United States Beats Australia 5-3 as Alex Morgan Scores 100th Career Goal

The No. 1 U.S. women's national team took to the Dick's Sporting Goods Park pitch against No. 6 Australia on Thursday night and left Commerce City, Colorado, with a 5-3 victory. 

The match was the U.S. women's final contest against a top-10 opponent prior to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, which kicks off June 7 in France. 

The U.S. debuted their World Cup away kits, and forward Alex Morgan broke hers in the best way possible with her 100th career international goal in the 14th minute. Morgan weaved her way down the left side before striking the ball in the center of the box. 

The 29-year-old star became just the seventh U.S. soccer player to eclipse 100 goals and did so in 159 appearances. 

Australia midfielder Lisa De Vanna silenced the celebration in the 29th minute with the equalizer as the U.S. defense left her alone in the box. The Matildas capitalized on sloppy U.S. play quickly after halftime with a goal from forward Caitlin Foord in the 47th minute to give Australia a 2-1 lead.

Frustration boiled over into a yellow card for the U.S.'s Megan Rapinoe in the 49th, but Tobin Heath tied the contest back up in the 53rd minute when she headed a cross into the back of the net. Heath had been the one predominantly creating chances for the U.S. in the first half.

Rapinoe then redeemed her earlier card in the 61st minute, scoring from the top of the box to give the U.S. a 3-2 lead.

The 33-year-old exited in the 66th minute when hometown prodigy Mallory Pugh subbed on for her. Just 38 seconds later, 20-year-old Pugh made her presence known by capitalizing on cheeky passing in the box to extend the lead to 4-2. She chipped in her second of the night to seal it in the 95th minute.

The U.S. came away with the win but struggled to close it out as Australia forward Samantha Kerr cut the U.S. lead to 4-3 in the 81st minute. The Matildas had several chances afterward to leave Colorado with a tie, but the U.S. defense did just enough to hold.

Tepid Defensive Showing a Reminder U.S. Can't Take Favorite Status for Granted

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Australia's three goals marked the fourth time since the start of 2019 that the U.S. has conceded multiple goals, which is a stark regression from the team shutting out eight of nine opponents to end 2018. 

The Americans are heading to the World Cup favored to defend their 2015 title, but the defense has a lot to tighten up between now and June. All three of Australia's goals Thursday night were products of poor form in the back third. 

To start, De Vanna was left wide open to streak down the left side of the box, allowing her to square up and zip the ball into the top left corner past U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

The American attack snapped into form in the second half and finished the game with 17 shots (11 on goal), but the same was not true of the defense.

Just two minutes into the second half, central midfielder Julie Ertz played a poor ball into the middle of the field intended for Morgan. It was intercepted instead, and Foord carved through six defenders to give her side a 2-1 lead.

"Can't win a World Cup if you're letting in goals like that right now," Fox Sports 1 analyst Alexi Lalas said after the match. "You want to go with [head coach] Jill Ellis, you wanna go to the World Cup this summer and just try to out-gun and outscore teams, you're gonna come up against somebody who can score more goals than you or you're gonna come up against somebody that's better [at] defending than you. 

"It's a problem. They cannot be letting in these types of goals."

During their World Cup run in 2015, the U.S. gave up just three goals total and shut out five opponents. The back four then was Ali Krieger, Meghan Klingenberg, Julie Ertz and Becky Sauerbrunn. 

On Thursday night, Ertz started at central midfielder while Sauerbrunn was the only remaining defensive piece from 2015. Alongside her were Crystal Dunn, Abby Dahlkemper and Emily Sonnett. Krieger, meanwhile, sat on the bench, did not play and hasn't seen minutes since April 2017. 

Dunn, Dahlkemper and Sonnett were not on the 2015 World Cup roster, while Dunn is transitioning from forward to defense.

Ellis, per the FS1 broadcast, aims to have her World Cup roster finalized prior to the team's next friendly on May 12. The back four will undoubtedly be the unit at which she looks the hardest. 

What's Next? 

The U.S. women will next face off with Belgium on April 7 at 9 p.m. EST from Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. View the U.S.'s full Countdown to the Cup schedule at the official website.

Australia's first World Cup game will be against Italy in Group C play on June 9.