Alana Cook’s birthday strike lifts USA women over Ireland in friendly
Alana Cook scored her first international goal on her 26th birthday and the United States beat Ireland 1-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night as the teams prepare for the Women’s World Cup this summer.
It was the Americans’ first game without Mallory Swanson, who tore the patellar tendon in her left knee during Saturday’s game against Ireland in Austin, Texas.
Swanson was the top scorer for the US this year with seven goals. She had scored in six straight games, tied for fourth-longest streak in team history.
It appears unlikely that Swanson will be able to play in the World Cup. She returned home to Chicago after the injury and she announced on social media that she had surgery on Tuesday morning.
“This is hard,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m in shock and don’t have much to say other than thank you to everyone for the messages. I feel the love and prayers, and holding them close to my heart.”
The United States shuffled their lineup for the match at City Park in Swanson’s absence. It was the final opportunity for US coach Vlatko Andonovski to look at players before announcing a 23-player World Cup roster, which is due in mid-July.
Emily Fox, who scored in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Ireland, was available off the bench. Casey Murphy started in goal rather than Alyssa Naeher, and Rose Lavelle didn’t play because of an unspecified injury she picked up in Austin.
Andonovski started Alyssa Thompson, an 18-year-old forward who was drafted this season out of high school by Angel City of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Before the game, the US honored Becky Sauerbrunn, who is from St Louis, for her 200th appearance with the team. The defender reached the milestone last year, but the ceremony was set for Tuesday so she could celebrate with relatives and hometown fans.
Sauerbrunn, now at 216 appearances, nearly scored her first national team goal early in the match off a corner kick by Sophia Smith. Sauerbrunn was subbed out in the 28th minute because she has a game with her NWSL team, the Portland Thorns, on Friday.
Cook scored from distance in the 43rd minute. Irish goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan got her fingertips on the shot but couldn’t stop it. Cook is the third player in team history to score on her birthday, joining Mia Hamm (1998) and Alex Morgan (2019).
The United States announced it will play a send-off match against Wales on 9 July in San Jose, California, before departing for the World Cup, which opens on 20 July in Australia and New Zealand.