USWNT 2022 April Friendlies: USA 9-0 Uzbekistan - there were, once again, a lot of goals

After a solid nine goal game in Columbus over the weekend, the USWNT followed up the performance with another nine goal game in Chester, Pennsylvania. The USWNT lined up with two players making their debut as Aubrey Kingsbury and Naomi Girma were in the XI with Rose Lavelle getting the armband for the first time.

In the end, the USWNT came away with a dominant win. The combination of Sophia Smith, Rose Lavalle, Catarina Macario, and Mal Pugh was extremely effective. The four put on a show with Macario notching a brace, Lavelle getting a brace of her own along with creating an own goal, Pugh scoring one of her own and Trinity Rodman getting her first USWNT career goal off the bench.

If you are expecting gifs of goals, there are gifs of goals

Because there was a goal in the first minute. Rose Lavelle sent in a cross and it was knocked into the Uzbekistan goal to make the score 1-0. Goal number two came in minute 12 when the Americans got a free kick just at the top of the 18 yard box. Catarina Macario stepped up and sent a shot toward the far post and into the net.

It would be 3-0 in the 14th minute when Lavalle played a ball to Macario in the box as the Uzbek keeper charged out to to try to break up the play, she wasn’t in time though and a clever back heel into the path of Mal Pugh gave the striker a shot at an open net.

Rose Lavelle would get a goal of her own in the 25th minute as Pugh sprinted down the left and sent in a cross that was cleared into the path of the captain as she made a late run into the box. The midfielder made no mistake and fired a shot into the net making it 4-0.

Then she scored again in the 28th. minute and things were getting out of hand. This time she received a pass 35 or so yards away from the goal and turned and ran toward the net. She made a couple of nice dribbles and took advantage of the Uzbekistan defenders being on their heels to find room for a shot and put it past the keeper for the 5th goal of the match.

It looked as if the score would remain at 5-0 as the teams entered first half injury time, but Macario had different ideas. She had a ball paled into her in the box and held off her defender... and held off her defender... and held off her defender, until turning and firing in the 6th goal of the game.

The second half began with Kristie Mewis and Trinity Rodman coming in for Lavelle and Pugh as Vlatko Andonovski brought in some fresh legs. The changes at the half may have also been felt by the Americans in terms of chemistry as the goals certainly became more scarce in the second 45. Uzbekistan also made a notable change bringing in Laylo Kholmumin Qizi Tilovova at keeper. The swap between the sticks also played a part in keeping the score more reasonable as she made several big saves in the half.

The bench would be in play again as Abby Dahlkemper and Kelley O’Hara joined for Alana Cook and Emily Fox in the 60th, followed by Ashley Hatch and Midge Purce for Macario and Smith in the 68th.

A breakthrough would finally come in the second half as Trinity Rodman sent in a shot from just inside the 18 in the 71st minute.

The chances would keep coming though as some defensive miscues gave O’Hara a chance at goal with the keeper out of position, but she pushed her shot wide. The team also hit the crossbar just before the 80th minute in a chance that VAR might have seen go over the line.

The 8th goal would come in the 85th minute as Purce took advantage of a bad clearance in front of goal from a free kick.

The team wasn’t done as goal number nine came on a corner that was headed into the path of Ashley Sanchez in the 90th minute.

The game would end on that play as there was no injury time.