USWNT Blasts Colombia in First Match Without Catarina Macario

Sophia Smith scored twice in the first of two friendlies vs. Colombia.

The USWNT returned to action Saturday night in Colorado, and they picked up where they left off with a 3-0 victory over Colombia.

The two sides were scoreless at half, but Sophia Smith led the way in the second half with two goals in six minutes to take a 2-0 lead. Taylor Kornieck added a goal in stoppage time to seal the deal.

A second half show for the sold-out crowd in Colorado! #USAvCOL x @allstate pic.twitter.com/IlKxdx5OrF

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 26, 2022

Smith now has six goals and three assists in 16 matches for the USWNT, while Kornieck’s goal was her first score in her first international match for the squad.

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski said Colombia’s strategy was to keep the game low scoring, which forces the team to keep getting creative late in games.

“It’s no secret that they were very much focused on not getting scored on,” Andonovski said, via ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf. “So, the main focus for us is going to be [the] final third, different combinations, creating space, and executing the opportunities that we create.”

The USWNT will return to the field on Tuesday in Utah for another friendly match with Colombia in preparation for the CONCACAF W Championship that begins in July. Their first match will be July 4 vs. Haiti, and if all goes well during the tournament, the USWNT can qualify for both the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Watch all of the international friendly matches with fuboTV: Start a free 7-day trial today!

The victory came despite missing midfielder Catarina Macario, who tore her ACL last month playing for Lyon. The 22-year-old said she was “devastated” by the injury and will miss next month’s tournament, but is confident she will return healthy soon.

• Daily Cover: Tina Charles Always Adapts