The U.S. women’s soccer team is in the midst of a Victory Tour following its 2015 World Cup win.
Several stars from that group, including Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan, will represent the U.S. in today’s 1:30 p.m. CT exhibition against Haiti at Legion Field in Birmingham. (Actually the kickoff looks to be around 2 p.m.)
The match is on ESPN2 and streamed on WatchESPN.
Be sure to follow along here for updates. Meanwhile, check out all of AL.com’s coverage leading up to the match.
Starters for USA are Hope Solo in goal, Christie Rampone, Kelley O’Hara, Julie Johnston and Meghan Klingenberg in the back line, Becky Sauerbrunn, Carli Lloyd, Morgan Brian, Megan Rapinoe and Crystal Dunn in the midfield and Alex Morgan at forward.
USA has six subs it can use. Midfielder Tobin Heath is OUT for today’s match after “taking a knock in training,” per U.S. soccer. Sauerbrunn makes her first start as a midfielder after 68 starts as a defender. Coach Jill Ellis detailed it some here in today’s preview.
Crowd filling out nicely. They were expecting some 38,000.
FINAL: U.S. wins 8-0
SECOND HALF
89′ – GOAL. Heather O’Reilly scores on a Rodriguez and it’s 8-0 USA. Haiti goalkeeper carried off on a stretcher after the play.
86′ – Crowd announced at 35,753, largest standalone crowd to see #USWNT in southeast.
85′ – GOAL. Alex Morgan scores on an assist from Whitney Engen. Crowd loves it because crowd loves Alex Morgan. 7-0 USA
72′ – Haiti’s Nerilia Mondesir gets a yellow card to highlight the second-half excitement.
65′ – O’Hara almost scores a goal but it goes just wide off a header.
59′ – USA uses its last sub as Meghan Klingenberg is subbed out by Heather O’Reilly
52′ – GOAL. Amy Rodriguez fires a shot from about 20 yards away and gives USA a 6-0 lead.
* Subs – out are Solo, Sauerbrunn, Lloyd, Rapinoe and Johnston. In are Alyssa Naeher at goal along with Ali Krieger, Amy Rodriguez, Whitney Engen and Shannon Boxx.
HALFTIME
U.S. leads 5-0 on three goals from Carli Lloyd, one from Crystal Dunn and one from Julie Johnston
FIRST HALF
43′ – Morgan’s header goes off the crossbar and over the goal.
39′ – Lloyd has a hat trick, getting a shot over the head of the Haiti goalkeeper on an assist from Rapinoe. It’s her fifth hat trick and second straight against Haiti. 5-0 USA
34 – And I should say that Solo got the loudest ovation, and the crowd goes wild when she touches the ball.
31′ – It was almost 5-0, but a shot went off the crossbar.
28′ – I’m counting 2 touches by Hope Solo so far, on long kicks by Haiti.
22′ – GOAL. Lloyd with goal No. 2, assisted by Dunn, and USA leads 4-0.
17′ – GOAL. Crystal Dunn scores quickly after the last goal on an assist by Megan Rapinoe. Dunn was recently added to the roster for the matches against Haiti. 3-0 USA
16′ – GOAL. Alex Morgan is taken down in the box and Carli Lloyd scores on a penalty kick. 2-0 USA
12′ – Sauerbrun in her first start at midfield, had a shot but it went high.
11′ – U.S. is controlling possession, as expected. I’m not sure I’ve seen the ball go past the center line. Should be a pretty easy day for Hope Solo.
1′ – GOAL – Julie Johnston scores after a corner, assisted by Kelley O’Hara. 1-0 USA
