LOS ANGELES: Carli Lloyd made it four goals in three games as the United States romped to a comfortable 3-0 win over Portugal in their World Cup victory tour on Tuesday.
Veteran striker Lloyd took her international tally to 117 in 284 games with two first half goals at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Lloyd, 37, had scored in the US women’s friendly win against the Republic of Ireland last month before netting again in the first of two games against Portugal in Philadelphia last Thursday.
And the veteran forward did not have long to wait before getting back on target in front of a sell-out crowd of 19,600 on Tuesday.
Lloyd fired the newly crowned World Cup champions ahead after only 22 minutes, sweeping home a rebound from close range after a goalmouth scramble.
Lloyd then doubled her tally from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, giving Portugal goalkeeper Ines Pereira no chance after Ana Borges had brought down Tobin Heath with a clumsy challenge.
Lindsay Horan completed the scoring with a header from a corner seven minutes from time. The US women’s five-game victory tour was arranged following the team’s defence of their World Cup crown in France in July. The US complete the series with back-to-back games against South Korea on October 3 and 10.
The games mark the final weeks of US coach Jill Ellis’s reign in charge of the team. Ellis will step down in October as the only female coach to win back-to-back World Cups.
The tour is also taking place against a backdrop of tension between the US women’s team and the United States Soccer Federation.
The US women are suing the federation for gender discrimination, alleging unequal pay and working conditions. The case is due to go to trial in May 2020. – AFP
