Ertz header lifts U.S. in final minutes

With less than five minutes to play and the United States facing the prospect of a tie against a rapidly improving Spain team, Christen Press took a free kick from the wing and hoped

Julie Ertz would go get it.

An in-stride Ertz slammed a header into the net in the

87th minute and the World

Cup champions extended their unbeaten streak to 30 games with a 1-0 victory in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday at a sold-out Red Bull Arena.

“Julie is always a priority on set pieces,” Press said after the United States won its seventh straight game in 2020 in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. “I feel like if you give her a ball, she can compete for it. It doesn't matter who she is playing against. She is just world class.”

Press sent a crossing pass from the left flank on a free kick and goalkeeper Sandra Panos never had a chance to stop it despite getting a hand on the shot by the midfielder.

“I don't have much to say, but when you have the opportunity I have to put it away, especially when there is not much time,” said Ertz, whose husband, Eagles tight end Zach, watched from the stands. “SheBelieves Tournament is really important to us. We want to win. It was world-class service and you have to do what you can.”

Press, who scored in the Americans' win over England on Wednesday, said no one on the United States team ever thinks a game will end in a tie.

“Even when it's the 85th minute and it's zero-zero, we are thinking we are going to win,” Press said. “It's just about when and how. We all carry that. We play like that.”

Spain played well. It had nine shots, the same as the United States, and had the ball 60% of the time. It also frustrated the U.S., preventing it from pressing in the offensive end.

“I think we were good,” Spanish defender Irene Paredes said. “We tried to do our game. We did a lot of good things. But in the end we had a bad goal. It's hard. Again our image is good but still we lose the game.”

U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made three saves in her second shutout of the tournament. She blanked England, 2-0, on Wednesday in Orlando, Florida.

The win gave the United States six points and put it in position to win the four-team tournament with a tie against winless Japan on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas.