Rose Lavelle Scores and Assists in Return as U.S. Women’s National Team Defeats Ireland 4-0 to Earn Third Straight Shutout

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (June 26, 2025) – The United States Women’s National Team opened a three-match window with an assertive 4-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in a match played on a warm night at altitude and in front of a packed house.

Goals from defender Avery Patterson, midfielder Sam Coffey, midfielder Rose Lavelle and forward Alyssa Thompson led the United States to its third consecutive win and clean sheet.

The starting XI featured five players with seven caps or fewer – Michelle Cooper, Patterson, Claire Hutton, Lilly Reale and Claudia Dickey. It also included four gold medalists from the 2024 Olympics – captain Naomi Girma, Lavelle, Emily Sonnett and Coffey. The USA’s leading scorer so far this year, Ally Sentnor, and Thompson, who made her fifth consecutive start, rounded out the lineup for head coach Emma Hayes.

Playing in her first cap in more than six and a half months, Lavelle gave the crowd of 18,504 some excitement in just the third minute. Patterson, working with Cooper on the right flank, passed the ball centrally to Sentnor. The forward curled a beautiful ball over the top of Ireland’s defense to Lavelle waiting on her toes on the backside. The World Cup winner delivered a low-driven shot that clanged off the post, but Lavelle was a few steps offside, and the sideline official raised the flag.

Bold chances from United States attackers forced Irish goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan to make two big saves in the first 10 minutes of action. First, Thompson received a long ball from Coffey and went 1v1 with the 'keeper, striking a low-driven shot with her right foot that Brosnan dove to block. Moments later, Hutton received Girma’s pass after the center backdrifted high on the wing, then turned and ripped a shot from the right side of the box that resulted in another save.

Not long after, Lavelle was involved in the opening goal in the 18th minute. The U.S. went short on a corner kick, giving the ball to Lavelle. The midfielder cut from her left foot to her right to make space for a cross and lifted an excellent service into the box. Patterson rose for a header that Brosnan got a hand to but couldn’t turn away and scored her first international goal. It was USA’s second set piece goal in as many matches.

Just before the halftime break, the United States scored again. Coffey created the play, laying the ball off to teammates, but through her diligent run, quickly got it back from Thompson near the top of the box. The holding midfielder took it herself, taking a few dribbles then striking the ball low with her left foot into the lower right corner. The finish gave the USA a more comfortable 2-0 lead heading into the second 45 and Coffey her third international goal.

A strong sequence in the 53rd minute resulted in history for Lavelle, who scored her 25th career goal in her first game back since December after recovering from ankle surgery. The attack worked well together and moved the ball up the field with tempo. Hutton and Cooper combined to get the ball to Sentnor on the right wing and she crossed on the ground into the box for Lavelle who finished a no-doubter to extend the lead for the United States and become the 19th player in USWNT history with 25+ goals and 25+ assists.

A gorgeous golazo from Thompson in the 63rd minute produced the fourth goal of the night. The play started with a good effort from Reale to keep the ball inbounds down the left wing from the USA’s defensive half. Thompson picked up the ball and raced down the sideline, skillfully pushing the ball around a defender and then racing in on goal. After getting close several times on the night, Thompson took her moment and smashed a curling strike off her right foot just inside the right post.

The pace of Thompson, Cooper and Sentnor, who started on the front line together for the first time for the full USWNT, put pressure on the Irish throughout the night. With Patterson pushing high on the wing and Lavelle finding good spaces, the United States created plenty of chances. The USWNT had the overwhelming advantage in shots (26), possession (68%) and corner kicks (7), holding the Irish to zero shots in the first 45 minutes and one attempt the whole match.

Ireland hardly tested Dickey in her debut in goal for the United States, though she had a chance to show her quality with a stop in the 61st minute. In one of their few moments of the night, the Irish served the ball into dangerous territory and Kyra Carusa’s shot from close range was on target. The play ended up being called offside, but the 5-foot-10 goalkeeper made the big play, stopping a first-time shot from the six-yard box.

The United States nearly scored goal No. 5 after exercising some patience. The ball ended up with Olivia Moultrie, who entered the match as a second-half substitute in the 59th minute for Lavelle. One of the youngest players on the roster wasn’t afraid to take a crack on goal from distance, and the 19-year-old's firm strike clanged off the crossbar and bounced downward, missing by inches in the match’s waning moments.

Thursday’s game was the first of three in a week for the USWNT. Next, the group heads to Cincinnati, Ohio for the second of back-to-back matches against Ireland on Sunday, June 29 at TQL Stadium. Then, it’s a meeting with Concacaf rival Canada in the Allstate Continental Clásico on Wednesday, July 2 at Audi Field in Washington D.C. 

Goal Scoring Rundown:

USA – AVERY PATTERSON (ROSE LAVELLE), 18th minute: After creating several chances in the opening minutes, the United States converted the first goal of the night off a set piece. Lavelle, receiving the short corner, sent a long cross into the box with her right foot. Avery Patterson rose above her defender to head the ball into the back of the net. USA 1, IRL 0

USA – SAM COFFEY (ALYSSA THOMPSON), 49th minute: Coffey started the play and finished it. After receiving a ball from Thompson, Coffey carried the ball forward on the dribble and finished a driving low shot to double the lead for the United States. USA 2, IRL 0

USA – ROSE LAVELLE (ALLY SENTNOR), 53rd minute: Looking to increase their tempo in the second half, the United States attack moved the ball quickly up the pitch and into their attacking third. The play landed at the feet of Sentnor, who served a right-footed cross into the box first time. Lavelle finished with her right foot to score her 25th career goal. USA 3, IRL 0

USA – ALYSSA THOMPSON (LILLY REALE), 63rd minute: Hustle from Reale to keep the ball in play led to an epic moment for Thompson, who scorched the pitch using her speed to carry the ball forward the length of the half. Just inside the 18-yard box, the attacker put the ball on her right foot and delivered a beautiful curling shot into the side netting for her second international goal. USA 4, IRL 0

Additional Notes:

• Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey and fullback Lilly Reale became the 278th and 279th players to earn a cap for the WNT and the 20th and 21st players to debut under head coach Emma Hayes.
• Center back Naomi Girma, the only player on the camp roster who plays club soccer in Europe, captained from the start of the match for the second time in her career.
• Rose Lavelle earned her 111th career cap, her first since December 2024 after missing some time recovering from ankle surgery.
• With her appearance in the starting XI, 20-year-old Alyssa Thompson became just the fourth player in the last 20 years to reach 20 USWNT caps before turning 21 years old, joining Mallory Swanson (2017), Tierna Davidson (2019) and Jaedyn Shaw (2024).
• Avery Patterson’s goal in the 18th minute was the first of her international career. She joins Alana Cook and Emily Fox as USWNT defenders who scored in the three most recent matches against Ireland.
• Sam Coffey’s goal in the firsthalf stoppage time was her third international goal and second in three games.
• Alyssa Thompson was awarded the assist on Coffey’s goal, the third of her career.
• With her goal in the 53rd minute, Lavelle became the 19th player in USWNT history with 25+ goals and 25+ assists and the 25th player in USWNT history with a combined 25 goals and 25 assists.
• Ally Sentnorearned her third career assist on Lavelle’s goal.
• Alyssa Thompson’s goal in the 63rd minute was the second of her international career.
• Lilly Reale, in her debut, recorded the assist on Thompson’s goal in the 63rd minute.
• Jordyn Bugg subbed on in the 73rd minute to make her senior team debut and become the 280th player in USWNT history to earn a cap.
• The USWNT remains undefeated against Ireland, outscoring them 55-1 in 16 meetings. It's the best 100% record against any opponent in program history and the current run is the USWNT’s longest winning streak against any UEFA opponent.
• The USWNT has kept clean sheets in 13 consecutive meetings with Ireland, the longest run of clean sheets against a single opponent in program history. 
• The Thompson sisters, Gisele and Alyssa, have now played in three USWNT matches together after Gisele came on the 59th minute for Avery Patterson.

-U.S. Women's National Team Match Report-

Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Republic of Ireland
Date: June 26, 2025
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colorado.
Attendance: 18,504
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. MT (9:00 p.m. ET)
Weather: 85 degrees, partly cloudy

Lineups:
USA: 18-Claudia Dickey; 8-Avery Patterson (20-Gisele Thompson, 59), 14-Emily Sonnett, 4-Naomi Girma (Capt.) (3-Jordyn Bugg, 73), 23-Lilly Reale; 17-Sam Coffey, 15-Claire Hutton, 16-Rose Lavelle (13-Olivia Moultrie, 59); 12-Michelle Cooper (6-Lynn Biyendolo, 73), 9-Ally Sentnor (22-Yazmeen Ryan, 86) , 21-Alyssa Thompson (19-Emma Sears, 86)
Substitutes not used: 1-Mandy McGlynn, 2-Emily Sams, 5-Tara McKeown, 10-Samantha Meza, 11-Izzy Rodriguez, 25-Kerry Abello

Did not dress: Angelina Anderson, Croix Bethune
Head coach: Emma Hayes

IRL: 1-Courtney Brosnan (Capt.); 2-Jessie Stapleton, 12-Anna Patten, 4-Caitlin Hayes, 5-Chloe Mustaki (22-Izzy Atkinson, 90); 6-Meghan Connolly, 8-Ruesha Littlejohn (7-Tyler Toland, 46); 21-Emily Murphy (20-Saoirse Noonan, 65), 18-Kyra Carusa (14-Marissa Sheva, 64), 15-Lucy Quinn (19-Abbie Larkin, 46); 9-Amber Barrett (25-Erin Healy, 75)

Substitutes not used: 16-Grace Moloney, 17-Ellen Molloy, 23-Sophie Whitehouse, 24-Hayley Nolan

Head coach: Carla Ward

Stats Summary: USA / IRL
Shots: 26 / 2
Shots on Goal: 8 / 0
Saves: 0 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 0
Fouls: 9 / 7
Offside: 4 / 2

Officials:

Referee: Vimarest Diaz (DOM)
Assistant 1: Santa Medina (DOM)
Assistant 2: Jassett Kerr-Wilson (JAM)
Fourth Official: Patricia McCracken (GUA)

Michelob Ultra Woman of the Match: Rose Lavelle