By Amelia Hirtle
Over the past week, the US Women’s National Team have been training in Denver in preparation for their upcoming friendlies against Colombia and the Concacaf W Qualifying tournament in July. Ever since the roster was named, questions have been floating. According to head coach Vlatko Andonovski, forward Christen Press was not going to be on the roster (before her leg injury). That statement left many confused as Press had been playing like one of the top wingers in the league. One of Andonovski’s stipulations for the veteran players was that they are in form when they were called in and Press certainly fit that description. While the questions remain, Andonovski (at least publicly) has moved on. His focus is on qualifying for the World Cup and Olympics.
The team is one match closer after completing one friendly before they take off to Mexico. This time, Colombia is the opponent, whom the US has a 7-0-1 record against. Colombia is a great test for the young US squad because of their ability to execute a low block, something the US will almost certainly see in qualifying.
The first half looked out of sync for the home team. They had seven shots in 30 minutes, but none tested the Colombian keeper, Catalina Perez. Sophia Smith drew a penalty in the 43rd minute, one that was highly questionable to the visiting team, as seen by their dissent towards the referee. Lindsey Horan took the penalty, and it was saved by Perez.
To begin the second half, Alex Morgan and Ashley Sanchez came on for Ashley Hatch and Lindsey Horan, respectively and the tempo immediately changed. The USWNT started to attack the back line more, forcing the defense in. The first goal came in the 53rd minute when Rose Lavelle played a ball from the midfield to Sophia Smith, whose shot deflected off the keeper and into the net. Shortly after, Smith scored again to make it 2-0.
Before the 70th minute, the home team had the chance to score again on a penalty drawn by Alex Morgan. Rose Lavelle took the penalty, and it was saved by Perez. After the match, Andonovski said penalties will be something they look at and continue to practice.
The final goal of the night came in the 90th minute when Megan Rapinoe took a free-kick and chipped it over the top to Taylor Korneick, who scored on the header. It was her first international cap and first goal with the team. A successful set-piece had not been seen for the US team all night. With Korneick’s height, she should continuously be a top target for plays in the box.
This test is certainly something the squad will need before qualifying and they will need to tighten some things up before they get there. Concacaf will be very physical, and the US will need to be better prepared going forward. Teams will not allow them to get settled for a full half before breaking into the game. They will need to be on target from the start.
The two teams will now travel to Utah and meet again on Tuesday, June 28th at 10:00 PM ET for their second and final friendly.