Ever-present Mewis leads USWNT to 6-0 victory over South Korea

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Oct 23, 2017

Sam Mewis, who plays for the hometown North Carolina Courage, scored twice in the first 20 minutes -- the first multi-goal game of her international career -- to start the USA on its way to an easy 6-0 win over South Korea in Cary, North Carolina.



Mewis and captain Becky Sauerbrunn are the only players who has started every game for the USA in 2017. She was one of six starters who weren't on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, reflecting the changes in the U.S. squad as Coach Jill Ellis continues to experiment.

Mewis has been in and out of the national team since 2014 but only this year has nailed down a starting spot in midfield under Ellis, whom recruited to play at UCLA.

It was 4-0 by halftime as Chicago Red Star teammates Christen Press and Julie Ertz scored goals. Another Courage player, Lynn Williams, scored the fifth goal while Allie Long closed out the scoring.

Ertz, who has been playing in midfield, scored her fifth goal of 2017, tied for the team lead with Alex Morgan.

USWNT Leading Scorers:
5 Julie Ertz
5 Alex Morgan
4 Crystal Dunn
3 Lynn Williams
3 Megan Rapinoe
3 Christen Press
3 Samantha Mewis
3 Allie Long

Next up. The USA will finish the year against Canada with a two-game series on Nov. 9 at BC Place in Vancouver and Nov. 12 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif.

Oct. 22 in Cary, N.C.
USA 6 South Korea 0. Goals: Mewis 3, 20, Press 35, Ertz 45+1, Williams 61, Long 83.
USA -- Harris (Campbell, 46); Huerta, Sauerbrunn (Zerboni, 46), Dahlkemper, Short (Lloyd, 64); Ertz, Horan, Mewis (Long, 46); Williams, Morgan (Dunn, 46), Press (Rapinoe, 46).
South Korea -- Kang Gaae (Kim Minjung 68), Cho Sohyun, Kim Hyeyeong (Yoo 63), Park (Lee Eunmi 46), Jang, Ji Sunmi, Han (Son 52), Jeon (Moon 56), Lee Mina, Jang Chang (Lee Sodam 46), Lee Geummin.
Att.: 9,727.