USWNT beats Brazil 2-0 in first April friendly as Rodman, Heaps score
The U.S. women's national team is back in the win column.
After last playing in late February and losing the SheBelieves Cup trophy to Japan, Emma Hayes' side beat Brazil 2-0 on Saturday in Los Angeles to regain form.
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Hayes switched it up with the starting lineup, giving goalie Phallon Tullis-Joyce her first international cap. Alyssa Thompson and Sam Coffey formed the double pivot midfield with Lindsey Heaps in the attacking midfield role.
Trinity Rodman played on the right wing with Ally Sentnor on the left, as Catarina Macario took her spot up top. Rodman made her first international appearance since 2024, and started off with a bang.
In just the fifth minute, Thompson made a threatening run from deep before sliding the ball into Rodman's run. The 22-year-old Rodman brilliantly poked it up to open the scoring.
Despite the early goal, it was Brazil that retained possession for much of the first half. However, the side struggled to generate anything meaningful from it.
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That eventually proved costly at just past the hour mark, when the U.S. earned a penalty. Heaps, the captain, stepped up to the spot and had too much power for Lorena to stop.
The U.S. finished the game with more possession, but also could've netted more goals. They had four big chances, per Sofascore, but Lorena came up with 10 saves. The U.S. also had 12 of 15 shots on target compared to only six of 15 for Brazil.
Tullis-Joyce, 28 and Manchester United's starter, ended up recording a clean sheet in her first senior cap. She came up with six saves, five inside the box, alongside having two clearances, one high claim and 11 of 19 accurate long balls, per Sofascore.
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Crystal Dunn also stood out at left-back having won all seven of her ground duels to go with four clearances, four tackles, two interceptions and one block. She was not dribbled past in the 90 minutes.
Hayes brought on Michelle Cooper, Lily Yohannes, Yazmeen Ryan, Avery Petterson, Jaedyn Shaw and Ashley Hatch off the bench. Cooper and Yohannes came in around the hour mark.
The two nations will run it back to end April on Tuesday. Kickoff from PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., is set for 10:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. PT.
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