The U.S. women's national team wrapped up their October schedule with a 3-0 win over Argentina at Louisville's Lynn Family Stadium on Wednesday with a surprise brace from defender Naomi Girma playing a crucial role in their victory.
The hosts were a little slow to break down Argentina's low defensive block, but by the half-hour mark, the USWNT were fully in control. The go-ahead goal came a little while later courtesy of Girma, who scored her first international goal in the 37th minute with a header from close range. The USWNT were up 2-0 by the 44th goal when Aldana Cometti scored an own goal off a corner, a chance forced by Girma.
In the second half, Girma picked up from where she left off and completed her brace in the 49th minute. That goal also came off a header following a pass inside the penalty area from Alyssa Malonson, who notched an assist in her first cap – three days after Emma Sears did the same.
Malonson, alongside Mandy Haught and Eva Gaetino, was one of three players who earned their first cap on Wednesday, continuing the spirit of experimentation that has defined head coach Emma Hayes' approach this month. Hailie Mace and Ashley Sanchez, meanwhile, played their first international games in a year or more.
The result extends the USWNT's unbeaten run under Hayes to 15 games, which includes their gold medal-winning run at the Paris Olympics over the summer. The USWNT will have a chance to extend that run in a few weeks when they play at England on Nov. 30 and in the Netherlands on Dec. 3.
Set piece success
Girma's brace may come as a surprise, but what's even more shocking is that this is not the first time a center back scored twice in a game under Hayes – Tierna Davidson did the same in Hayes' first game in charge in June. Girma and Davidson got the job done on set pieces, an important source of goals that has served the U.S. well in the past and may serve a similarly important role in Hayes' time in charge.
Though Hayes kicked off her tenure with an attempt not to overwhelm the team with new ideas, she stressed in her early days on the job that she wanted set pieces to be an area of focus. The team worked with Gianni Vio, soccer's first set piece coach, during the Olympics and the work continues to pay off as Girma notched her brace.
Sanchez's big return
The focus of this month's game was offering chances to players who missed out on the Olympics, with a handful making the most of the chances offered to them. Ashley Sanchez joined their ranks on Wednesday, taking six of the USWNT's 18 shots and generating 0.31 expected goals on her own while the team mustered 1.39 expected goals as a group.
It's a strong comeback for Sanchez, who many would argue was an under-utilized member of the 2023 Women's World Cup team, but it is just one of several big moments for the player this year. It has been a year of adversity for Sanchez, who followed up the World Cup disappointment with a sudden trade from the Washington Spirit to the North Carolina Courage in the winter. She's clearly in the habit of taking the opportunities she's given – she has five goals and four assists in NWSL play this season and will no doubt play a big role in the Courage's upcoming playoff run.
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