The U.S. women’s national team had a slow start, by its lofty standards, but that was only a temporary setback that Catarina Macario remedied with a 20th-minute goal to spark a 2-0 victory against Italy on Monday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Macario has five goals in a three-match scoring streak to give her 16 in her international career. If anyone is disappointed that this was the final match of 2025, it would be her.
The U.S. finished 12-3-0 in the calendar year.
Jaedyn Shaw made it 2-0 in the 41st minute, but what was missing was that early strike, such as Olivia Moultrie’s goal 67 seconds into the 3-0 victory over Italy in Orlando, Fla., on Friday that marked the fourth consecutive match in which the USWNT had scored within the opening 10 minutes.
The goal by Macario, who scored twice Friday, was worth the wait. Lily Johannes, who at age 18 is the youngest player on the team, sent a ball into space from midfield to the right flank.
Macario ran onto the pass in stride, saw goalkeeper Francesca Durante cheating off the line and sublimely chipped the ball over her for the 13th U.S. goal in the first 20 minutes of a match this year.
Shaw scored her ninth international goal with a cutback at the top of the box on the left side before a cross-body shot with her right foot to the upper right corner.
Near the hour mark, Lindsey Heaps rattled the crossbar just as Claire Hutton did 30 minutes earlier against the Italians, who are the 12th-ranked team in the world.
The United States’ Claudia Dickey made one save for her third straight shutout and fifth in her six matches.
The match was the 30th for coach Emma Hayes since her debut in May 2024. She is 25-3-2.
–Field Level Media
