February 17, (THEWILL) – Mallory Swanson was the star of the show, as the U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) secured a 2-0 victory over Canada in the opening match of the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Florida.
Swanson scored twice in the game, continuing her impressive form by taking her tally to five goals in just three games. The first goal came in the seventh minute, after an excellent setup by Alex Morgan. Swanson coolly half-volleyed a shot from 15 yards out, making it four goals in four games for her.
The second goal came in the 34th minute, with Swanson picking off an errant back pass and scoring with a right-footed strike from the center of the box. USWNT goalie Alyssa Naeher also played a crucial role in the victory, making three important saves, including a diving stop just before halftime to deny Janine Beckie’s long-range effort.
The SheBelieves Cup, which features four of the world’s top teams, is a round-robin tournament with the winner decided by total points. The USWNT, ranked number one in the world, has won the tournament five times, including the past three editions.
The USWNT will now face Japan in Nashville on Sunday, while Brazil takes on Canada in the other game of the day.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
