2019 World Cup: Morgan Scores 5 Goals; USWNT Routs Thailand 13-0

By
Spencer Rodak
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2019 World Cup: USA defeats Thailand, 13-0

In their opening match of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) put on a goal-scoring clinic against Thailand, cruising to the 13-0 win – the largest margin of victory in World Cup history.

The U.S. dominated for the entirety of the game, with Thailand proving no match while the ball stayed with the U.S. as the offense put on a show.

The U.S. got started early, when in the 12th minute Kelley O’Hara sent a beautiful cross into the box that found the head of Alex Morgan for the first goal.

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World Cup debutant Rose Lavelle made the score 2-0 four minutes later, firing a shot outside the box to the near post and into the back of the net.

Lindsey Horan scored her first World Cup goal just after the half hour mark off a set piece when a Lavelle pass found her feet in a crowded box for the 3-0 advantage.

With the game already out of reach after three goals, the U.S. took the lead into the locker room at halftime.

Despite the already comfortable advantage, the U.S. came out in the second half with their foot on the gas, finding a goal in the 50th minute. Sam Mewis, another first time World Cup participant, fired a shot from just inside the box to the left post and past Thailand’s keeper for the 4-0 lead.

Alex Morgan secured a brace in the 53rd minute via a free kick that found Horan, who headed the ball down to the feet of Morgan for the fifth goal.

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Just a minute later, the U.S. made the score 6-0 when Mewis notched in her second goal of the match.

Rose Lavelle added to the growing U.S. lead just two minutes later, scoring her second of the match for the seventh goal.

Despite the big lead, the U.S. continued to show its attacking prowess, when Christen Press slotted a ball to Alex Morgan, who moved to the left before pulling the ball back to her right foot, firing in a shot for the 8-0 lead and her first career World Cup hat trick in the 74th minute.

The U.S. added to the scoreline five minutes later, when Press found Mallory Pugh streaking down the right side, who delivered a cross that just missed Morgan, but found Megan Rapinoe for the ninth goal of the match.

The U.S. hit double digits on the scoreboard in the 81st, via a Rapinoe ball that found Morgan, who fired in a shot for her fourth goal.

Just a few moments later, second half sub Mallory Pugh bagged her first World Cup goal, via a Press header that found Morgan, putting the ball in the path of Pugh, who dribbled around the goalkeeper for a goal into the empty net.

Morgan made the score 12-0 in the 87th minute, firing a rocket into the left side of the net for her fifth goal of the match, tying a Women’s World Cup record for most goals scored in a single match.

2015 World Cup hero Carli Lloyd capped off the blowout, scoring in second half stoppage time for the 13th goal. It was Lloyd’s fifth consecutive World Cup match with a goal, dating back to her hat trick in the U.S.’ victory in the 2015 World Cup final.

While the game was fun to watch and the U.S. executed brilliantly with their scoring chances, Thailand is one of the weakest teams in the World Cup field. There were many positives in the match, but the U.S. were also never seriously challenged and ‘keeper Alyssa Naeher had no opportunity to prove that she could perform in a major tournament.

Goals, goals, goals

The U.S. set multiple Women’s World Cup records in the match, surpassing the largest margin of victory set by Germany against Argentina, who won 11-0 in the 2007 World Cup. With 13 goals in the game, the U.S. surpassed the output of 20 countries in their entire histories in their respective World Cup appearances.

Lloyd picks up where she left off in 2015

With a goal in the 93rd minute, Carli Lloyd set a World Cup record with a goal in her fifth consecutive match, while also becoming the oldest player in USWNT history to score in the tournament.

Morgan’s big day

Alex Morgan’s five goals and two assists in the match led the U.S. to the big win, while her five goals tied the World Cup record for goals in a game, matching the output of U.S. legend Michelle Akers’ in the 1991 World Cup against Chinese Taipei.

USWNT vs. USMNT

Of interesting note, the USWNT scored more goals (13), than the USMNT has scored combined in their last three World Cup appearances (12) in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 tournaments.

The USMNT has also scored just 13 total goals in the last 379 days, while the USWNT has scored a whopping 89 goals during the same period.

Up Next

Up next, the U.S. will take on Chile in their second Group F match on Sunday at 10 a.m. MT., and the game can be viewed on FOX. Last time the two teams met, the U.S. won 3-0 and 4-0 in a pair of friendlies in the late summer of 2018.

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