Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The United States, buoyed by goals from teenagers Alyssa Thompson and Jaedyn Shaw, beat Iceland 3-1 on Thursday in a friendly match billed as a celebration of their Paris Olympics women’s football gold — and a step on the road to the 2027 World Cup. Shaw, 19, produced a go-ahead goal in the 85th minute, eluding a pair of defenders and slotting a right-footed shot past oncoming Iceland keeper Telma Ivarsdottir. Three minutes later, Sophia Smith rifled in a right-footed shot to seal the win in Austin, Texas.
Thompson, also 19, had put the hosts ahead with her first international goal in the 39th minute. A long pass from Sam Coffey found Thompson just outside the penalty area. She turned and raced into the box from the left and fired a right-footed shot into the top right corner as Ivarsdottir leapt for it in vain. It was a triumphant return to the national team for Thompson. She made her USA debut in 2022 at the age of 17 and was part of the 2023 World Cup squad. But she saw limited action in the World Cup and didn’t feature in the squad that won gold in Paris this year.
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It was something of a comeback for Shaw, as well. She was in the Paris squad but was injured prior to the Americans’ first match and didn’t play. The Americans, playing their first match since beating Brazil 1-0 in the Olympic final in Paris, were up 1-0 at halftime, but Selma Magnusdottir made it 1-1 in the 56th minute with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the penalty area into the bottom left corner of Alyssa Naeher’s net.
The match was the first of a three-game series to celebrate the USA’s Olympic gold. They play Iceland again in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday and take on Argentina on Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky. But US coach Emma Hayes said this month that her focus is already on the pursuit of a fifth World Cup title in Brazil in 2027. “Our focus is forward, our focus is on our process, and we want to keep chasing new heights. I love that we get to see most of our Olympic Team again after a few months, but I also love getting to work with some newer players and evaluate how they perform in our environment,” Hayes said.
© 2024 AFP
