COMMERCE CITY, Colorado — Forward Mallory Swanson scored for the United States women’s national soccer team for the first time in 15 months to lead her side to a 4-0 victory over South Korea on Saturday in Emma Hayes’ first match as the U.S. head coach.
Afterward, Hayes spoke glowingly of Swanson, whom she first interacted with briefly in 2017 when Swanson was a teenager and weighing whether to turn professional.
“I couldn’t ask for any more,” Hayes said of Swanson’s performance. “She’s a player I’ve always admired, so to get the opportunity to coach and see firsthand the quality she possesses — she’s a connector. She’s really magnetic, as a human being too, in the way she operates in the team.
“She can multitask: She can do what she’s doing on the pitch, and she can listen on the sidelines. I noticed that about her today. Our goal is to keep her fit, keep her healthy, because she’s an important part of this team.”
Swanson, who tore her left patellar tendon in 2023 and missed last summer’s World Cup, broke the deadlock in the 34th minute with a darting diagonal run behind South Korea’s back five. USWNT forward Sophia Smith turned quickly and slotted the ball into the path of Swanson, who tucked her shot inside the near post.
“It’s super special,” Swanson…
