April 12, (THEWILL) – Alana Cook marked her 26th birthday in style by scoring her first-ever international goal in the United States’ narrow 1-0 victory over Ireland on Tuesday night.
Despite a spirited display from Ireland, Cook’s first-half strike proved to be the difference between the two sides. The win came in a friendly between the two teams as they gear up for this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
It was the US’s first match without top scorer Mallory Swanson, who was forced to withdraw from the squad after suffering a knee injury last weekend. Swanson had been in excellent form for the US this year, netting seven goals in six games. However, her injury means she is unlikely to take part in the World Cup, which kicks off in late July.
The US team used Tuesday’s friendly as a final opportunity for coach Vlatko Andonovski to assess his players before naming his final 23-player squad for the tournament.
The US made a number of changes to their lineup for the match, with goalkeeper Casey Murphy and 18-year-old forward Alyssa Thompson both starting. The US will now prepare for a send-off match against Wales in San Jose on July 9 before departing for the World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
