Sam Coffey, Jaedyn Shaw Praised by USWNT Fans for Goals in Friendly Win vs. China

It took some Coffey, but the United States women's national team finally woke up on Tuesday evening against China.

Sam Coffey's golazo drew the USWNT even with China in the second half, paving the way for Jaedyn Shaw to seal the victory in the 79th minute with a brilliant goal of her own in a 2-1 friendly victory.

It was Coffey's first international goal for the United States, while Shaw put home her second for the Stars and Stripes and became the third-youngest player in USWNT history to score in her first start.

But the night didn't start on a high note.

Shen Mengyu gave the Chinese visitors a 1-0 lead in first-half stoppage time off a free-kick routine, putting the United States in an early hole reminiscent of their World Cup struggles.

But the United States came out more aggressive in the second half and Coffey and Shaw dug them out of that hole, earning well-deserved plaudits along the way:

China's decision to play five at the back stymied the United States attack early on, but the Americans eventually downloaded their opponent.

When the final whistle blew, the stats told the story of a more dominant display than the final score indicated—the USWNT held 64.4 percent of possession, outshot China 23-4 (11-1 on goal) and held a 6-2 advantage on corners.

There's no denying that the World Cup failures of the USWNT will color this as a bad year for the program. But it's also the year that young players like Shaw, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith, among others, established themselves as future superstars for the Americans.

The future is in good hands. Coffey and Shaw were another reminder of that on Tuesday.