USA-Ireland: Women's Friendly Player Ratings

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Aug 4, 2019

USA-IRELAND EXPRESS:
Aug. 3 in Pasadena, California
USA 3 Ireland 0. Goals: Heath 16, Horan 31, Lloyd 41.
Att.: 37,040.

The USA opened its Victory Tour with a 3-0 win over Ireland before a crowd of 37,040 fans at the Rose Bowl. Three first-half goals allowed the world champions to take control and go to its bench in the second half. The game had very much the feel of a friendly with only five fouls between the two teams.

USA Player Ratings
(1=low; 5=middle; 10=high.)

GOALKEEPER

Alyssa Naeher didn't face a shot in recording her 30th cap in 54 international matches.

Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
5  Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) 54/- (31)

DEFENDERS

The outside backs, Kelley O'Hara and Crystal Dunn, set the tone for the match with runs deep into the Irish half. Dunn had plenty of opportunities to show off her dribbling skills on the left wing. O'Hara set up Carli Lloyd for the game's third goal with an excellent cross. Becky Sauerbrunn and Abby Dahlkemper snuffed the rare times when the Irish tried to break into the U.S. half.

Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
6  Kelley O'Hara (Utah Royals) 125/2 (31)
5  Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage) 48/0 (26)
5  Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals) 165/0 (34)
6  Crystal Dunn (NC Courage) 92/24 (27)

MIDFIELDERS

Samantha Mewis was everywhere in midfield in the first half, helping set up the first goal and delivering a low ball to the left side, where she found Lindsey Horan for the second goal. Mewis had to leave the game, though, after taking an elbow from Niamh Fahey to the nose in the 56th minute. Julie Ertz did much of the playmaking from a deep-lying position.

Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
6  Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns) 75/11 (25)
5  Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars) 89/19 (27)
6  Sam Mewis (NC Courage) 57/14 (26)

FORWARDS

Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan sat out the game due to injuries, allowing Christen Press and Carli Lloyd to get starts. Tobin Heath, the third starting forward in the Women's World Cup final, was supposed to begin the game on the bench but started and scored the game's first goal off a Press cross after Mallory Pugh was injured in warm-ups. Lloyd missed an early chance with a shot over the crossbar but atoned for that when she scored the game's best goal, leaping over two defenders to complete the first-half scoring on a header off O'Hara's cross.

Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
6  Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns) 157/31 (31)
7  Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC) 282/114 (37)
5  Christen Press (Utah Royals) 124/49 (30)

SUBSTITUTES

U.S. coach Jill Ellis made three substitutions at halftime: Jessica McDonald for Heath, Emily Sonnett for O'Hara and Ashlyn Harris for Alyssa Naeher. The player the Rose Bowl fans wanted to see was Rose Lavelle, who was the USA's sixth and final sub in the 62nd minute.

Player (Club) caps/goals (age)
5  Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride) 22/- (33)
5  Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns) 35/0 (25)
5  Jessica McDonald (NC Courage) 9/2 (31)
5  Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride) 104/1 (35)
5  Allie Long (Reign FC) 47/6 (31)
5  Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit) 34/10 (24)

TRIVIA. The USA is 13-0-0 with 12 shutouts against Ireland.

Aug. 3 in Pasadena, California
USA 3 Ireland 0. Goals: Heath 16, Horan 31, Lloyd 41.
USA -- Naeher (Harris 46); O'Hara (Sonnett 46), Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper, Dunn; Ertz, Mewis (Long 60), Horan; Press (Lavelle 62), Lloyd (Krieger 56), Heath (McDonald 46).
Ireland -- Hourihan; Payne (O'Mahony 69), Scott, Quinn (Walsh 80), Fahey, Caldwell, Barrett (Jarrett 46), McCabe, Gargan, O'Riordan, Farrelly.
Yellow cards: USA -- none. Ireland -- Scott 54.  Red cards: none.
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva (USA).
Att.: 37,040.

Stats:
USA/Ireland
Shots: 29/2
Shots on goal: 9/0
Saves: 0/6
Corner Kicks: 16/2
Fouls: 3/2
Offside: 0/0