USWNT vs. Iceland: Match review and highlights

AUSTIN, TEXAS (Oct. 24, 2024) – With an Olympic gold medal in hand and a brilliant start to the Emma Hayes era, the long road to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup began Thursday for the U.S. women’s national team, opening the October window with a dramatic 3-1 win against Iceland on October 24th in the Champions Match at Q2 Stadium.

The Americans celebrated their record fifth Olympic title in front of 18,580 fans in Austin, Texas, taking the lead with a first-half goal from the only non-Olympian on the starting lineup: teenage forward Alyssa Thompson. They then won the game with a stunning goal from substitute Jaedyn Shaw in the 85th minute. Sophia Smith added an insurance tally with an equally brilliant goal and Yazmeen Ryan and Hal Hershfelt made their USWNT debuts on a festive and warm evening in Austin.

It was the USWNT’s first game since beating Brazil 1-0 in the Olympic final two and a half months ago in Paris and the first of two games against Iceland and the first of three games in this international window.

In her 11th game on the U.S. bench, Hayes chose a starting lineup of 10 Olympians, including six who started in the gold medal game. Then there was Thompson, the 19-year-old forward from Angel City FC, making her first USWNT appearance since a December 2023 friendly against China PR. She played on the right side of a forward, led by striker Lynn Williams and anchored on the left by Mallory Swanson, who scored the only goal of the Olympic final.

Meanwhile, at the opening whistle – and just one day shy of nine years since her international debut – center back Emily Sonnett became the 45th player in USWNT history to win 100 caps. She was the fifth of Hayes’ 11 starters to reach the milestone and the fourth to do so this calendar year.

The USA, as expected, held most of the ball, with captain Lindsey Horan playing directly under Williams (and often pushing high) while Rose Lavelle and Sam Coffey took charge in midfield. Iceland, ranked 13th in the world and coming off a win over Germany this year, was called upon by Bayern Munich veteran Glódís Viggósdóttir and proved to be a strong defensive team. Only five goals were scored in six UEFA Women’s European Championship qualifiers this year, and in July they knocked out future Olympic bronze medalists Germany.

The top-ranked Americans’ best goal of the first half hour came in the 24th minute when Swanson fired a high volley after a nice pass from Lavelle. The pressure was almost constant, but free shooting lanes were required. Iceland also attempted a counterattack and demonstrated their ball-handling efficiency in the 34th minute when striker Diljá Zomers delivered a long pass from midfield, forcing American Alyssa Naeher into a save. Despite the significant differences in possession, the teams were rarely so far apart in their shot attempts.

Thompson, the youngest American on the field, finally proved the hosts’ superiority with an exquisite debut goal in the 39th minute. Williams and Coffey got the move going, working together to feed Thompson on the left, where she had moved to after a period of sustained American possession. Thompson dribbled towards the near post, then cut in with his right foot and sent an unstoppable shot into the top right corner of the Iceland net. She scored her first USWNT goal in her 10th appearance, while Coffey notched her second assist of the year.

Iceland removed three starters at halftime, including Viggósdóttir, and then scored a stunning equalizer against the run of play in the 54th minute. Selma Magnúsdóttir did the damage by finding a small space just outside the penalty area and sending a perfectly placed shot into the left side of the US net that gave Naeher no chance. It was the Rosenborg midfielder’s fifth international goal.

Hayes tried her luck with a triple substitution in the 66th minute, bringing in Shaw, defender Casey Krueger and 25-year-old NJ/NY Gotham forward Ryan, making her USWNT debut in her first call-up to the senior team gave. Washington Spirit’s 22-year-old midfielder Hal Hershfelt then earned her first cap when she replaced Coffey in the 72nd minute. Smith also entered the field and tested Iceland goalkeeper Telma Ívarsdóttir with a low shot from the left in the 83rd minute. Just a few seconds later, Ryan saw her long-range shot deflect into the goalkeeper’s arms.

The field once again tilted towards the USA and the stage was set for Shaw.

In the 85th minute, Sonnett fed Krueger in the right channel, where she won a challenge, advanced the ball and then pushed a pass inside to Shaw. The Texas native then showed off her skills by destroying the Iceland defense on the dribble before slipping the ball under the onrushing Ívarsdóttir to score her eighth and sixth international goals of the year.

Smith then put the game away in the 88th minute by breaking down an Icelandic defense and immediately ripping a 19-yard shot into the bottom left corner past the leaping Ívarsdóttir. It was Smith’s 24th USWNT goal and his team-leading ninth goal of 2024.

The USA improved its 2024 record to 15W-1L-3D and its lead over Iceland in the all-time series to 14W-0L-2D. Additionally, the USWNT remains perfect in the second quarter (3W-0L-0D) and at Texas State, where it is now 34W-0L-0D.

The U.S. and Iceland meet on October 27 in Nashville, Tennessee, for a rematch at GEODIS Park (5:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TruTV, Max, Peacock, Universo), a game presented by AT&T. The international window ends Oct. 30 with a friendly against No. 33 Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky (7:00 p.m. ET; TNT, TruTV, Max, Peacock, Universo), hosted by Jim Beam.

GOAL SCORING OVERVIEW

USA – Alyssa Thompson (Sam Coffey), 39th minute – Iceland tried to relieve the pressure with a ball into midfield but Lynn Williams recovered superbly and quickly found Coffey in space. Coffey sent a pass to Thompson, who had drifted left during a period of sustained US pressure. Thompson dribbled into the box and assisted a defender towards the five-yard box before cutting to the right and firing a perfect shot that skidded off the underside of the crossbar and into the top of the lane. USA 1, ISL 0

ISL – Selma Magnúsdóttir (Gudny Árnadóttir), 54th minute – A USA loss of the ball in midfield and then some good Icelandic passes in tight spaces gave Magnúsdóttir some space at the top of the box. She created a shooting path with a few touches and then hit a curling shot from just inside the 18-yard line that landed well out of Alyssa Naeher’s reach and inside the left post. USA 1, ISL 1

USA – Jaedyn Shaw (Casey Krueger), 85th minute – Krueger moved the ball through the right channel and fed Shaw, who deftly dribbled his way through the Icelandic defense and then fired a shot under the goalkeeper. USA 2, ISL 1

USA – Sophia Smith, 88th minute – Under pressure from Thompson, an Icelandic defender sent a free kick straight at Smith, who was able to knock the ball down just inside the box. She then fired a brilliant half-volley into the right side of the net. USA 3, ISL 1 FINAL

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The U.S. remains undefeated in 11 games under head coach Emma Hayes and improves to 10W-0L-1D.
• Iceland’s goal was only the third goal conceded by the United States under Hayes. With Hayes at the helm, the US is still not behind.
• Alyssa Thompson is the fourth teenager to score for the USWNT this year, the most in a single calendar year since 2000 (6).
• With Thompson and Jaedyn Shaw both scoring tonight, it was the first time since 2001 that multiple teenagers scored in the same game for the USA. Ten of the USA’s 42 goals this year have now been scored by teenagers.
• Yazmeen Ryan came on as a substitute in the 66th minute, becoming the 262nd player ever to earn a USWNT cap and the fourth player to debut under Emma Hayes.
• Olympic substitute Hal Hershfelt came on in the 72nd minute, becoming the 263rd player ever to appear for the USWNT and the fifth player to debut under Hayes
• The last time multiple players debuted in the same game before tonight was on December 2, 2023, when Olivia Moultrie and Jenna Nighswonger at Ft. Lauderdale.

– US WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: US Women’s National Team vs. Iceland
Date: October 24, 2024
Competition: Internationally friendly
Venue: Q2 Stadium; Austin, Texas
Participation: 18,580
Start: 6:37 p.m. local time (7:37 p.m. ET)
Weather: 85 degrees, sunny

Lineups:
USA: 1-Alyssa Naher; 23-Emily Fox (20-Casey Krueger, 66), 4-Naomi Girma, 14-Emily Sonnett, 5-Jenna Nighswonger; 17-Sam Coffey (19-Hal Hershfelt, 72), 16-Rose Lavelle, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.) (15-Jadeyn Shaw, 66), 9-Mallory Swanson (24-Yazmeen Ryan, 66), 6- Lynn Williams (11-Sophia Smith, 72), 7-Alyssa Thompson
Substitutions not used: 18-Casey Murphy, 2-Ashley Sanchez, 3-Korbin Albert, 8-Hailie Mace, 12-Emily Sams, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 26-Emma Sears
Head Coach: Emma Hayes

ISL: 12-Telma Ívarsdóttir; 11-Natasha Anasi-Erlingsson, 4-Glódís Viggósdóttir (captain) (20-Gudny Árnadóttir, 46), 18-Gudrún Arnardóttir, 19-Sædís Heidarsdóttir; 9-Diljá Zomers, 7-Selma Magnúsdóttir (10-Karólína Vilhjálmsdóttir, 85), 22-Amanda Andradóttir (8-Ásdís Halldórsdóttir, 66), 16-Hildur Antonsdóttir (2-Berglind ir, 46), 3-Sandra Jessen (21 -Hafrún Halldórsdóttir, 46); 23-Amanda Andradóttir (15-Katla Tryggvadóttir, 66)
Substitutions not used: 1-Cecilía Rúnarsdóttir, 5-Emilía Ásgeirsdóttir, 6-Ingibjörg Sigurdardóttir, 13-Audur Scheving, 14-Hlín Eiríksdóttir, 17-Heida Vidarsdóttir
Head coach: Thorsteinn Halldórsson

Statistics summary: USA / ISL
Shots: 13 / 9
Shots on goal: 6/4
Saves: 3/3
Corners: 4/3
Fouls: 4/17
Offside: 3/2

Summary of the misconduct:
None

Officer:
Referee: Odette Hamilton (JAM)
Assistant referee 1: Mijensa Rensch (SUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing (JAM)
4th official: Armando Villarreal (USA)

Woman of the game: Alyssa Thompson