Photo by Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports
By RYAN TOLMICH
The U.S. Women’s National Team couldn’t have looked more impressive to start its post-World Cup victory tour.
Led by a Christen Press hat-trick, the USWNT routed Costa Rica, 8-0, on Sunday in front of a record crowd of 44,028 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hometown hero Meghan Klingenberg provided the team’s fifth goal.
Klingenberg’s finish came in the 56th minute by getting onto a pass into the box from substitute Tobin Heath. Darting down the left side, Heath’s ball in found Klingenberg 10-yards out, allowing her to take a touch before firing a shot with her left foot. She celebrated the strike by waving Pittsburgh’s signature Terrible Towel.
While Klingenberg’s finish, the third of her international career, provided the fans with a special moment, it proved to be just one of many in a ruthless performance from the World Cup champions.
It took just four minutes for the U.S. to kickstart the scoring bonanza, with Heather O’Reilly providing the opener after a mistake at the back from Costa Rica. Goals from Press and Julie Johnston followed in the 29th and 36th minutes, respectively, before the former fired her second on the stroke of halftime to send the U.S. to the break with a 4-0 lead.
Klingenberg’s tally pushed that lead to five nine minutes into the second half while O’Reilly pounced on a Press shot off the crossbar for her second of the night at the hour mark.
Abby Wambach set up the seventh goal, heading a pass to Whitney Engen for a finish in the 63rd minute.
Press capped things off just five minutes later, completing her hat-trick on an O’Reilly pass. The hat-trick is the second of Press’ USWNT career, with her first coming in a four-goal performance against Argentina last December.
The USWNT returns to action on Wednesday, facing off with Costa Rica yet again in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before the Victory Tour rolls on to a pair of September matches against Australia.