Lloyd Scores Twice, USA Beats Switzerland 4-1 At U.S. Bank Stadium
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carli Lloyd scored twice and the U.S. women's national team defeated Switzerland 5-1 in an exhibition match on Sunday.
Christen Press, Crystal Dunn and Kealia Ohai also scored for the United States, playing its second friendly against Switzerland this week. The U.S. defeated the Swiss 4-0 on Wednesday night in Utah.
Ohai entered the game late for her international debut and scored 48 seconds later on for her first goal. It was the fastest goal in a debut in team history, one second faster than Lynn Williams' goal in her debut on Wednesday.
Sandrine Mauron scored for Switzerland off the rebound of a shot from Lara Dickenmann to take the early lead in the seventh minute. It was just the second goal that the Swiss have scored against the United States.
Lloyd scored the equalizer in the 25th minute with a stunning strike from nearly 30 yards out. Her second goal came off the deflection of a shot by Press in the 51st minute. Press scored shortly thereafter from the top from the box to extend the lead to 3-1.
Dunn added a goal off a cross from Williams in 63rd minute. Ohai's goal came in the 82nd.
Lloyd now has 96 international goals and 17 goals this year. She will not play in the team's year-ending matches against Romania next month in San Jose and Carson, California, because she is getting married.
U.S. coach Jill Ellis gave a few of the regular national team players time off for the two matches against Switzerland, including forward Alex Morgan, midfielder Megan Rapinoe and defenders Meghan Klingenberg and Julie Johnston.
Ellis experimented with a 3-5-2 formation for the match. Williams, the golden boot winner of the National Women's Soccer League with the Western New York Flash, earned her first international start.
The team had a disappointing finish in this summer's Rio Games, where it was ousted in the quarterfinals by Sweden. It was the earliest ever exit from the Olympics for the United States.
The United States is playing without goalkeeper Hope Solo, who was suspended from the team for six months following the Olympics.
Ashlyn Harris, who was chosen the NWSL's goalkeeper of the year this season, started in goal for the U.S. on Sunday. Harris plays for the Orlando Pride.
Attendance for the friendly was announced a 23,400, a record for a U.S. women's match in Minnesota.
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