SANTIAGO, Chile – January 28, 2019 – At the Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago, Chile, the U.S. Women’s National Team went head-to-head with No. 16 Chile in their opening game of a two-match series. The score line doesn’t represent the possession percentage and opportunities achieved as the USWNT dropped the first game 3-2.
"These games in Chile have been very helpful in getting us prepared for our first FIH Pro League game against Argentina," said Janneke Schopman, USWNT Head Coach. "The secondquarter in yesterday’s game especially showed us where some of our weaknesses are and I was very pleased to see the team bounce back in the third and fourth quarters. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game and incorporate the key lessons learned."
Despite early pressure from USA, it was Chile who was able to score off a quick counter attack against the run of play. Josefa Salas tallied the first one home for the Damas in the seventh minute to give the host nation a 1-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Play at the beginning of the second quarter deemed shareable until Chile extended their lead in the 16th minute when they earned a penalty stroke. Following a save, USA goalkeeper Kealsie Robles (Yorktown, Va.) was called for playing the athlete instead of the ball earning them the chance that Fernanda Villagran converted. This sparked the start of a 10-minute spell for USA as they struggled to find any offense threats. Chile scored again three minutes later through Consuelo de las Heras to give them a 3-0 advantage.
Following halftime, USA shifted gears and was on top of the possession and started to dominate play. They showed resiliency to get back into the game and in the 49th minute Amanda Magadan (Randolph, N.J.) deflected it into the back of the goal off a penalty corner. Seven minutes later USA earned a penalty stroke after a rebound scramble found a defender’s body on the line. Taylor West (Princess Anne, Md.) stepped up and successfully converted to bring USA within one goal. Late in the game, Chile’s goalkeeper Claudia Schuler made three important saves to secure the 3-2 victory.
In this first game, there were two noteworthy milestones achieves as USWNT athlete's Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) and Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.) both earned their first international caps for USA.
L to R: Mackenzie Allessie and Linnea Gonzales
The U.S. Women’s National Team will train today before their final game tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. ET. This game will not be live streamed. For more information regarding the USWNT vs. Chile series, visit the official event page by clicking here.
