Lloyd Leads USWNT, Ohai Scores Quick

Reigning FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd led the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 5-1 win against Switzerland on an another record-setting day in front of a crowd of 23,400 fans at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium, the largest to watch the U.S. Women in the state of Minnesota.

The U.S. dominated the run of play throughout the match, but did fall behind early to Sandrine Mauron’s 7th-minute counter-attack strike. Lloyd evened the match in the 25^th minute with a rocket from 27 yards out that was a sign of things to come in the second half when she bagged the game-winner only six minutes after the break. It was her 96th goal of her career putting her just four shy of becoming the sixth U.S. player to score 100 times.

Christen Press scored in her second consecutive game and Crystal Dunn notched the 17th goal of her international career just 10 minutes apart, putting the match of out of reach for Switzerland.

Then it was time for yet another fresh face to add to the WNT record books as Kealia Ohai made her international debut as an 81^st minute substitute for Dunn and then scored just 48 seconds after entering the game, breaking the record for quickest goal in a debut set just four days ago by fellow newcomer Lynn Williams, who scored 49 seconds into her first game vs. Switzerland in Utah.

The U.S. WNT will finish its 2016 schedule next month with a pair of matches vs. Romania in California. The teams first meet at Avaya Stadium in San Jose on Nov. 10 (7 p.m. PT; ESPN2, UDN) before the USA takes to the field a final time this year at StubHub Center in Carson on Nov. 13 (6:30 p.m. PT; FS1)

SUI – Sandrine Mauron (Lara Dickenmann) 7th minute: Switzerland down the right flank, squeezing a pair of passes up the sideline and ultimately into the path of Dickenmann as she broke toward the USA goal. From a wide angle, Dickenmann sent a powerful shot on goal that U.S. goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was well positioned to push away; but the clearance fell right to the hard charging Mauron whose volleyed shot from near the penalty spot. Harris nearly saved the second chance, but couldn’t get enough of a hand on it to keep the ball from arching into the right side netting. USA 0, SUI 1

USA – Carli Lloyd (Kelley O’Hara), 25th minute: A nice spell of U.S. possession set up Lloyd to score the USA’s equalizer. Some swift interplay between Andi Sullivan, Lloyd and Kelley O’Hara resulted in Lloyd receiving a pass from O’Hara and advancing toward the Switzerland goal. From 27 yards out, Lloyd sent a lightning bolt of a strike into the upper right corner for one of the best finishes of her career. USA 1, SUI 1 

USA – Carli Lloyd, 51st minute: Lloyd’s second goal, the game-winner, was no less spectacular than the first as she helped lead a USA counterattack with an exquisite outside of the foot pass that curled around a defender perfectly into the stride of Christen Press who was making a run down the right side. Press did well to lose her marker and get off a shot from the top of the box that was blocked and arched high into the air. As the ball fell just outside the top center of the box, Lloyd arrived to send a full volley along right down the middle of the goal mouth and into the back of the net for her 96th career goal. USA 2, SUI 1 

USA – Christen Press (Andi Sullivan), 53rd minute: From deep in the USA’s own half, Sullivan sent a long ball over top the Switzerland defense and into the path of halftime substitute Press. As the ball bounced near the top of the box, Press spotted Thalmann charging off her line and sent a perfectly weighted looping shot over the ‘keeper and into the right side of the goal for her 37th career goal in her 78th cap. USA 3, SUI 1 

USA – Crystal Dunn (Lynn Williams), 63rd minute: The USA broke at pace with Casey Short finding Lloyd in the center of midfield, who then sent Williams into the box with a nice lead pass down the left flank. Williams beat her defender om pace and sent a low cross along the six-yard box to the back post where an unmarked Dunn finished smartly her 13th goal of 2016. USA 4, SUI 1 

USA – Kealia Ohai (Christen Press), 82nd minute: From a free kick at midfield, the ball was played to second-half substitute Lindsay Horan whose pass into the left side of the Switzerland box found Press as her run took her across the path of Ohai who headed straight toward the penalty spot. Press then cut the ball back to the Ohai, who had only entered the match seconds earlier. The young attacker did well to hold off a defender and hook a low shot from the center of the box that scooted into the right corner beyond the reach of the diving ‘keeper. USA 5, SUI 1     FINAL