Rose Lavelle led the U.S. women’s national team in more ways than one in Saturday’s 5-0 win against New Zealand.
The 27-year-old midfielder not only captained the squad in the final match of the New Zealand trip, she also showed off her scoring prowess with a brace. Lavelle scored one goal in the 39th minute off a pass from defender Sofia Huerta, then added another in the 74th minute off an assist from forward Lynn Williams.
Alex Morgan initially was set to serve as captain, but she was scratched before kickoff due to lower leg tightness.
While Lavelle took the captain’s armband, Ashley Hatch took Morgan’s spot in the starting lineup. She stepped up, opening the scoring in the 22nd minute.
The 27-year-old forward received help from two of her Washington Spirit teammates, as midfielder Ashley Sanchez found forward Trinity Rodman streaking down the field, and then Rodman fed the ball to Hatch in the middle of the field.
Sanchez and Rodman both earned starts after playing well off the bench in the first match against the Football Ferns, which ended in a 4-0 win for the USWNT.
