Sky Blue FC's Carli Lloyd Scores 100th Career Goal As The USA Defeats Mexico 6-2

Sky Blue FC’s Carli Lloyd scored her 100th career international goal on Sunday afternoon as the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Mexico 6-2 in front of 15,349 fans at BBVA Compass Stadium. Lloyd is now one of six players to have scored 100 or more times for the U.S. WNT.

Team USA got on the scoreboard in just the third minute of play for the early lead. Megan Rapinoe split the Mexico defense with a through ball to Mallory Pugh, who collected on the run and then maneuvered the ball around goalkeeper Cecilia Santiago before passing into the open net.

Mexico equalized in the 17th minute when Monica Ocampo took a left-footed corner kick from the right side and swung the ball into the back of the net for a classic Goal Olimpico. Ocampo then set up another Mexico goal off a corner kick in the 24th minute. On this sequence, her corner made its way to the far post where Kiana Palacios headed it home for the 2-1 advantage.

The U.S. immediately responded with the equalizer in the 25th minute after Lindsey Horan sent a powerful header into the back of the net off a Rapinoe corner kick. Less than 10 minutes later. The USWNT took back the lead for the final time of the match.

In the 34th minute of action, Rapinoe worked her way down the left flank, cut back, then crossed the ball across the goal mouth to find Horan on the opposite side. Horan one-time volleyed the ball back towards the middle near the top of the six where Alex Morgan attempted to volley the ball over Santiago’s head. The ball bounced right in front of the goal line, and Lloyd followed up to head in her 100th career international goal.

Just before halftime, the USA took a two-goal lead after Rapinoe ran down a headed clearance from Becky Sauerbrunn that skipped towards the left flank. Rapinoe took a touch towards goal to draw in Santiago, then played a ball across the box to a sliding Morgan who redirected the ball into the lower left corner of the goal.

In the second half, the U.S. continued to apply pressure and added two more tallies before the final whistle. In the 64th minute, Rapinoe sent a through ball intended for Morgan to run on to. Santiago read the pass and came out of her box to break up the play, but the clearance fell right to Rapinoe who chipped the ball one-time into the open net.

The final goal of the night came four minutes later as Morgan completed her second consecutive brace against Mexico off a USA corner kick. Rapinoe bent a low, driven cross that skipped across the box to the far post where Morgan redirected it to convert for her 85th career goal.

The U.S. WNT players will return to their NWSL clubs to resume the sixth season of the league. The USA will regroup in the summer for a pair of friendlies against China PR on June 7 (9 p.m. ET, FS1) in Sandy, Utah and June 12 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in Cleveland, Ohio.

U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Mexico

Date: April 8, 2018

Competition: International Friendly

Venue: BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, Texas

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. CT

Attendance: 15,349

Weather: 53 degrees; Cloudy

Scoring Summary:

1 2 F

USA 4 2 6

MEX 2 0 2

USA - Mallory Pugh (Megan Rapinoe) 3rd minute

MEX - Mónica Ocampo 17

MEX - Kiana Palacios (Mónica Ocampo) 24

USA - Lindsey Horan (Megan Rapinoe) 25

USA - Carli Lloyd (Alex Morgan) 34

USA - Alex Morgan (Megan Rapinoe) 44

USA - Megan Rapinoe 64

USA - Alex Morgan (Megan Rapinoe) 68

Lineups:

USA: 18-Jane Campbell (24-Ashlyn Harris, 67); 16-Emily Sonnett (14-Sofia Huerta, 75), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 17-Tierna Davidson (25-Hailie Mace, 59), 19-Crystal Dunn; 6-Morgan Brian (20-Allie Long, 29), 9-Lindsey Horan (26-Haley Hanson, 40), 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.); 11-Mallory Pugh (27-Tegan McGrady, 58), 13-Alex Morgan, 15-Megan Rapinoe

Substitutes: 21-Savannah McCaskill

Head coach: Jill Ellis

MEX: 12-Cecilia Santiago; 2-Kenti Robles, 3-Bianca Sierra, 22-Greta Espinoza (5-Mónica Flores, 50), 23-Christina Murillo (13-Annia Mejía, 46); 6-Karla Nieto, 7-Cristina Ferral (4-Vanessa Flores, 79), 10-Stephany Mayor, 11-Mónica Ocampo (capt.) (17-María Sánchez, 60); 8-Ariana Calderón (9-Anisa Guajardo, 70), 18-Kiana Palacios (21-Renae Cuéllar, 74)

Substitutes: 1-Bianca Henninger, 14-Jocelyn Orejel, 16-Marcela Valera

Head coach: Roberto Medina

Stats Summary: USA / MEX

Shots: 18 / 6

Shots on Goal: 14 / 2

Saves: 0 / 8

Corner Kicks: 9 / 6

Fouls: 4 / 10

Offside: 1 / 2

Misconduct Summary:None

Officials:

Referee: Karen Abt (USA)

Assistant Referee 1: Felisha Mariscal (USA)

Assistant Referee 2: Deleana Quan (USA)

4th Official: Christina Unkel (USA)