Kristen Hamilton became the 29th player to make her United States women’s national team debut under head coach Jill Ellis in the team’s 3-0 victory over Portugal on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn. The win was Ellis’ 105th as U.S. manager, tying Tony DiCicco’s all-time record.
Carli Lloyd scored twice in the first half — once from the penalty spot — in the third of the Americans’ five World Cup victory-tour matches. Lindsey Horan added a late goal off the bench.
Ellis has two remaining games as U.S. coach, both against South Korea. A victory in either will put her in sole possession of the all-time wins mark for a U.S. coach.
Hamilton ranks tied for third in the National Women’s Soccer League in scoring this season with eight goals. Ellis spoke last week about Hamilton’s remarkable transformation from a reserve in the 2017 NWSL Championship to an integral player for the North Carolina Courage.
Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle, Kelley O’Hara and Megan Rapinoe all missed the match due to injury, and Ali Krieger missed the match due to a family emergency. All five players also missed out on last Thursday’s 4-0 victory over Portugal.
Scoring summary:
- USA (Carli Lloyd, 22′)
- USA (Carli Lloyd, 32; PK)
- USA (Lindsey Horan, 83
Player input likely to play a key role in USWNT coaching search