Rose Lavelle gave the USA all the scoring it needed in a win at Sweden. (Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
GOTHENBURG, Sweden – The U.S. women’s national team opened its two-game European tour with a 1-0 victory against Sweden at Gamla Ullevi Stadium as Rose Lavelle scored the lone goal.
The U.S. had several decent chances in the first half, including a Carli Lloyd shot from a Meghan Klingenberg cross that she knocked just wide and a semi-breakaway from Rockville Centre, N.Y. native Crystal Dunn, who fired at the net and forced the Sweden goalkeeper into a kick save.
Sweden had a dangerous chance in the 44th minute after a giveaway in midfield and Caroline Seger got free in the box. Her shot from the left side of the penalty area looked to be going wide before it was blocked by Northport, N.Y. native Allie Long. The ball bounced over sliding goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, but Long recovered and sweep the ball off goal line to avoid an own goal.
The USA scored in transition in the 56th minute. Dunn ran with pace at the defense and slipped a pass to Lavelle in the right side of the box. Lavelle cut toward goal and struck a rolling shot just inside the left post from a wide angle.
Sweden created a couple of chances late in the game, particularly in the 86th minute when Kosovare Asllani’s shot was deflected by Naeher, hit the top of the cross bar and flew out for a corner kick. The U.S. defense, led by Becky Sauerbrunn, put on a strong performance to maintain the clean sheet.
Scoring Summary:
USA – Rose Lavelle (Crystal Dunn) 56th minute
Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 5-Kelley O’Hara (8-Julie Ertz, 84), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 14-Casey Short, 7-Meghan Klingenberg (6-Abby Dahlkemper, 46); 16-Rose Lavelle (15-Megan Rapinoe, 90+2), 20-Allie Long, 3-Sam Mewis, 22-Mallory Pugh; 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.) 9-Lindsey Horan, 46), 19-Crystal Dunn (23-Christen Press, 75)
Subs not used: 2-Sydney Leroux, 18-Abby Smith
Head Coach: Jill Ellis
SWE: 12-Hilda Carlén; 15-Jessica Samuelsson, 3-Linda Sembrant, 5-Nilla Fischer (6-Magdalena Eriksson, 75), 2-Joanna Andersson; 9-Kosovare Asllani, 7-Lisa Dahlkvist (11-Stina Blackstenius, 87), 17-Carolina Seger, 22-Olivia Schough 10-Julia Spetsmark, 63); 18-Fridolina Rolfö (20-Mimi Larsson, 46), 8-Lotta Schlein (capt.)
Subs not used: 1-Hedvig Lindahl, 4-Emma Berglund, 14-Hanna Folkesson, 16-Hanna Glas, 19-Pauline Hammarlund, 21-Emelie Lundberg, 24-Josefin Johansson, 25-Petra Andersson
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage
Stats Summary: USA / SWE
Shots: 7 / 13
Shots on Goal: 4 / 3
Saves: 3 / 3
Corner Kicks: 2 / 10
Fouls: 4 / 14
Offside: 4 / 2
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Olga Zadinova (Czech Republic)
Assistant Referee 1: Jana Zaplatilova (Czech Republic)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriela Hanakova (Czech Republic)
4th official: Lucie Sulcova (Czech Republic)
Woman of the Match: Becky Sauerbrunn
