Sophia Smith, USWNT overcome rugged Colombia in 3-0 friendly win

Despite two saved penalties, the USWNT won in Colorado thanks to Smith’s brace

Sophia Smith’s brace carried the U.S. women’s national team to a 3-0 win over Colombia Saturday night in Colorado.

Facing a very low block and a rarely-seen sweeper in use from Colombia, the USWNT started sluggishly. Still, they should have entered the locker room up by a couple of goals: Mal Pugh side-footed wide of an early empty net after good work from Sophia Smith, while a disputed penalty won by Smith resulted in both Catalina Pérez saving Lindsey Horan’s spot kick, and Smith stumbling as she tried to deposit the rebound, sending it wide.

Smith would make up for that shortly after the start of the second half, burying two goals in a six-minute span. First, Rose Lavelle and halftime substitute Ashley Sanchez combined at midfield to send the Portland Thorns star in behind to clip the ball past Pérez in the 54th minute.

On the second, it was Lavelle again with the assist, this time playing a smart diagonal ball that broke the Colombia back line, leaving Smith room to race away and slide a shot home on the hour mark.

Sanchez picked another halftime sub, Alex Morgan, out with a lob after great work to get open, with Morgan drawing another penalty kick. Pérez yet again produced a save though, this time denying Lavelle at full stretch in the 69th minute.

While Casey Murphy saw very little work in her fifth cap, the USWNT’s big chances dried up after that, with long spells of possession but few breakthroughs. Megan Rapinoe came in late and got involved, bending a free kick inches wide in the 85th minute after having a penalty appeal rejected.

Rapinoe would still factor into a goal, floating a precise 90th minute free kick in for Taylor Kornieck, who expertly guided home a header on her USWNT debut.

The USWNT will complete their back-to-back with Colombia next Tuesday, when they meet again at Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah.

See the USWNT’s goals vs. Colombia

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