January 18, (THEWILL) – The US Women’s National Team (USWNT) opened its 2023 schedule with a dominant 4-0 victory against New Zealand in the first of two consecutive friendlies against the Football Ferns.
The historic match, which was held at the QBE Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand, saw a brace from forward Mallory Swanson and goals from forwards Alex Morgan and Lynn Williams. The win marks the team’s first of the year as they set their sights on the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer.
The match was attended by a crowd of 12,508 fans, the largest ever to watch the New Zealand Women’s National Team on home soil. Despite not being able to create a goal in the first half, the USWNT controlled the tempo from the start, finishing with 74% of possession. The team’s halftime adjustments proved to be extremely effective as they quickly put the game away.
Swanson opened the scoring with a powerful header from 12 yards out in the 52nd minute, followed by Morgan’s goal in the 60th minute, which saw her nutmeg the goalkeeper to score. Swanson then scored her second goal of the night just two minutes later, and Williams added the finishing touch with a header in the 73rd minute.
The match was a historic one for Alex Morgan, who tallied her 13th career goal as a mom, tied with Joy Fawcett for the most goals by a mother in USWNT history. The USWNT will face New Zealand again on January 20th at the famed Eden Park, New Zealand’s National Stadium as they look to continue their winning streak.
About the Author
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.
