The USWNT notched its fourth consecutive clean sheet as the team prepares for the Tokyo Games.
As the old saying goes, defense wins championships. For the U.S. women's national team, let's hope the same holds true for Olympic medals.
The USWNT took down Nigeria, 2-0, in an international friendly in Austin on Wednesday, good for their fourth consecutive clean-sheet victory. The win capped a perfect three wins in three games during the team's Summer Series as it prepares for the Tokyo Games in July.
The U.S. got on the board in the second minutes of stoppage time of the first half when Christen Press struck a left-footed shot around Nigerian goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi off of a pass from Carli Lloyd. It was Press's 33rd goal involvement in her last 35 games.
The second half consisted mostly of near-misses for the Americans. The U.S. dominated possession (72%) and out-shot Nigeria 14-7. Nigeria managed just one shot on goal compared to the USWNT's six, and the U.S. held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The punctuation goal finally came four minutes into stoppage time, when Lynn Williams—who came on as a sub in the 88th minute—beat Oluehi to finish off a fast-break and cap off another strong showing for the U.S.
The USWNT will play next on July 1 and 5 against Mexico in a "Send-Off Series" held in East Hartford, Conn. The team's final 18-player roster for the Olympics is expected to be announced in late June. The Games will begin on July 23. The USWNT won gold in 2004, 2008 and 2012 but was eliminated in 2016 in the quarterfinals by eventual runner-up Sweden.
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