Sun | May 19, 2024

US women top Olympic qualifying group

Published:Wednesday | February 5, 2020 | 12:20 AM
Costa Rica defender Maria Coto (left) and United States forward Christen Press battle for the ball during the first half of a CONCACAF women’s Olympic qualifying match in Houston on Monday. United States won 6-0.
Michael Wyke
Costa Rica defender Maria Coto (left) and United States forward Christen Press battle for the ball during the first half of a CONCACAF women’s Olympic qualifying match in Houston on Monday. United States won 6-0.

HOUSTON (AP) :

Christen Press and Samantha Mewis each scored a pair of goals and the United States beat Costa Rica 6-0 on Monday night to finish atop their group in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament.

The World Cup-winning US team extended their unbeaten streak to 26 games. The Americans wrapped up the group stage with three shutouts and 18 goals.

Both teams had already earned a spot in the semifinals of the tournament later this week in Carson, California. Eight teams are playing in the tournament, which will determine the region’s two berths to the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Press extended her scoring streak to four straight games with a goal in the fourth minute. Lindsey Horan, who had a hat-trick in the US team’s 8-0 victory over Panama on Friday, scored some six minutes later.

Press, who plays for Utah of the National Women’s Soccer League, added her second goal in the 36th minute.

Mewis scored on a free kick by Press in the 63rd minute and Jessica McDonald added a goal in the 77th before Mewis’ second goal, which appeared to just barely hit the line after deflecting down off the crossbar. The crowd at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium was announced at 7,082. Already eliminated, Haiti beat Panama 6-0 in the other group game earlier in the day.