U.S. Women Shutout Ireland 5-0.
The U.S. Women’s National Team rolled past the Republic of Ireland 5-0 on a chilly night in Portland, OR, as Alex Morgan scored a hat trick in the first half and Sydney Leroux added two goals off the bench after the break. The match was the sixth of ten on the 2012 Fan Tribute Tour, presented by Panasonic.
The USA moved to 4-0-2 on the Fan Tribute Tour, a celebration of the team’s run to a fourth gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. The two teams will meet again on Saturday, Dec. 1 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Morgan’s second-career hat trick upped her total to 27 goals in 2012 and made her just the third U.S. player in history to surpass 25 goals in a calendar year. Abby Wambach scored 31 in 2004, while Michelle Akers holds the record with 39 in 1991.
Morgan’s first career hat trick came in the 2012 Algarve Cup in Portugal last March when she scored three goals in the 4-0 victory against Sweden in the third-place match of the tournament.
The two goals gave Leroux 12 goals in 2012, all off the bench, and extended her U.S. record for most goals as a reserve in a calendar year.
Additional Notes:
• Alex Morgan scored her three goals 10 minutes apart from each other in the 24th, 34th and 44th minutes.
• Christie Rampone played in her 272nd career match, tying Julie Foudy for third place all-time and can move into sole possession of third place when the USA faces Ireland on Dec. 1 in Glendale, Ariz.
• Heather O’Reilly and Shannon Boxx both played in their 176th career game, tying Shannon MacMillan for 10th on the USA all-time caps list.
• The U.S. moved to 24-1-3 this year
• The USA extended its unbeaten streak to 19 games.
• U.S. goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart played the second half after replacing Hope Solo, earning her 44th career cap and her first since playing against Sweden at the Algarve Cup in Portugal back on March 7 of this year.
• Megan Rapinoe got the start and pulled off some fantastic dribbles in her adopted hometown where she stared in college and got a nice ovation when she left the game along with Morgan in the 59th minute.
• The USA has played Ireland nine times in its history and in six of those games has scored five goals. Five were 5-0 victories, and one a 5-1 win.
-U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report-
Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Republic of Ireland
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. PT
Attendance: 10,092
Weather: 47 degrees, cold and cloudy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 3 2 5
IRL 0 0 0
USA – Alex Morgan (Heather Mitts) 24th minute
USA – Alex Morgan (Lauren Cheney) 34
USA – Alex Morgan 44
USA – Sydney Leroux (Heather O’Reilly) 62
USA – Sydney Leroux (Amy Rodriguez) 81
U.S. Lineup
USA: 1-Hope Solo (18-Nicole Barnhart, 46); 2-Heather Mitts (5-Kelley O’Hara, 46), 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 16-Rachel Buehler, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn; 15-Megan Rapinoe (8-Amy Rodriguez, 59), 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Cheney, 17-Tobin Heath (9-Heather O’Reilly, 46); 13-Alex Morgan (11-Sydney Leroux, 59), 14-Abby Wambach (7-Shannon Boxx, 46)
Subs Not Used: 6-Amy LePeilbet , 21-Jill Loyden
Head coach: Jill Ellis
Stats Summary: USA / IRL
Shots: 20 / 3
Shots on Goal: 10 / 1
Saves: 1 / 5
Corner Kicks: 2 / 1
Fouls: 6 / 4
Offside: 3 / 1
Misconduct Summary
None
Officials:
Referee: Katja Koroleva (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Marlene Duffy (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Felisha Mariscal (USA)
Fourth Official: Ronald Lagraff (USA)
Budweiser Woman of the Match: Alex Morgan