Alex Morgan scored her first two international goals of the year and the U.S. women’s national team took the first step toward World Cup and Olympic qualifying with a 3-0 win against Haiti in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico, on Monday.
Morgan scored in the 16th and 23rd minutes and Midge Purce added a goal in the 84th minute as the Americans improved to 8-0-0 vs. Haiti.
The match was the first in Group A of the new CONCACAF W Championship. The top two teams from each of the two four-team groups not only advance to the semifinals but also qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The W Championship winner also will receive an automatic berth to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The U.S. might clinch its World Cup spot Thursday when it plays Jamaica, which has never beaten the Americans. The U.S. faces the host Mexicans on July 11.
Morgan made sure there would be no upset against the Haitians, but the first half provided a couple of scares for the Americans after taking the two-goal lead.
Morgan made it 1-0 from a cross by Mallory Pugh. Her glancing shot off her left heel made its way inside the right post. The lead was doubled seven minutes later with Morgan’s header from the center of the box via an assist by Kelley O’Hara. Morgan has 117 goals in 193 matches.
In the 37th minute Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay dribbled around defender Becky Sauerbrunn, forcing goalkeeper Casey Murphy to the ground to make a chest save.
Four minutes later, Dumornay drew a penalty from Emily Fox. With a chance to score Haiti’s first-ever goal vs. the U.S., Roselord Borgella’s penalty kick hit the left post.
In the 45th minute, Borgella was issued a red card for a studs-up, high challenge on O’Hara but after a video review, the infraction was downgraded to a yellow card.
Purce later scored her fourth goal in 16 matches for USWNT. The forward’s right-footed shot from the center of the box bounced under the grasp of Haiti goalkeeper Lara Larco.
–Field Level Media
