Girma and Morgan play 90 minutes to secure a point in Group E 

San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan and defender Naomi Girma helped the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 1-1 draw versus the Netherlands in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In the hunt to earn the United State’s fifth star, the USA and Netherlands faced off on Wednesday evening at Wellington Regional Stadium in New Zealand.

Both Morgan and Girma started and played all 90 minutes for the USA as the team continued its quest for a third consecutive World Cup trophy.

In the 17th minute, the Netherlands opened the scoring after the USA’s failed clearance landed at the feet of the opposing side, and Jill Roord finished her shot just inside the box. The Netherlands held onto their lead for the remainder of the half, while the USWNT went into halftime trailing for the first time in a World Cup match since 2011.

The USA played down a goal until the 62nd minute when co-captain Lindsey Horan found the equalizer off of a corner kick from midfielder Rose Lavelle, which she finished with a powerful header past the Netherlands keeper.

Morgan nearly recorded a goal of her own in the 67th minute, but the goal was called offside. 

Tonight’s draw put the USA in first place in Group E with 4 points thus far in the tournament as they look toward facing Portugal on Tuesday, August 1, at 12:00 a.m. PT. The Wave will host a midnight watch party in collaboration with San Diego’s American Outlaws at O’Brien’s Pub in Convoy to cheer on the USWNT as they close out their group stage in the World Cup.

Notes: 

  • The USWNT extended its unbeaten run to 19 straight FIFA World Cup matches (W15 D4), the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history (men or women).
  • Tonight’s World Cup match marks Alex Morgan’s 209th career appearance for the USWNT.
  • Defender Naomi Girma made her World Cup debut in the USWNT’s first match versus Vietnam. Tonight’s match marks her 18th international appearance and 16th career start overall for the USA. Girma, who played every minute for the USA at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, has played the full 90 minutes in 12 of her 17 career appearances for the USA since earning her first cap in April of 2022.
  • Alex Morgan, who made her World Cup debut in 2011, appeared in her fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup and her 20th Women’s World Cup match. Morgan, the most capped player, and leading scorer overall on this roster, has scored nine career World Cup goals, five of which came in the USA’s opening group-stage match against Thailand in 2019. Morgan’s five-goal effort tied both the FIFA Women’s World Cup and U.S. Soccer single-game scoring records.