U.S. Women’s National Team Kicks Off Emma Hayes Era in Grand Fashion with Dominant 4-0 Victory over Korea Republic
Colorado Native Mallory Swanson Scores Pair of Goals, Adds an Assist in Front of Sold-Out Crowd; Defender Tierna Davidson Bags Her Own Brace, Marking First Goals for USWNT Since 2018
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (June 1, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s National Team opened the Emma Hayes era with an entertaining show of attacking prowess and rode braces from forward Mallory Swanson and defender Tierna Davidson to a dominant 4-0 victory over Korea Republic. The first win for Hayes as head coach of the USWNT was part of an historic women’s soccer doubleheader which began with an 11-0 win for the U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team over Australia.
The match was played in front of an enthusiastic sold-out crowd of 19,010 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, which saw all three of their home state heroes play big roles, with Swanson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) scoring twice, Sophia Smith (Windsor, Colo.) terrorizing the Korean defense while picking up an assist and Lindsey Horan (Golden, Colo.) captaining the team.
It took the USA a few minutes find a good attacking rhythm in Hayes’ highly anticipated debut match against a Korean side that was playing with five defenders and dropping deep. Midfielder Catarina Macario’s effort from distance 12 minutes in forced Kim Jung-Mi into an awkward kick save, but that was the one quality look at goal in the early going. Minutes later, Swanson forced another save out of Kim and midfielder Sam Coffey smashed a shot from just outside the penalty area wide right of the frame.
The USA went in front in the 34th minute and the goal came through the central corridor thanks to a Colorado connection. Macario’s unlocking ball found Sophia Smith at the top of the penalty box, where she took a settling touch before slipping a ball to Swanson inside the area. Her first-time finish just inside the right post made for the most fitting of openers in front of the packed crowd, which would not have to wait long for more.
Horan forced Kim into a diving parry just three minutes later and the ensuing corner kick by Macario from the right found Davidson at the far corner of the six-yard box. The defender’s looping header dipped just underneath the crossbar for her second career international goal, her first coming nearly six years ago on August 31, 2018.
After scoring just once in her previous 57 caps for the USWNT, Davidson got greedy in the best way possible to open the second half scoring. Like her first two international goals, the center back scored with her head off a corner kick, this time meeting Swanson’s service inside the six to push the advantage to 3-0 just three minutes into the half. The unlikely scorer became the first USWNT defender to score twice in a game since Julie Ertz accomplished the feat with a pair of set piece finishes of her own against Colombia on April 10, 2016.
Swanson finished off her brace in the 74th minute and it was the sixth two-goal game of her international career and second for the USWNT in her home state of Colorado. Second half substitute Rose Lavelle, who earned her 99th USWNT cap when she came on as part of a quartet of subs at the hour mark, stole a pass in midfield and sprinted toward the penalty area before laying the ball off to Swanson. The 34th goal of Swanson’s international career capped the scoring.
Between the posts, goalkeeper Jane Campbell earned her eighth cap – and first since October 2021, also against Korea Republic – and had light work to do to earn her fifth career shutout. Defender Sam Staab will be known as the first player to make her debut under Emma Hayes. The 27-year-old’s entrance for Davidson in the 61st minute made her the 249th player all-time to earn a cap for the USWNT and the first to do so in 2024.
The USA and Korea Republic will renew acquaintances quickly, with a rematch set for Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn. on June 4 in a match presented by Allstate. Kickoff in the Twin Cities is set for 7 p.m. local / 8 p.m. ET.
USA – Mallory Swanson (Sophia Smith),34th minute: A long spell of possession in the final third resulted in Macario being able to finally break Korea Republic’s low block with a splitting pass from the edge of the final third to Smith. A gathering touch at the top of the area set Smith up to slip a ball that found the diagonal run of Swanson, who finished inside the right post from 13 yards out to open the scoring. USA 1, KOR 0
USA – Tierna Davidson (Catarina Macario),38th minute: Lindsey Horan’s saved shot from distance set up Smith’s inswinger from the right corner, which Davidson met over a defender at the far corner of the six-yard box. Her looping header denying the thin air, dipping just enough to get under the crossbar into the right corner to quickly double the advantage. USA 2, KOR 0
USA – Tierna Davidson (Mallory Swanson),48th minute: Swanson added an assist to her ledger on the scoresheet with a fine service from the corner that found an unmarked Davidson just inside the six. With Kim off her line, Davidson’s header took a solid bounce off the turf and went past multiple defenders inside the six for her second of the match. USA 3, KOR 0
USA – Mallory Swanson (Rose Lavelle),34th minute: Dogged defensive effort by substitute Crystal Dunn helped force a loose pass by Korea Republic out of their final third, which Lavelle intercepted near midfield. Lavelle’s driving run into the final third drew enough defenders to allow space for Swanson to run her ball into the right side of the area, where she finished across her body with a low effort inside the left post for her second of the evening. USA 4, KOR 0
With her winning debut, Hayes – the fourth woman and 10th full-time head coach overall in program history –became the eighth coach to open their permanent tenure with a win. The four-goal margin tied her with Pia Sundhage (also a 4-0 victor in 2008) for the second-largest win by a full-time head coach in their first match with the USWNT, the duo eclipsed only by Tony DiCicco’s 5-0 result in 1995.
Today’s triumph kept the USA undefeated all-time against Korea Republic, pushing the series record to 12W-0L-4D. The USA also remained unbeaten all-time in Colorado, improving to 8W-0L-1D in matches played in the Centennial State.
Tierna Davidson’s goal was her first goal for the USWNT in 2,101 days. Her only other goal for the USWNT also came on a header off a corner kick, that on August 31, 2018, when she was 19-years old.
Mallory Swanson’s goal in the 34th minute was her first in 465 days for the USWNT. She last scored against Brazil on Feb. 22, 2023, in the SheBelieves Cup finale.
Swanson’s brace was the sixth of her international career and her second for the USWNT in her home state of Colorado, also scoring twice the USWNT’s victory over Australia at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on April 4, 2019.
Swanson’s three goal involvements (two goals, one assist) are tied for the second-most in a game in her international career. This is her eighth career game for the USWNT with at least one goal and one assist.
Sophia Smith’s assist to Swanson was the ninth of her career and her second of 2024.
Catarina Macario’s assist on Tierna Davidson’s goal in the 38th minute was the third assist of her international career and marked Macario’s first goal involvement for the USWNT in 781 days, when she tallied a brace in her most recent start before today during the the USA’s April 12, 2022 win against Uzbekistan.
Macario returned to the field for the USWNT on April 6 during the 2024 SheBelieves Cup for her first international appearance since tearing her ACL at the end of the 2021-22 season with Olympique Lyon.
- U.S. WOMENS NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT -
Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Korea Republic Date: June 1, 2024 Competition: International Friendly Venue: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo. Attendance: 19,010 Kickoff: 5:07 p.m. ET (3:07 p.m. local) Weather: 81 degrees, partly cloudy
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