After the struggle to score against Australia in the second game of the Tournament of Nations that reached the 90th minute to save a 1-1 tie, the U.S. pounded Brazil with three goals in the second half to a 4-1 win and the tournament title. The final standings:
Thus, the final standings:
- United States: 2-0-1 (7 points: 9-4 goals-against)
- Australia: 2-0-1 (7 points: 6-2 goals-against)
- Brazil: 1-2-0 (3 points: 4-8 goals-against)
- Japan: 0-3-0 (0 points: 3-7 goals-against)
Playing against Brazil at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, the U.S. fell behind, 1-0, on an own goal off the foot of Tierna Davidson, but a right-footed laser from Rose Lavelle tied it in the 33rd minute and the half ended, 1-1.
In the second, the game opened up quickly and the U.S. took the lead when Tobin Heath sent a cross from the right side of the box over Brazilian goalkeeper Leticia and onto the foot of a flying Julie Ertz, who clubbed it into the back of the net in the 53rd minute.
Eight minutes later, Alex Morgan slipped a cross right past a driving Lindsey Horan and right into the path of a sprinting Heath, who ran onto the ball at the top of the box and pounded her 20th international goal into the far left corner for a 3-1 lead.
The last goal came in the 61st minute as Megan Rapinoe, who screamed a free kick just past the goal minutes before, instead served the ball into the box for a cutting Morgan, who tapped it into an empty net for her 90th career international goal.
It was easily the best game of the tournament for the U.S. and the fifth game in 11 played this year that the American 11 has scored four or more goals. The tournament summary:
26 July:
Australia 3, Brazil 1
United States 4, Japan 2
29 July:
Brazil 2, Japan 1
Australia 1, U.S. 1
02 August:
Australia 2, Japan 0
AUS: 47′: Alanna Kennedy
AUS: 81′: Sam Kerr
U.S. 4, Brazil 1
BRA: 16′: Tierna Davidson (own goal)
USA: 33′: Rose Lavelle
USA: 53′: Julie Ertz
USA: 61′: Tobin Heath
USA: 77′: Alex Morgan
The U.S. now stands at 9-0-2 in 2018 and is unbeaten in its last 19 matches (16-0-3) since its 2017 loss to Australia, and has a 58-17 scoring edge in those games. The U.S. improved its all-time record vs. Brazil to 28-3-5.
