Stanford grad LaBonta makes historic debut as Girma returns in U.S. women’s 3-0 win over China
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Naomi Girma returned to the national team and Lo’eau LaBonta became the oldest player to make her international debut for the U.S. in a 3-0 win over China on Saturday.
Catarina Macario, Sam Coffey and Lindsey Heaps scored while goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce got her second shutout in as many appearances.
LaBonta, the 32-year-old midfielder for the Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League, came on as a second-half substitute.
“When they called my name, I was sitting being the best cheerleader I could be on the bench, I was like, ‘This is amazing. I’ve never been field view watching the national team.’ It was so cool,” LaBonta said after the match. “And they were like, ‘Lo, go.’ And I was like, go where? All right, let’s go!”
The match also marked Girma’s first appearance for the national team this year. The 24-year-old defender has been nursing injuries but recently returned to help Chelsea win the Women’s Super League title and the FA Cup.
Girma commanded a record $1.1 transfer fee when she moved from the San Diego Wave to Chelsea earlier this year.
“We’ve missed her. We really have,” U.S. coach Emma Hayes said. “Just in terms of the way we controlled the game, her in the deeper spaces making decisions — when to play forward, when not to — just rebuilding the connections again because if you think about the last time Naomi was here, there’s been a lot of changes. But she said she was so happy to be back. She didn’t realize how much she’d missed it until she drove up in the bus and saw the fans. But she’s a world class player and you could see that.”
Tullis-Joyce, who plays for Manchester United, started in goal in just her second U.S. appearance as Hayes looks to replace Alyssa Naeher, who retired from the national team last year.
Macario scored her 11th international goal after Alyssa Thompson kept the ball alive in a tumble in front of the net in the 28th minute.
Coffey made it 2-0 in the 35th minute, taking a pass from Macario out front and banging her second goal for the U.S. past goalkeeper Pan Hongyan with her left foot.
Heaps, the U.S. captain, scored on a header in the 54th minute.
“I feel like tactically we’ve gone up another level, I really feel that way,” Hayes said. “I feel that there’s so many more players, that are so much more in control, that we’re able to do more. I was pleased with the performance.”
The United States is currently missing several key contributors from last year’s Olympic gold medal-winning squad. Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson are both on maternity leave. Trinity Rodman is dealing with a nagging back issue.
The United States famously defeated China on penalties in the 1999 Women’s World Cup final. The teams last met in 2023, with the Americans winning both games.
The Americans have a 39-9-13 overall record against China, including five straight.
The United States was coming off a 2-1 loss to Brazil on April 8 at PayPal Park. China defeated Thailand 5-1 in its last outing.
The U.S. faces Jamaica on Tuesday in St. Louis.