Saturday’s warm-up did not go as planned for the United States women’s national team. Forward Alex Morgan felt tightness in her lower leg and had to be removed from the starting lineup minutes before first kick.
There is nothing ideal about losing the team’s top active goal-scorer for any sort of injury-related reason. This was, however, the type of crisis management the U.S. might have to expect at the World Cup in six months. Simulating a World Cup is the entire reason they made the journey to New Zealand, which will co-host the summer tournament with Australia.
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In stepped Ashley Hatch, who had not started in over six months and appeared to have slipped down the depth chart to the third-choice No. 9. With Morgan pulled from the lineup and Sophia Smith, the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League MVP, already at home due to a minor injury, Hatch was the next player up on Saturday.
Twenty-two minutes into the match, Hatch scored the opening goal of a 5-0 U.S. victory over New Zealand (the second of two friendlies this week between the sides) calmly…
