Youth movement: Fishel, Shaw score their first U.S. goals as American women defeat Colombia 3-0

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw both scored their first international goals and the United States defeated Colombia 3-0 on Sunday.

Lindsey Horan added a goal for the United States in the second of two exhibition matches against Colombia. The teams played to a scoreless draw on Thursday in Utah.

The United States will play just two more games this year, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Frisco, Texas, in early December. Both matches are against China.

The United States was expected to name a new coach before those matches as the team prepares for the Paris Olympics next summer.

The Americans have been led for four games by Twila Kilgore, who was named interim coach following Vlatko Andonovski’s resignation after the Women’s World Cup this past summer.

The United States was eliminated in the Round of 16 on penalties after a scoreless draw with Sweden, the earliest World Cup exit ever for the Americans.

Andonovski, who led the team for four years, was recently named coach of the Kansas City Current. Kilgore, who was one of Andonovski’s assistants on the national team, was 3-0-1 as interim coach of the No. 3 ranked Americans.

Colombia, ranked No. 22 in the world, advanced to the quarterfinals at the Women’s World Cup over the summer for the first time. Las Cafeteras were finally stopped by England 2-1.

Colombia goalkeeper Natalia Giraldo had to leave the match in the first half after she was injured while making a save on Alex Morgan’s shot. Giraldo was replaced by backup Sandra Sepulveda.

The match at Snapdragon Stadium was scoreless at the half, but the United States looked more dominant than in the first game.

Fishel, a San Diego native who plays club soccer for Chelsea, scored in the 60th minute on a header off a corner kick in just her second appearance for the United States. Fishel played college soccer at UCLA, winning two Pac-12 titles before being drafted fifth overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride.

“It was a dream,” Fishel said. I mean every little girl just dreams of being on this team, and to be here and to be able to score for this team, with my family and friends in the stands, it’s just amazing.”

Horan scored her 30th international goal in the 62nd minute. Shaw, an 18-year-old who plays for the San Diego Wave in the National Women’s Soccer League, added a goal in the 83rd off a feed from Alyssa Thompson.

It was also Shaw’s second appearance for the United States. Afterward, she made a heart with her hands for the crowd.

“It’s hard to believe that it even happened,” Shaw said. “I just saw Alyssa get the ball and I took off. She played me the absolute best ball ever and I just did what I could to tap it in.”

Colombia, which has also qualified for the Olympics, had not played since the World Cup before the friendlies against the United States.

Linda Caicedo, the team’s 18-year-old forward who plays professionally for Real Madrid, was not available for Colombia after starting in the first match. Catalina Usme, who scored two goals during the World Cup, was also unavailable because of an injury.

The Colombians were playing the two friendlies under Angelo Marsiglia, their new coach after the post-World Cup departure of Nelson Abadía.

Colombia’s players showed their support for fellow national team player Luis Diaz by holding his No. 7 jersey during the national anthems before the match.

Diaz’s parents were kidnapped in Colombia on Saturday by gunmen in their city of Barrancas, near the Caribbean. The Liverpool winger’s mother was later rescued but his father remained missing, authorities said.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer