Alex Morgan missed a penalty late in the first half and the United States women’s team had to resign themselves to a goalless draw against Colombia in a friendly played on Thursday .
Morgan’s shot in the 44th minute bounced off a post. He himself tried to score on the counterattack, but the ball went over the goal.
Under temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius (35 Fahrenheit), the United States played the first of two warm-up games against the Colombians. The second is scheduled for Sunday in San Diego.
“We know Colombia will play a tough game,” commented defender Emily Sonnett. “We want to be more precise in the last quarter of the field. I think overall we gave a good performance, although there are certain things we need to adjust.
The US team will play two more games this year, against China, in early December, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Frisco, Texas.
Colombia, 22nd in the FIFA women’s national team rankings, advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Cup last summer for the first time in its history. Cafeteras was eliminated by England, 2-1.
The United States was eliminated on penalties against Sweden in the round of 16, after a 0-0 draw. This is the first elimination the Americans have suffered in a World Cup.
The disappointing performance led to the resignation of coach Vlatkok Andonovski.
Since then, the team has been led by interim Twila Kilgore, who is Andonovski’s assistant. The third-ranked United States is expected to name a permanent coach by the end of the year as the team prepares for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
