VIDEO: U.S. Women's Soccer Team Overcomes Iceland with Late Surge

 

In a thrilling second-half comeback, the United States women's national soccer team triumphed over Iceland with a score of 3-1 on Sunday. The victory marked another impressive performance for the U.S., which has now won both matches against Iceland in this series.

Iceland initially took the lead in the 31st minute when Karolína Lea Vilhjalmsdottir scored from a corner kick. U.S. goalkeeper Casey Murphy managed to get a fingertip on the ball, but it ricocheted off the far post and into the net, giving Iceland an unexpected advantage. This marked the first time the U.S. team had trailed in 12 matches under the guidance of head coach Emma Hayes.

The Americans pushed back, showing resilience and determination. Lynn Williams leveled the score in the 72nd minute, followed by Lindsey Horan finding the net just four minutes later to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead. Emma Sears made her debut for the national team as a second-half substitute, sealing the victory with a stoppage-time goal and an assist, making her the first player in history to achieve both in her debut match.

"We don’t want to lose; we don’t like losing. The U.S. mentality is to claw, fight, and come back," Williams said. "So yes, we were down, but I believe in us, we all believe in ourselves, and that’s what it takes to win."

The match was notable not just for the scoreline but also for the celebrations honoring veteran defender Kelley O’Hara, who is retiring from professional soccer after an illustrious career. A halftime ceremony recognized her contributions to the sport. Additionally, Mallory Swanson was celebrated for reaching the milestone of 100 appearances for the U.S. team, an achievement that included scoring the decisive goal in the gold-medal match against Brazil at the recent Paris Olympics.

The U.S. women's national team, fresh off their Olympic success, is gearing up for their next challenge against Argentina on Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky, before concluding the year with matches in Europe against England and the Netherlands.