Carli Lloyd scored twice vs. Costa Rica. (Photo Copyright Erica McCaulley for The Equalizer)
There were bright spots for Costa Rica on Wednesday, but an hour-plus rain delay only prolonged Las Ticas’ misery in a 7-2 loss to the United States women’s national team. Carli Lloyd and Heather O’Reilly each scored twice and Alex Morgan scored in her return from injury for the U.S. women, who improved to 2-0 in their World Cup victory tour.
Abby Wambach also scored for the United States, which scored its seventh goal via a Costa Rica own goal. The U.S. extended its home unbeaten streak to 98 games, dating back to 2004, and improved to 2-0 on the 10-game victory tour after beating Costa Rica, 8-0 on Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Lloyd opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a thundering free kick which twice hit off the underside of the crossbar.
O’Reilly doubled the lead six minutes later before the match was halted by referee Margaret Domka due to sever weather in the area. The weather delay lasted 83 minutes.
Wearing the captain’s armband to honor her 100th U.S. cap — earned in May against Korea Republic — Lori Chalupny found Abby Wambach for the United States’ third goal four minutes after the restart, and Lloyd scored her second goal in the 20th minute.
[PHOTOS: USWNT all smiles after thrashing Costa Rica]
O’Reilly scored her second goal in the 23rd minute, tallying twice for the second straight match after also scoring twice against Costa Rica on Sunday.
Katherine Alvarado put the ball into her own net in the 31st minute to give the U.S. a 6-0 lead after 31 minutes, but things improved slightly from there for Las Ticas. Cristin Granados scored the first-ever goal for Costa Rica against the U.S. in 12 all-time meetings (all losses), tapping in a cross from Carolina Venegas. Karla Villalobos then scored a second goal for Costa Rica, calmly beating second-half substitute Alyssa Naeher after slipping past the U.S. back line.
The match ended on a high note for the Americans, however. Alex Morgan checked into the game in the 56th minute, logging her first minutes since the World Cup final on July 5, when the U.S. beat Japan, 5-2. Morgan had minor knee surgery performed following the World Cup. Her return was marked with a goal, too. In the 81st minute, Amy Rodriguez crossed the ball to the back post and found Morgan, who calmly chested the ball into the net from close range for the United States’ seventh goal.
It was Morgan’s first goal since scoring against Colombia in the Round of 16 at the World Cup.
Next up for the U.S. on the victory tour is a pair of September meetings with Australia, on Sept. 17 in Detroit and Sept. 20 in Birmingham, Ala.
