ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cat Macario scored two goals and the United States defeated Italy, 3-0, on Saturday night in a friendly match at Inter&Co Stadium.
It was the first of two friendlies between the teams, with the second scheduled for Dec. 1 in Fort Lauderdale.
Olivia Moultrie also scored while goalkeeper Claudia Dickey earned the shutout in just her fifth appearance at the senior level.
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“I think obviously we wanted to keep building on the performances we had last camp, and the emphasis on coming out strong and sticking to our principles, and I think that’s what we did,” said U.S. veteran Rose Lavelle, who earned her 116th cap. “Overall, I think a really good team performance.”
The United States wasted no time in attacking Italy’s goalie Laura Giuliani, scoring inside the first two minutes.
Fresh off their NWSL title with Gotham, Lilly Reale found teammate Lavelle to start the sequence. Lavelle then went wide to Alyssa Thompson, who quickly returned the ball. Lavelle found Moultrie, who went far side for her second goal in as many appearances with the team.
“We talked about starting fast and starting strong, and I think the momentum carried out,” Moultrie said. “We had a really good week of training, so I feel like it flowed into the first minutes of the game.”
An offside call on Lavelle at the 48-minute mark denied Moultrie her second goal.
In the 64th minute, Sam Coffey dribbled down the middle and found Macario breaking on her left. Macario took the pass and fired a shot far side to give the United States a two-goal lead.
Macario added her second in the 76th minute when she snared a pass from the team’s youngest player, 18-year-old Lily Yohannes, and fired a shot from the top of the right side of the box to the far side of the goal.
It was Macario’s 15th goal in 28 international appearances. Macario has now been involved in 18 goals in her past 14 U.S. appearances.
“It was a great win, it’s always a pleasure being with this team,” said Macario, who has 12 goals and six assists since February of 2022. “I feel so happy to be in this environment, and I feel like it really just helps you be the best version of yourself.
“Lucky enough that (U.S. coach) Emma (Hayes) knows me very well, and she knows what I can bring to the team. This was a good year … in which I have just been trying to find some consistency … just trying to find my rhythm.”
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