Alex Morgan brace steers USA to 4-1 victory over Mexico
Alex Morgan (pictured above (13)) scored twice as the US Women’s National Team beat Mexico 4-1 on a breezy Thursday night in front of 14,360 fans at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Three goals in the space of four minutes early in the second half saw the United States brush aside Mexico 4-1 in the first of two exhibition matches between the teams.
The US made a fast start as Mallory Pugh (pictured above (11)) scored her fourth goal of the season in the sixth minute as Morgan neatly threaded a through-ball to Megan Rapinoe, on the left hand side of the penalty box, and she rolled it across the box to Pugh to tap in.
Morgan’s first goal came from a penalty kick five minutes into the second half after she was brought down inside the penalty box by Annia Mejia to put the United States up 2-0. She then added a second moments later with a moment of brilliance. Lindsey Horan slid a pass to Morgan, who was making a run from the middle to the left side of the box. With pinpoint accuracy, Morgan fired a shot across the face of goal to the opposing corner, where the ball pinged off the inside of the right post and rolled in for her 18th career brace.
Carli Lloyd (pictured above (10)), who came in as a second half substitute, scored in the 54th minute. From the right side, Pugh crossed the ball to Horan, who had time to pick out Lloyd in the middle of the box. With impressive body control, Lloyd kept her close range shot low and tucked it inside the left post only seconds after coming in for Andi Sullivan. It was her 99th career goal.
Katie Johnson scored a consolation goal for Mexico in the 64th minute as she chased down an Ariana Calderón headed flick and seeing that U.S. WNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher had come off her line, delivered a superb chip into an empty net from just outside the penalty box.
The United States next plays Mexico on Sunday, April 8 at 1:30 PM ET at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. The game will air live on FOX.
Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 16-Emily Sonnett, 7-Abby Dahlkemper, 17-Tierna Davidson, 19-Crystal Dunn; 3-Andi Sullivan (10-Carli Lloyd, 53), 6-Morgan Brian (20-Allie Long, 71), 9-Lindsey Horan; 11-Mallory Pugh (4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 77), 13-Alex Morgan (capt.) (22-Ashley Hatch, 80), 15-Megan Rapinoe (21-Savannah McCaskill, 71)
Substitutes: 18-Jane Campbell, 25-Hailie Mace
Head coach: Jill Ellis
MEX: 1-Bianca Henninger; 2-Kenti Robles, 13-Annia Mejía (23-Christina Murillo, 57), 3-Bianca Sierra, 5-Mónica Flores (22-Greta Espinoza, 46); 7-Cristina Ferral (8-Ariana Calderón, 46), 6-Karla Nieto (4-Vanessa Flores, 78), 19-Katie Johnson (21-Renae Cuéllar,76); 11-Mónica Ocampo (capt.) (17-María Sánchez, 76), 10-Stephany Mayor, 18-Kiana Palacios
Substitutes: 9-Anisa Guajardo, 12-Cecilia Santiago,14-Jocelyn Orejel, 16-Marcela Valera
Head coach: Roberto Medina
Attendance: 14, 360
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