Megan Rapinoe reacting after Allie Long's goal during a game against South Korea during the USWNT World Cup Victory Tour on Oct. 3, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The U.S. women’s national soccer team’s World Cup Victory Tour is soon coming to an end, and so is Jill Ellis’ tenure as head coach.
On Thursday, however, it was business as usual in the fourth of five friendlies that have comprised the Victory Tour as the U.S. registered a 2-0 victory over South Korea in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Americans will face the same opponent on Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago, where they will bid farewell to Ellis, the woman who coached the team to back-to-back FIFA Women’s World Cup victories. With the win, Ellis now has 106 with the national team, surpassing the record set by the late Tony DiCicco.
She’ll have a chance to extend that record when the Americans face the same opponent on Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago in what will be Ellis’ last game in charge. She was named FIFA’s women’s coach of the year last month after leading the U.S. to back-to-back FIFA Women’s World Cup victories.
Allie Long scored her eighth career international goal just before the first half ended to give the U.S. the lead. FIFA women’s player of the year Megan Rapinoe sent a free kick sailing toward the far post, where Long came racing in and chipped the shot in while on the move.
Not long after the U.S. hit a post for the third time, the team capitalized on a set piece in the 76th minute when Rapinoe sent the ball in from the corner and Mallory Pugh headed it into the back of the net.
The U.S. is undefeated on its victory tour with two wins over Portugal and one against Ireland in addition to Thursday’s defeat of South Korea. The team has scored a total of 12 goals and allowed none since kicking off the tour on Aug. 3.
Since losing the first game of the year to France o Jan. 19, the U.S. is now unbeaten in its last 20 matches with a 17-match winning streak.
Prior to the start of Thursday’s match defender Ali Krieger was honored for earning her 100th career cap back on May 16 against New Zealand.
Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
