WNT Battles Back to Draw in First of Two Victory Tour Show Downs vs. Brazil

SEATTLE (Oct. 21, 2015) – The World Cup Champion U.S. Women’s National Team continued its victory Tour with a 1-1 tie against Brazil, Presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, in front of a record crowd of 23,603 at CenturyLink Field. The crowd was the largest ever for a WNT match played in the state of Washington.

Prior to the start of the match, Shannon Boxx was honored for her achievements with the WNT. Tonight was the retiring Olympic and World Cup champion midfielder’s final game for the USA and she started it wearing the captain’s armband.

The match was highly competitive throughout, and it was Brazil that got on the scoreboard first. Monica scored a goal in the 3rd minute off a corner kick to hand the WNT its first in its last 18 matches. Prior to tonight, the U.S. last trailed after going down 1-0 in the 43rd minute of a 2-1 comeback win against Norway on March 4 at the Algarve Cup.

The USA played well from behind and pressured on the attack, but couldn’t quite make the right connections to lead to a score until the 85th minute, when Meghan Klingenberg beat a pair of defenders to get into the Brazil box and sent in a cross that Carli Lloyd hammered home to tie the game.

With the draw, the WNT extended its home unbeaten streak to 101 games (88-0-13). The last loss at home came to Denmark on Nov. 6, 2004 in Philadelphia.

Both teams now travel cross-country for another matchup as the Victory Tour continues at the Orlando Citrus Bowl in Central Florida on Oct. 25 [TICKETS].

Goal Scoring Rundown:
BRA – Monica (Andressinha) 3rd minute: It was Brazil that struck first in tonight’s match and it came from a corner kick. Andressinha sent a curling ball into the box and goalkeeper Hope Solo looked as if she might come out to meet it, but decided against the move. As the ball came in, Monica jumped to head it towards the back post and in for a score. USA 0, BRA 1 SEE GOAL

USA – Carli Lloyd (Meghan Klingenberg), 85th minute: Meghan Klingenberg attacked the Brazil box on the right and took on two defenders as she pushed to the end line. Klingenberg managed a low cross back to a breaking Lloyd, who slid in and hit a rocket of a shot that clipped off the crossbar and bounced in to tie the game. USA 1, BRA 1 (FINAL) SEE GOAL

Key Saves and Defensive Stops:
BRA – Luciana (save), 45th minute: Just before the halftime whistle, the U.S. broke off a real chance. It started with Carli Lloyd, who used a crafty touch to get free on the left side. Lloyd darted into the box and sent a low hard cross into Alex Morgan. Morgen one-timed it at goal, but her shot went straight at Luciana, who blocked it down and secured it.

Next on the Schedule: The WNT continues the Victory Tour with a stop in Orlando, Fla. on Oct. 25 where it will face Brazil at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.
Broadcast information: FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Go (2:30 p.m. ET)
Social: Twitter (@ussoccer_wnt; @ussoccer_esp); Facebook; Instagram

Milestone Watch:

• In tonight’s match, her last with the WNT, Boxx started and earned her 195th career cap. Boxx was honored for her achievements with the USA before the match and also wore the captain’s arm band. Boxx retires as World Cup and three-time Olympic champion.
• The U.S. went into halftime trailing Brazil by one goal. The deficit was the first for the WNT in its last 18 matches. The USA had not trailed in a match since going down 1-0 in the 43rd minute against Norway on March 4 in the first match of the Algarve Cup. In that match the U.S. came back to win 2-1.
• The USA’s 3rd minute concession was the earliest goal the U.S. has allowed in 2015. The next closest was in the 27th minute against both Australia and Japan during World Cup play. Prior to the goal conceded tonight, the WNT had not allowed a goal in the first 20 minutes of a match in the past two years.
• Defender Jaelene Hinkle earned her first career cap with the WNT.

Additional Notes:

• With the draw the USA’s all-time record against Brazil moved to 25-3-5.
• Carli Lloyd’s goal was her 17th of the year, a career-high for a calendar year. Her previous best was 15 goals scored in 2012 and 2014. She has scored 14 times in her last eight games.
• Lloyd most recently scored against Brazil at the end of 2014, notching the first strike in a 3-2 loss to Brazil at the International Tournament of Brasilia. The teams then played to a 0-0 draw days later in the tournament final.
• Samantha Mewis earned her fourth career cap with the WNT.

- U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report -

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Brazil
Date: Oct. 21, 2015
Competition: International Friendly; Victory Tour
Venue: CenturyLink Field; Seattle, Wash.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. PT
Attendance: 23,603
Weather: 55 degrees; Cloudy

Scoring Summary:       1          2          F
USA                               0          1          1
BRA                               1          0          1

BRA – Monica (Andressinha)                                          3rd minute
USA – Carli Lloyd (Meghan Klingenberg)                      85                    

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 5-Kelley O’Hara (26-Jaelene Hinkle, 71), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 19-Julie Johnston, 22-Meghan Klingenberg (9-Heather O’Reilly, 85); 25-Crystal Dunn (29-Samantha Mewis, 72), 7-Shannon Boxx Spearman (capt.) (17-Tobin Heath, 41), 14-Morgan Brian, 15-Megan Rapinoe; 10-Carli Lloyd, 13-Alex Morgan
Subs Not Used: 2-Sydney Leroux, 3-Christie Rampone, 6-Whitney Engen, 8-Amy Rodriguez,11-Ali Krieger,12-Lauren Holiday,16-Lori Chalupny,18-Ashlyn Harris, 20-Abby Wambach, 21-Alyssa Naeher, 23-Christen Press
Head coach: Jill Ellis

BRA: 1-Luciana, 2-Fabiana (16-Rafaela, 90+4), 3-Monica (14-Erika, 90+2), 4-Rafaelle, 5-Andressinha, 6-Tamires, 9-Andressa Alves, 10-Marta (capt.), 11-Cristiane (7-Beatriz, 84), 13-Poliana, 20-Formiga (17-Gabi Zanotti, 46)
Subs Not Used: 8-Thaisa, 12-Andreia, 15-Rilany, 18-Bia Vaz, 19-Raquel
Head coach: Oswaldo Alvarez

Stats Summary: USA / BRA
Shots: 12 / 11
Shots on Goal: 4 / 6
Saves:  5 / 3
Corner Kicks: 9 / 4
Fouls: 12 / 8
Offside: 7 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
BRA – Rafaelle (caution)                                    65th minute

Officials:
Referee: Katja Koroleva (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Amanda Ross (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Corey Rockwell (USA)
4th Official: Margaret Domka (USA)

Budweiser Woman of the Match: TBD