A slow start was eclipsed by a strong finish as the U.S. defeated Netherlands 3-1 on Sunday in an exhibition women’s soccer match at the Georgia Dome.
After a goal in the first two minutes by the Netherlands, goals by Carli Lloyd, an own goal by a Netherlands defender, and a headed goal by Allie Long proved the difference in front of 15,652 people as the U.S. improved to 18-0-3 in 2016.
“We certainly had to raise our game,” U.S. manager Jill Ellis said. “I don’t think we came out in terms of prepared to match their intensity. I was pleased with our response. Second half they couldn’t breathe. We were all over them and locked them in.”
St. Simons Morgan Brian started in midfield for the U.S., and Marietta’s Emily Sonnett started on the bench before coming on at the beginning of the second half. Fayetteville’s Kelley O’Hara missed the game because of a death in the family.
The second talking point occurred just a few minutes into the game when the Netherlands grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second minute. Shanice van de Sanden ran onto a misdirected header and slammed a right footed shot across goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and into the left corner of the net. The play started with a desperate clearance from Netherland’s penalty box. The long kick was headed backward by U.S. defender Julie Johnston, allowing van de Sanden the clean run.
Netherlands played a pressing game that kept the U.S. pinned back early. The tactic almost made it 2-0 a few seconds later, but Naeher pressured Lieke Martens into shooting over the goal from a few yards out.
But then the U.S., which alternated between a 4-5-1 with Alex Morgan as the lone forward and a 4-4-2 formation, started to maintain possession and create creases in Netherland’s defense.
The first real chance for the U.S. came in the seventh minute when Lloyd’s left-footed stung the palms of Netherlands keeper Sari van Veenendaal. She spilled the hard shot, but was able to recover before Alex Morgan could pounce on the loose ball.
Lloyd thought she had the tying goal on hard right-footed shot in the 12 minute, but was judged to be offside by the linesman.
The U.S. got the equalizer in the 35th minute when Tobin Heath slotted a short pass from the right wing to Lloyd, who blasted a shot from short range. Heath was open down the wing because the Dutch defender fell down after swinging wildly at the ball. Lloyd just needs just six goals to become the sixth U.S. history player to score at least 100.
The U.S. missed another chance in the 43rd minute when Morgan took the ball to the end line. Just before reaching the goal, she put a cross across the goal, but there was no one there to tap it in.
With Sonnett on for the second half, the U.S. somehow missed a chance at a second goal in the 49th minute when the ball bounced around in front of the goal before rolling out for a corner kick.
“I think Sonnett came in and added another dimension to the game,” Ellis said. “Mo grew into the game. I took her out so she could get a standing ovation.”
The U.S. got the go-ahead goal and 2-1 lead in the 50th minute when Christen Press easily beat her defender to the end line and passed across the goal where the ball rolled off Netherlands defender Mandy van den Berg and into the net. Dutch players protested, saying that Heath pushed van den Berg down and into the path of the ball, but Trinidadian referee Crystal Sobers waved the players away.
Press almost had a goal of her own in the 53rd minute, but her shot hit the post and bounced harmlessly away.
Rapinoe came on in the 64th minute and was loudly booed by the crowd, which Ellis said didn't surprise her.
“I wouldn’t say Negan would be surprised,” Ellis said. “Was I? No. It’s a tough topic.
“My hope is that we move forward in a positve way, not just in this but in a lot of different terms.”
However, amid more boos, she put a cross into the penalty box that Lloyd headed to Long for a goal in the 77th minute that gave the U.S. a 3-1 lead.
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