Rose Lavelle scores on return while the American women’s football team beats Ireland 4-0

Rose Lavelle marked her return to international action with a goal when the United States defeated Ireland 4-0 in an international friendship on Thursday evening.

Lavelle played her first national team match of the year after recovering the ankle operation and scored in the 53rd minute of a precise pass by Ally Sentnor. The game was played for an energetic audience, because several American regulars were reassured for a busy summer schedule.

Avery Patterson opened the score in the 18th minute and provided her first international goal with a header from a short corner supplied by Lavelle. «I darkened a little,» Patterson said after the game. «I have to look again to believe it happened.»

Sam Coffey doubled the pipe before half -time with a curly strike to the distant pole – her third goal for the US and the second in the last three games.

Alyssa Thompson closed the score in the 63rd minute, dribbled the center line, surpasses a defender and ended with a powerful shot from outside the box. «I have been in that situation before and I told myself that I had to finish it,» she said.

Coach Emma Hayes chose to rest various stars based in Europe, including Lindsey Horan, Catarina Macario, Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox. Defender Naomi Girma, recovering from a calf injury, stayed with the team.

Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey and Defender Lilly Reale earned their first caps as starters, while 18-year-old Jordyn Bugg came up as a second half replacement. A total of six of the American starters had fewer than 10 international performances.

Lavelle, with 111 caps, and defender Emily Sonnett brought experience with a youthful line -up. The US is now unbeaten in 16 meetings against Ireland and only admits one goal in the series.

The two parties meet again on Sunday in Cincinnati – Lavelle’s birth city – before the US is opposed to Canada on 2 July in Washington, DC