Christen Press scored twice on Monday vs. Holland, giving her six goals in seven U.S. women's national team appearances. (Photo copyright Steve Bruno for www.womens.soccerly.com)
Starting nearly an entire new lineup from last time out, the United States women’s national team defeated the Netherlands 3-1 on Tuesday in The Hague, Netherlands. Christen Press scored twice and now has six goals in seven international appearances, all of which have come since Feb. 9.
U.S. coach Tom Sermanni started 10 different players from his starting lineup in Friday’s 3-3 draw with Germany, experimenting throughout the field with 21-year-old Julie Johnston and Yael Averbuch at center midfield and Press and Sydney Leroux up top.
Press scored her first in the final minute of the first half when Leroux’s through ball put Press alone behind the Dutch defense. Press scored again in the 6oth minute on a solo effort from just outside the 18-yard box.
Tobin Heath opened the scoring in the 36th minute when Leroux sent in a low cross from the right flank and Press dummied it into the path of Heath, who calmly slotted the ball into the far side netting.
Manon Melis ruined the shutout for Ashlyn Harris in the 81st minute when Melis beat US defender Ali Krieger and chipped an on-rushing Harris from 18 yards out.
Lineup notes:
–Heather O’Reilly was the only starter on Tuesday who also started on Friday against Germany. She nearly scored in the 27th minute, but her low shot was cleared off the line after a scrum in the box.
— Julie Johnston, who just turned 21 on Saturday, started her first match in her second cap. The Santa Clara University holding midfielder played the full 90 minutes and it looked like she had scored in the 72nd minute, but she was whistled offside.
— Abby Wambach did not play. She remains on 155 international goals, three short of Mia Hamm’s all-time record.
— Megan Klingenberg returned from injury and entered the game for O’Reilly in the 65th minute. She slotted into the left back position and Kelley O’Hara pushed up to right midfield. Alex Morgan and Lauren Cheney both entered the game in the 79th minute, for O’Hara and Yael Averbuch, respectively.
— Dutch goal scorer Manon Melis signed to play with Sky Blue FC for the 2012 WPS season, but never came Stateside due to the league folding before the season began.
— US Starters: 24-Harris; 11-Krieger, 19-Buehler (C), 4-Sauerbrunn, 5-O’Hara; 9-O’Reilly, 16-Averbuch, 25-Johnston, 17-Heath, 23-Press, 2-Leroux
