The United States had two wins in two at the beginning of 2021, with a pair of debut scorers scoring the first and last goals of the game
The United States women’s team easily defeated Colombia 6-0 on Friday night in Orlando, after a 4-0 win over the same opponent on Monday.
The pair of games ended the team’s camp in January, which saw a USWNT in full swing trying to impress coach Vlatko Andonovski ahead of the Olympics this summer in Tokyo (if the tournament continues).
Here are three of the biggest conclusions from Friday’s game at the Exploria Stadium.
Catarina Macario scores USWNT’s first goal
This week saw the debut by Catarina Macario’s USWNT, who according to all information is prepared to be the next big star of the team. The Brazilian-born striker, who recently signed with European power Lyon straight from Stanford University, made his first international appearance on Monday before scoring his first goal for the national team on Friday in the third minute.
“Cat is a different type of player than I think we already had. She is a different number 9 than we already had,” said Megan Rapinoe of the 21-year-old after Friday’s game. “She falls a little more, plays more like a fake nine.
“Physically, she is already ready to be at this level and that is a huge leap for many people to go from college to this level so that they can compete physically.
“She will be one of those fun players you love to see – someone who will excite fans, someone who will launch something creative or nutmeg.”
Sam Mewis is injured
The USA took a big scare when Sam Mewis collided with a Colombian defender in the middle of the second half. The Man City midfielder appeared to be in a lot of pain on the pitch after his left ankle rolled under her. She was able to walk slowly out of the field on her own before being seen on the bench with ice wrapped around her ankle.
Mewis has been in excellent shape for the USWNT and Man City. Rapinoe called her “the best player on our team at the moment” after the game, so any injury problem would be a major concern for the club and the country.
Andonovski said Mewis will be examined after the match, adding that his high pain threshold makes it difficult to determine his prognosis immediately.
“She is very strong and very tough,” said the USWNT coach. “When we first asked [how she was] she said: ‘I’m fine, I’m fine’, but we are doing all the exams and following the whole protocol to make sure that she is fine.
“She is tough and we don’t know what ‘good’ means in her world. We will soon know how she feels.”
Crystal Dunn and Midge Purce in attack
Crystal Dunn and Midge Purce are both natural attackers who were moved to defense with the USWNT. Dunn, most notably, went from being a dynamic midfielder to becoming a solid left-back who starred during the USWNT race until the 2019 World Cup.
Fans have been clamoring for both players to have a chance at the attack in the US and on Friday night, Andonovski answered. Purce, in particular, made headlines by scoring his first USWNT goal with a header after Carli Lloyd’s cross in the 86th minute.
“We know that Midge is a good striker,” said Andonovski of a player who was used mainly as a right-back in the national team.
“Obviously, we saw something about her that can help us or help her become a good defender and we will continue to work as we go. But when we need a striker, she is obviously good enough and has shown that she can do a good job there. “
About Dunn, he added: “Crystal has to be the most versatile player on the pitch. I literally feel comfortable putting Crystal in any position on the pitch and I know she will meet the standard.”