The U.S. women’s team defeats Mexico in a prelude to World Cup qualifying.
Paced by Rapinoe, Americans sweep regional series ahead of qualifying for Cup
The U.S. women’s national soccer team completed its twogame sweep of Mexico with a 6-2 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium on Sunday in a match where the scoring came early and often in the first half.
“It’s a fun one, a crazy one,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “Credit Mexico. They pressed early and had a definite plan to put our back line under pressure.”
That tactic did little to slow the Americans.
In the third minute, U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe pushed the ball up the middle and fed Mallory Pugh on the left side of the field. Pugh stepped past Mexico goalkeeper Cecilia Santiago and angled a shot into the net for the score.
Then in the 17th minute, Mexico’s Monica Ocampo scored to tie the match, initiating a 17-minute scoring frenzy.
The Mexican captain and midfielder whipped a corner kick into the penalty box, where U.S. goalkeeper Jane Campbell, playing on her home field, lost track of the ball as it curved past a row of American defenders into the opposite corner of the net.
Mexico capitalized on the shift in momentum and took the lead in the 24th minute. On a kick from the same corner from which Mexico scored seven minutes earlier, Kiana Palacios elevated and connected on a header into the back of the net to quiet the crowd of 15,349 — although not for long.
“Obviously, two goals off set pieces is something we want to avoid and something we want to continue to work on,” Ellis said.
A minute later, the Americans equalized. Rapinoe angled a corner kick to midfielder Lindsey Horan, who emerged from the scrum unmarked for the tying header.
In the 34th minute, Alex Morgan flipped into a bicycle kick, attempting to turn a cross into the go-ahead score. Her shot ricocheted off Santiago, but U.S. captain Carli Lloyd was there to net the rebound for her 100th national team goal — the sixth American woman to reach that milestone.
But it was Rapinoe, who seemingly was involved in every play and racked up four assists and a goal.
Her third assist came in the 44th minute when she received the ball in space on the left side of the field and crossed to Morgan, who scored with a sliding finish between two defenders. That gave the U.S. a 4-2 lead at the half.
Rapinoe scored her goal in the 64th minute when she chipped the ball over a scrambling Santiago, who had just spoiled a would-be shot by Morgan.
In the 69th minute, Rapinoe registered her final assist — although it wouldn’t be the last time she threatened. She skipped a corner kick toward the opposite post, where Morgan deflected the ball into the net with her hip to push the lead to four.
The U.S. finished with 12 of 15 shots on goal to Mexico’s four of five.
The American women, who defeated Mexico 4-1 at Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday night, continue to build toward this summer’s Tournament of Nations as they prepare for World Cup qualifications into the fall. They are back on the pitch in action for a two-game series against China in Utah and Ohio in June.
“I think overall when you come into these games what you’re looking for is, ‘Can you take strides?’ and ‘Can you get things out of these games?’ and I certainly feel like we did that,” Ellis said.