Thursday night, the United States National Team welcomed Paraguay to Cleveland, Ohio. The match was the United States’ first competitive soccer since their Bronze medal performance at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. United States legend Carli Lloyd made it a triumphant return to international soccer, scoring five in a 9-0 rout of Paraguay.
Paraguay came into the match against the four-time World Cup champions after not playing any matches in 2020, and only one so far in 2021. In that match, Paraguay lost 0-7 to Japan. Against the United States, it didn’t start, or end, any better.
The United States started with all the possession. Paraguay tried countering the United States attack with physicality, leading to the first chance in the third minute. On a quick free kick, off a Paraguay foul committed five yards outside of the penalty area, defender Crystal Dunn sent in the first chance of the night. The shot went just wide of the net, but United States didn’t have to wait to get on the scoreboard.
Less than a minute later, two storylines of the night made headlines. Returning to the National Team after no 2021 competitive minutes in red, white and blue was forward Mallory Pugh. The Chicago Red Stars standout sent in a cross to Lloyd, who headed in her first of the night.
The second for Lloyd wasn’t too far behind. In the sixth minute, Dunn sent in a cross that got past a well-defended Rose Lavelle, to the feet of an unmarked Lloyd. That second goal of the night put Lloyd into third place in the all-time USWNT goal scoring ranks, with Kristine Lilly; but the tie didn’t last too long.
Tactically, Paraguay shifted from an early four defenders in the back to five. Their shift didn’t slow down the United States. Forward Lynn Williams had an opportunity to make it a three-goal advantage. Williams’ header was stopped short of the goal line by an awaiting Parguay defense. Instead, the ball landed right in front of midfielder Andi Sullivan, who scored her first career goal with the United States.
Paraguay wasn’t given much possession, which gave the US defense not much to do. When Paraguay did get the ball, it was quickly back to the feet of the United States.
The final 15 minutes of the first half featured three more goals. At the 30th minute, Williams had space three yards outside of the penalty area and sent in a curling attempt. Williams’ shot deflected off forward Deisy Ojeda and over the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Christina Recalde.
By the 38th minute, Lloyd added two more, good for Lloyd’s first four-goal match of her illustrious international career. At the 34th, defender Maria Martinez draped Lloyd in the penalty area. Instead of going to ground for a potential penalty call, Lloyd wrapped her leg around the defender to tap in her third.
Williams’ added an assist to her night four minutes later, when Lloyd lobbed in her fourth from close range.
Before the stroke of halftime, Sullivan tried adding her second international goal, from 30 yards away. To the Washington Spirit captain’s credit, it almost put the United States up seven, but rattled off the crossbar.
The second half didn’t have an ideal start for Paraguay, as they sent just 10 player onto the field. Midfielder Lorena Alonso, who sustained a head injury in the first half, joined the match in the 48th minute after receiving a fresh head bandage in the locker room.
It took just four minutes into the second half to add the seventh USA goal. Pugh sent in a bending cross from a free kick, and Sullivan’s running header hit off Recalde, and into the corner of the net.
The United States made personnel changes 10 minutes into the second half. Midfielder Catarina Macario, forward Sophia Smith and forward Alex Morgan joined the offensive fun.
Paraguay’s big chance of the night came in the 60th minute. The United States fouled the South American and the subsequent free kick landed comfortably in the hands of goalkeeper Adrianna Franch.
Lloyd, who wasn’t part of the triple sub, made Paraguay pay with another goal. The 61st minute goal was Lloyd’s fifth. With that goal, Lloyd scored the most goals by any United States national team member in a single match.
Outside of the offensive display, the friendly was an opportunity for players to get healthy. Most notably was forward Tobin Heath. Heath’s missed a chunk of the 2021 season due to knee and ankle injuries. In the 74th minute, Heath came in to close the match out. In the process, Heath added the ninth goal of the night. At the 86th minute, Heath received a cross from defender Tierna Davidson, from midfield. With the pass, Heath had such a well-timed run that you wouldn’t know the Arsenal forward was still building up match fitness.
The crowd of 14,117 that watched from the stands of FirstEnergy Stadium, in Cleveland, Ohio, left with quite a show to remember. In a career for Lloyd that features moment after moment, the Cleveland crowd saw something even Lloyd had never done before.
The United States isn’t done playing Paraguay just yet. On Tuesday, September 21, the two teams clash again, this time in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more coverage from the United States National Team. For more, follow Thomas Costello on Twitter @1ThomasCostello.
