Sophia Smith pulled back on her favorite right foot before letting off a lethal far-post shot from close range. The ball cut through the humid New Jersey air before ricocheting against the back of the net, allowing the U.S. women’s national team—and the crowd at Red Bull Arena—a sigh of relief. The breakthrough goal, coming in the 64th minute, proved to be the decider, securing the USWNT a 1–0 win over Mexico on Saturday.
The result was a perfectly respectable one against a formidable opponent, while also highlighting plenty of areas of improvement for Emma Hayes’s young side ahead of the Paris Olympics. Saturday’s friendly was the first of two send-off matches for the USWNT before they head to the Summer Games.
