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USWNT gets Rose of a win over Sweden

Rose Lavelle had an impressive debut with the senior national team against England. (MEG LINEHAN/Equalizer Soccer)

Rose Lavelle scored her second international goal on Thursday to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Sweden at Gamla Ullevi in Goteborg. The win was the first against former coach Pia Sundhage who left to take over her native Sweden in 2013.

Jill Ellis lined to the U.S. up in a four-back marking three straight matches since the SheBelieves Cup in which she has done so. Sweden, prepping for next month’s Euro’s, also played the match straight up, a stark contrast from the deep-lying bunker deployed for last summer’s Olympic quarterfinal. The edge wound up with Sweden for much of the match tough it was the Lavelle goal which will tell the story of the match.

Alyssa Naeher got the nod in goal for the United States and was made to work for her clean sheet. Sweden created the first quality chance of the match in the 18th minute when a keeper-started buildup ended with Olivia Scough getting off a shot that Naeher rose up and tapped it over the bar.

Just before halftime, Allie Long was forced to scramble to keep her own own goal out of Naeher’s goal, and that was after Long herself gave the ball away to create a chance for Sweden. After the giveaway, Long raced back to cover and got to the ensuing cross but inadvertently hit it the wrong way and beat her own keeper before racing toward the goal line and calmly clearing it away.

Rose Lavelle scored her 2nd international goal on Thursday to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Sweden at Gamla Ullevi in Goteborg. The win was the first against former coach Pia Sundhage who left to take over her native Sweden in 2013.

The U.S. goal came on what was essentially the side’s only quality chance of the match. In the 56th minute, Crystal Dunn found herself in space and running through the center of the park at the Sweden back line. Swedish left back Jonna Andersson cut inside in a fruitless effort to slow Dunn. As she did, Lavelle was able to sneak into space on her right side and round the vacated corner. From there Dunn slipped Lavelle the perfect pass and the NWSL rookie finished far post for the only goal on the night.

The 1-0 score did not stay safe without a fight though. Sweden came inches from equalizing in stoppage time when the U.S. did not adequately clear out a corner and it fell to Kosovare Asllani’s feet. Asllani ripped a shot that Naeher got just enough of to push it off the crossbar and over.

Sydney Leroux, in her first camp for the United States since delivering her first child, was dressed but did not see the field. Lynn Williams took an ankle injury in training and was the lone U.S. player not to dress.

The U.S. are off to Norway for a Sunday afternoon match in at Komplett Arena in Sandefjord. Sweden will host Scotland on Tuesday.

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