U.S. Women’s National Team Closes January Camp With 5-0 Win Against World Cup Co-Host New Zealand At Eden Park In Auckland

AUCKLAND / TĀMAKI MAKAURAU, New Zealand (Jan. 21, 2023) – The U.S. Women’s National Team recorded its second win in as many games against New Zealand during its January training camp as the Americans took down the Football Ferns 5-0 at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau in front of 12,721 fans, which was the largest crowd to ever to watch the New Zealand Women’s National Team on home soil.

Eden Park will serve as the USA’s venue for the first and third Group E matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

A brace from midfielder Rose Lavelle, who captained the USA after forward Alex Morgan was a late scratch during warm-ups due to lower leg tightness, led the way as forwards Ashley Hatch and Mallory Swanson as well as midfielder Taylor Kornieck also added goals.

As it did during its 4-0 victory on Jan. 18 in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-tara, the USA controlled the pace in the first half, owning 73 percent of possession while denying the hosts of any shots. After a handful of chances including an early warning shot from Swanson in the second minute, the USA opened the scoring in the 22^nd after Rodman played Hatch in on goal with a great curling cross on the ground from the left wing. The ball eluded a retreating defender and rolled into the path of Hatch, who finished with a first-time shot into the lower right corner from about 12 yards out.

The USA nearly doubled their lead four minutes later, but New Zealand goalkeeper Erin Nayler came up with a brilliant save to deny midfielder Ashley Sanchez from point-blank range. The USA continued knocking at the door until Lavelle finished off a great cross from defender Sofia Huerta from the right side of the field with a volley from 10 yards out to double the lead.

The U.S., which played fast and launched waves of attacks against the packed Ferns defenders for the entire 90 minutes, came out even stronger in the second half, creating some immediate threats in the hosts’ final third until Swanson added her name to the scoresheet in the 53^rd minute, burying a rebound of Rodman’s shot that came off the leg of a New Zealand defender.

Just nine minutes later, Lavelle struck again as Kornieck played a clever ball over the top from near midfield to find forward Lynn Williams out wide on the left side. Williams sent a cross into the box for Lavelle to finish with a left-footed volley from five yards out. It only took six minutes for the 6-foot-1 Kornieck to add the finishing touch on the match as she headed home a corner kick from the right side from Lavelle.

The U.S. continued to apply pressure, creating a few more chances as New Zealand battled fiercely. When all was said and done, the USA posted 22 shots and 10 on target while denying the hosts of any shots at all.

Nayler played an excellent game in nets for the Ferns, making several spectacular saves late to keep the score down and have five total stops.

The USA get together next stateside for the February FIFA International window when it will host the eighth annual SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa®. This year’s tournament will run from Feb. 16-22 as Brazil, Canada and Japan join the USA for the four-team international tournament with games hosted in Orlando, Nashville and Frisco.

Fans will also be able to follow the action via Twitter (@USWNT), Instagram (@USWNT), Facebook and the official U.S. Soccer App.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Ashley Hatch (Trinity Rodman), 22nd minute – During a sequence of quick ball movement around the field, Rodman received a pass on the left wing and sent a brilliant, curled ball around a defender to find Hatch inside the box where she buried a first-time shot from about 12 yards out to open the scoring. USA 1, NZL 0

USA – Rose Lavelle (Sofia Huerta), 39th minute – Mallory Swanson played Huerta out on the right wing and she sent a cross into the heart of the box for Lavelle to deftly first-time with her left foot from 10 yards out. USA 2, NZL 0

USA – Mallory Swanson, 53rd minute – Defender Emily Fox received the ball on the left flank and sent a cross into the box from deep near the end line. Trinity Rodman got a foot too it, but it was immediately blocked by a New Zealand defender. That ball landed at the feet of Swanson in the center of the box about 10 yards out and she smashed her shot into the right side of the net. USA 3, NZL 0

USA – Rose Lavelle (Lynn Williams), 74th minute – Midfielder Taylor Kornieck played the ball over the top to Williams on the left wing. From there, she sent a cross into the box to meet Lavelle on the run and the U.S. captain finished with a first-time left-footed redirection from five yards out. USA 4, NZL 0

USA – Taylor Kornieck (Rose Lavelle), 80th minute – Lavelle took a corner kick from the right side and found Kornieck on the back post. She used her height rise above the pack of players and bury a header off the grass and into the net from six yards out. USA 5, NZL 0

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Ashley Hatch’s goal to open the scoring marked her fifth career goal and third scored Down Under, having scored twice in the USA’s trip to Australia in November of 2021.

• Trinity Rodman -- who tallied two assists against New Zealand on Jan. 18 -- recorded her third career assist to set up Hatch’s goal.

• After coming on as a substitute, Emily Sonnett recorded her 70th career cap and first since July 14, 2022 when she scored her first international goal against Costa Rica in the Concacaf W Championship.

• Mallory Swanson’s goal marked her 28th career goal and third of 2023 and gives her goals in three consecutive games. The three-game scoring streak is the second longest of Swanson’s international career.

• With 28 career goals, Swanson broke a tie with U.S. Soccer Hall of Famers Joy Fawcett and Shannon Boxx to take sole possession of 22nd on the USA’s all-time scoring charts.

• Rose Lavelle’s second goal marked her 24th career goal for and her fourth career multi-goal game (and first since April 12, 2022 vs. Uzbekistan). With one more goal she will become the 26^th player in U.S. history to score 25 or more goals.

• With an assist against the Football Ferns on Jan. 18 and two goals and an assist int the win in Auckland, Lavelle has now been directly involved in four of the USA’s nine goals scored so far in 2023.

• Taylor Kornieck’s goal was the second of her international career after she scored in her debut last summer.

• The USA and New Zealand have now played 21 times with the USWNT leading the overall series 19-1-1. The lone loss for the Americans came in a 1-0 defeat during the first meeting between the teams on Dec. 15, 1987. Since then, the USA is unbeaten in the last 20 head-to-head matchups with the Football Ferns, scoring four or more goals in each of the last six meetings. The teams drew 1-1 during a friendly in October of 2013.

• Since the start of 2020, the USWNT has played 33 matches in the United States and 20 outside the country. The USA is 30-1-2 in domestic matches and has outscored the opposition 130-6 (+124) at home and is 12-4-4 with a 44-16 goal margin (+28) when playing outside the USA.

- U.S. WOMEN’s National team match report -

Match: New Zealand vs. United States Women’s National Team

Date: January 21, 2023

Competition: International Friendly

Venue: Eden Park; Auckland, New Zealand

Attendance: 12,721

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Local; 10:05 p.m. ET on Jan. 20

Weather: 77 degrees; Sunny

Scoring Summary:     1          2          F

USA                               2          3          5

NZL                                0          0          0

USA – Ashley Hatch (Trinity Rodman) 22^nd minute
USA – Rose Lavelle (Sofia Huerta) 39
USA – Mallory Swanson 53
USA – Rose Lavelle (Lynn Williams) 74
USA – Taylor Kornieck (Rose Lavelle) 80

Lineups:

USA: 18-Casey Murphy; 8-Sofia Huerta, 3-Alana Cook, 12-Naomi Girma (14-Emily Sonnett, 46), 19-Crystal Dunn (23-Emily Fox, 46); 17-Andi Sullivan (20-Taylor Kornieck, 62), 16-Rose Lavelle (Capt.), 2-Ashley Sanchez (22-Kristie Mewis, 61); 25-Trinity Rodman (6-Lynn Williams, 62), 7-Ashley Hatch (11-Midge Purce, 61), 9-Mallory Swanson

Substitutes not used: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn; 5-Hailie Mace, 15-Sam Coffey, 21-Adrianna Franch

Did not dress: Alex Morgan

Head coach: Vlatko Andonovski

NZL: 1-Erin Nayler; 24-Ally Green (30-Ashleigh Ward, 33), 7-Ali Riley (Capt.) (18-Mackenzie Barry, 69), 31-Anna Green, 19-Liz Anton; 25-Grace Jale (33-Grace Wisnewski, 46), 15-Daisy Cleverley (16-Emma Rolston, 69), 11-Olivia Chance, 28-Ava Collins (34-Tayla O’brien, 82); 9-Gabi Rennie, 13-Paige Satchell (36-Deven Jackson, 46)

Substitutes not used: 21-Murphy Sheaff, 23-Brianna Edwards, 20-Jana Radosavljevic, 22-Hannah Blake, 29-Jacqui Hand, 32-Aniela Jensen, 37-Rebecca Lake

Head Coach: Jitka Klimková

Stats Summary: USA / NZL
Shots: 22 / 0
Shots on Goal: 10 / 0
Saves: 0 / 5
Corner Kicks: 6 / 2
Fouls: 1 / 12
Offside: 3 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
USA - Lynn Williams (Caution)                                  71^st minute

Officials: 
Referee: Lara Lee (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Sarah Ho (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Lauren Hargrave (AUS)
4th Official: Kate Jacewicz (AUS)

Bud Light Woman of the Match: Rose Lavelle