The U.S. women's national team that rolled past Ireland 4-0 only three days prior lined up entirely different in Sunday's second meeting between the two teams. It didn't matter at all.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes' side matched the effort on Sunday in Cincinnati, once again taking a 2-0 first-half lead and cruising to a comfortable 4-0 win - the 600th all-time victory for the program. The USWNT have now outscored Ireland 59-1 in 17 all-time matches, all wins for the Americans.
Hayes rolled out a completely revamped starting XI that once again handed two players their first caps - Kansas City Current's Izzy Rodriguez and Seattle Reign FC's Sam Meza.
Forward Lynn Biyendolo captained the squad, and earned her 82nd cap in just her second start this year. Biyendolo, at 32, was not only the oldest player on the field for the USWNT, but has almost twice as many caps as the rest of the team on the pitch.
Captaining the USWNT for the first-time was a massive nod to the striker who's scored 25 international goals throughout her career. In just the 12th minute of the game, Biyendolo put on her cape and finished a one-time volley on a precision chipped service from Racing Louisville's Emma Sears, giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead. Rodriguez added to the total, scoring her first USMNT goal on debut in the 42nd minute.
"Crazy, incredible," Biyendolo said. "It's such an honor to even play for the national team, be a part of camps. But to be able to be a captain? I'm going to remember this day forever. I'm probably gonna go back to my room and be like, ‘What the heck?’ And debrief on my own. But it's truly incredible."
The second half marked a newfound tempo for the USWNT, with Yazmeen Ryan finding a second wind and creating endless opportunities on the wing. Ryan buried home a one-time finish for her first USWNT goal to make it 3-0 in the 66th minute.
As cheers erupted in the stadium, with fans yelling "We want Rose" it became clear Hayes would find a way to get Rose Lavelle, a Cincinnati native, into the match.
In the 86th minute - right after the USWNT scored their fourth goal, thanks to young sensation Alyssa Thompson - Lavelle came into the game to thunderous applause. Lavelle had scored and assisted in Thursday's 4-0 win, her first USWNT match in more than six months.
"Emma had said she’d put me in for a little cameo at the end, so that was always the plan and I really appreciated that," Lavelle said. "It’s always special coming home. It was special for me to have that moment."
From Sears' endless runs (for all 90 minutes) to a pair of debuts - not to mention Biyendolo scoring and captaining the young squad - the USWNT simply showed out once again.
GOAL rates the USWNT's players from TQL Stadium.
