The U.S. women’s national team faced a deficit for the first time in 12 matches under coach Emma Hayes, but that problem was solved when Lynn Williams and Lindsey Horan scored four minutes apart late in the second half as part of a 3-1 victory over Iceland on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
Williams tied it 1-1 in the 72nd minute before she assisted the winner by Horan in the 76th to give Hayes a 11-0-1 record since June 1.
Emma Sears, who made her U.S. debut in the 55th minute, scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time for the final margin. She also had an assist on Williams’ goal.
The result was similar to the match Thursday against Iceland in Austin, Texas, when Jaedyn Shaw broke a 1-1 tie in the 85th minute and Sophia Smith added an insurance score in the 88th.
Hayes made seven changes to the lineup from the Thursday match that was the first for the U.S. since defeating Brazil 1-0 for the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 10.
The goal for Iceland in Thursday’s match was its first in four games vs. the Americans, but it was not an aberration. On Sunday, Karolina Vilhjalmsdottir made it 1-0 in the 31st minute on the first shot attempt against Casey Murphy.
Vilhjalmsdottir scored from a low-angle on the left side to the right corner.
This came after the U.S. dominated the early going with several close chances and a shot on goal by Mallory Swanson in the 11th minute.
Swanson, who made her 100th appearance and scored the winner vs. Brazil, was honored prior to the match and a retirement ceremony was held at halftime for former defender Kelley O’Hara.
Murphy in the 87th minute preserved the lead with her second save of the match, denying a Dilja Zomers shot from outside the box that was targeted for the top-left corner.
The Americans play Argentina in Louisville, Ky., on Wednesday before finishing the year Nov. 30 against England in London and Dec. 3 vs. the Netherlands in The Hague.
–Field Level Media
