Macario, Lavelle shine as US run streak to 67 games on American soil

CHESTER, Penn: Rose Lavelle and Catarina Macario each scored a pair of first-half goals, and the US women’s national team beat Uzbekistan 9-0 on Tuesday to extend the team’s unbeaten streak to 67 games on American soil.

Trinity Rodman, who came in as a second-half substitute, scored her first international goal for the US. The 2021 US Soccer Young Player of the Year is the daughter of former NBA player Dennis Rodman.

Mallory Pugh, Midge Purce and Ashley Sanchez also scored for the US, which opened the game with their youngest starting lineup — averaging 24.98 years — since 2007.

The US team also defeated Uzbekistan 9-1 in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday in the first game of the two-game series. Sophia Smith had a hat trick in the victory.

The Americans have just one more international window, in June, to prepare for CONCACAF World Cup qualifying in July. The US team’s unbeaten streak on American soil includes 60 wins and seven draws.

“I think we’re going to face teams that sit in a low block in qualifiers, so I do think this is a good test for that,” Lavelle said.

An own goal just 25 seconds into the game gave the US the early lead at Subaru Park, home of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union.

Macario, who plays professionally for Lyon, scored in the 12th minute and in first-half stoppage time. Lavelle’s goals came in the 25th and 27th minutes.

Pugh scored in the 14th for her fifth international goal, helping the US to a 6-0 lead at the break.

Rodman’s goal in the 71st came in her third appearance for the US. Just 21, Rodman plays professionally for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Puce and Sanchez added late goals.

“I think the more time we get, the more fun it’s going to be and the more we’re going to be able to connect,” Lavelle said. “I think there’s so many different people that we can go to, to step up in a big moment.”

Aubrey Kingsbury made her debut for the national team in goal. At 30, she’s the oldest player in team history to earn her first cap.

Naomi Girma, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NWSL draft by the San Diego Wave, also made her debut for the United States. The average caps among the starting lineup was 21, and it was the first time since 2013 that the team didn’t start a player with 100 or more caps.

The US team was originally scheduled to play a team from Asia for the international break but that team had to pull out. Coronavirus and European World Cup qualifying made finding a new opponent difficult.

Two veterans, Becky Sauerbrunn and Megan Rapinoe, were left off the roster for the two games against Uzbekistan because of injury. Julie Ertz recently announced that she was expecting her first child, and Crystal Dunn is also pregnant.

Other veterans who weren’t with the team included Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath and Christen Press as coach Vlatko Andonovski continued to emphasize young players in preparation for CONCACAF qualifying this July in Monterrey, Mexico. The Women’s World Cup is set for next year in Australia and New Zealand.