stats Summary: USA / CHN
Shots: 11 / 3
Shots on Goal: 3 / 2
Saves: 2 / 2
Corner Kicks: 12 / 1
Fouls: 12 / 11
Offside: 5 / 6

Misconduct Summary:
CHN – Wu Haiyan (caution) 71^st minute

Officials:
Referee: Lucila Venegas (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Stephanie Dale Yee Sing (JAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Jennifer Garner (USA)
4th Official: Cardella Samuels (JAM)

Budweiser Woman of the Match: McCall Zerboni