EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (Oct. 26, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s National Team bounced back with an energetic 3-1 win over Portugal behind a lively performance from a young lineup in front of the second-largest crowd ever recorded for a USWNT match played at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
The U.S. promised a "fired up" response after dropping the first of a two-match set to Portugal last Thursday, Oct. 23 in Chester, Pa., and the group stayed true to their word to record the team's ninth win of the year. This time around, Olivia Moultrie played hero by scoring two goals in the span of 10 minutes, including the opener 44 seconds into the match, which marked the fourth first-minute goal of the year for the USWNT and the 21st in program history. Sam Coffey added a terrific late goal to ice the match for the U.S.
U.S. head coach Emma Hayes sent out a very young lineup with eight changes from the first meeting with Portugal three days ago with only defenders Avery Patterson, Emily Sonnett and forward Alyssa Thompson starting both matches. Sonnett, earning her 112th cap, sported the captain’s armband for the third time in her international career. By herself, Sonnett out-capped the rest of the Starting XI, which combined for 100 caps at the start of the match.
Portugal had just one shot on target, and scored, making for five shots on goal over the two games and three goals, which were the first goals Portugal has ever scored on the USA.
The starting XI for Hayes averaged 21.7 caps entering Sunday and featured the three youngest players in camp, all teenagers: 18-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes, 19-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton and 19-year-old defender Jordyn Bugg. They were joined by two 20-year-olds, Moultrie and Jaedyn Shaw, who are the current and former highest-scoring teenagers in NWSL history. Defender Lily Reale and goalkeeper Claudia Dickey each earned the start and their third career cap.
For the second straight game, it took the U.S. less than one minute to open the scoring. On Thursday, it was Rose Lavelle who got things started with a goal 33 seconds into the match. This time, it was the youngster Moultrie, knocking in her third international goal 44 seconds from the opening whistle.
After the lightning-fast start, Portugal answered just a few minutes later. Jéssica Silva flicked a header into the far side netting off a Beatriz Fonseca cross from the right wing. It was the first goal conceded by Dickey in three matches after she recorded shutouts in her first two USWNT starts.
The deadlock did not hold long and in the 10th minute this young United States squad showed the resilience to break through and score the go-ahead goal. After the U.S. whipped the ball around the back, Yohannes locatedShaw making a run across the box. The midfielder’s brilliant backheel teed up a shot on goal for Moultrie, and the 20-year-old delivered. With the well-placed strike into the left corner, Moultrie bagged her brace on the day, the second of her young international career, to put the home side back in front 2-1.
After a flurry of action and three goals in the opening 10 minutes, the match settled down for the remainder of the first half. Thompson nearly extended the lead for the United States in the 27th minute after some nifty footwork in a congested area, and her shot on goal caught a deflection to roll out of bounds for one of two U.S. corner kicks in the first half.
To start the second half, the United States nearly created another chance in the 49th minute. Yohannes, who played effective short and long passes all night, delivered a service from the U.S. defensive half to Thompson on the left. The speedy midfielder took her defender 1v1 then crossed a low ball into the box that Portugal nearly knocked into their own goal except for goalkeeper Patrícia Morais’s dive to collect. Five minutes later, the U.S. nearly got there again after Patterson smartly pivoted the ball from Shaw on the right to Thompson on the left, but Thompson’s shot attempt was blocked. In the 63rd minute, Hutton had a good look at goal from just outside the 18-yard box, but she drove her shot wide.
In the 69th minute, Hayes made her first changes of the day, sending Emily Fox to replace Patterson and Emma Sears for Thompson.
Moments after entering the match as a second-half substitute, Coffey scored the third goal of the day for the U.S. in the 82nd minute, connecting with Sentnor’s pinpoint service off a corner kick. Coffey’s first-time shot off a single bounce brought her international scoring total to five and extended the lead to 3-1.
The match marked a celebratory occasion for one of Connecticut's own, USWNT legend Alyssa Naeher. One of the greatest goalkeepers in U.S. and world history was honored for her remarkable career, which includes two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles, an Olympic gold medal and the third-most goalkeeper caps (113), starts (110), wins (88) and shutouts in program history. Those in attendance for Naeher's pre-match retirement ceremony included her family, friends and current Chicago Stars FC teammates who flew in for the day to support their laudable goalkeeper.
For the second year in a row, the USWNT teamed up with a U.S. Deaf National Team for a doubleheader in an effort to reflect the U.S. Way philosophy, which aims to prioritize strategic investment in U.S. Extended National Teams to ensure they are well-equipped to compete and succeed at the sport’s highest level. The U.S. Deaf Men’s National Team opened the day at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, home of the UConn Huskies, with a 3-1 win over Germany in the team’s final tune-up before the Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan in November.
Sunday's USWNT game was the second in a three-match set for the USWNT in the October FIFA window. Next, the U.S. will take the pitch on Oct. 29 in Kansas City, Mo. at CPKC Stadium for an international friendly against New Zealand.
Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – OLIVIA MOULTRIE, 1st minute: Ally Sentnor chased the ball down the right flank to advance the U.S. attack. Yohannes collected Portugal’s attempted clearance, then played a short pass to Moultrie on the edge of the 18-yard box. A Portuguese defender blocked Moultrie’s looped cross into the box, but the midfielder charged to clean it up and drilled a one-time strike from about 10 yards out into the lower left-hand corner to open the scoring. USA 1, POR 0
POR – JÉSSICA SILVA (BEATRIZ FONSECA), 5th minute: Francisca Nazareth swung the ball to Beatriz Fonseca on the right flank in Portugal’s attacking third. Fonseca sent a cross into the box, and Silva’s header drove into the far side netting to level the match. USA 1, POR 1
USA – OLIVIA MOULTRIE (JAEDYN SHAW), 10th minute: The U.S. held possession effectively, moving the ball quickly from one side of the pitch to the other. Yohannes arched a ball over the top to Shaw making a run inside the box. The midfielder collected the pass then backheeled a pass on a platter for Moultrie. The midfielder took a touch to put the ball on her left foot, then placed a driven shot that dinged off the left post and into the back of the net. USA 2, POR 1
USA – SAM COFFEY (ALLY SENTNOR), 82nd minute: Sentnor delivered a low, precise pass toward the penalty spot on a corner kick with her right foot. Coffey took the ball off one bounce and knocked it with a right-footed touch toward the left post. USA 3, POR 1 FINAL
Additional Notes:
- Olivia Moultrie’s goal is the 22nd first-minute goal in USWNT history. It is also tied for 14th fastest goal in U.S. history —with Alex Morgan’s 44-second goal on Dec. 1, 2012, vs. Ireland— for matches in which U.S. Soccer has records.
- The goals were Moultrie's third and fourth of her young international career. Her first two came in a two-goal performance on Feb 20, 2024, vs. Dominican Republic. Her first two-goal game made Moultrie the fourth-youngest WNT player to earn a brace. This afternoon’s brace ranks 13th youngest.
- Jaedyn Shaw earned her third international assist. As did Ally Sentnor.
- This was second-largest crowd ever for the USWNT in Connecticut.
- This is the third straight camp that Sam Coffey has scored a goal. She had one against China PR on May 31, one against Ireland on June 26, another vs. Canada on July 2 during the summer window and one in this afternoon’s match.
| Scoring Summary |
1 |
2 |
F |
| USA |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| POR |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| USA – Olivia Moultrie | 1st minute |
| POR – Jéssica Silva (Beatrice Fonseca) | 5 |
| USA – Olivia Moultrie (Jaedyn Shaw) | 10 |
| USA – Sam Coffey (Ally Sentnor) | 82 |
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Lineups:
USA: 18-Claudia Dickey;3-Avery Patterson (23-Emily Fox, 69), 14-Emily Sonnett (Capt.), 4-Jordyn Bugg, 25-Lilly Reale; 15-Claire Hutton (17-Sam Coffey, 77), 7-Lily Yohannes (11-Lo’eau LaBonta, 86), 13-Olivia Moultrie, 8-Jaedyn Shaw (22-Yazmeen Ryan, 77); 9-Ally Sentnor, 21-Alyssa Thompson (19-Emma Sears, 69)
Substitutes not used: 24-Phallon Tullis-Joyce, 6-Emily Sams, 10-Lindsey Heaps, 12-Michelle Cooper, 16-Rose Lavelle, 20-Catarina Macario, 26-Kennedy Wesley
Not dressing: Tara McKeown, Mandy McGlynn, Eva Gaetino
Head coach: Emma Hayes
POR: 12-Patrícia Morais, 20-Beatriz Fonseca, 19-Diana Gomes (18-Carolina Correia, 62), 15-Carole Costa, 3-Lúcia Alves (11-Tatiana Pinto, 62), 6-Andreia Jacinto (4-Alice Marques, 73), 14-Dolores Silva, 16-Andreia Faria (17-Diana Silva, 52), 9-Stephanie Riberio (2-Catarina Amado, 52), 7-Francisca Nazareth (8-Maria Alagoa, 73), 10-Jéssica Silva
Substitutes not used: 1-Inês Pereira, 22-Sierra Cota-Yarde, 5-Bárbara Lopes, 21-Maísa Correia, 23-Carolina Santiago, 24-Cancelinha Érica
Head coach: Francisco Neto
Stats Summary: USA / POR
Shots: 10 / 4
Shots on Goal: 4 / 1
Saves: 0 / 1
Corner Kicks: 4 / 2
Fouls: 10 / 8
Offside: 5 / 2
| POR – Beatriz Fonseca (Caution) | 13th minute |
| USA – Jordyn Bugg (Caution) | 19 |
Officials:
Referee: Karen Hernandez (MEX)
AR1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)
AR2: Maria Juarez (MEX)
4th Official: Erika Gonzalez (MEX)
Woman of the Match: Olivia Moultrie
