Considering the evolution soccer has undergone in the Unites States, it’s easy to forget that the hometown hero hasn’t played in Cincinnati in over an entire World Cup cycle.
On Sunday, the Queen City welcomed back their monarch.
The U.S. Women’s National Team faced the Irish Women’s National Team for the second time in four days, but the result remained the same in a 4-0 victory. Head Coach Emma Hayes rotated the squad to allow four different goal scorers to take the wheel. Cincinnati resident Rose Lavelle returned to the TQL pitch for the first time since 2021, sending the 24,016 in attendance home happy, in a cameo appearance.
Lynn Biyendolo scored in her maiden match as USWNT captain, while Izzy Rodriguez and Yazmeen Ryan notched their first goals for country. Alyssa Thompson provided the exclamation point late, as the U.S. women roll towards a friendly match against the Canadian WNT on Wednesday.
“I think the fans are amazing,” Lavelle beamed after the match. “I love every time I have the opportunity to come home. I think this is the best atmosphere in the world, and I think they showed that today.”
“The level’s been set to be relentless in the pursuit of performing and progressing,” Hayes addressed after the match. “And it’s not about understanding everything in our playbook, but you gather in the confidence and the bravery to deliver, first of all, a positional played game so they understand the expectations when you wear the shirt here. I thought everybody did so well considering the need today.”
While the USWNT have played twice at TQL Stadium, it has been four years since Lavelle’s return to the playing surface at TQL. The current Gotham FC midfielder provided the opening goal and three assists in a 2021 friendly win against Paraguay in Cincinnati. However, injuries and the Women’s World Cup cycle prevented an appearance in 2023 during a friendly win over South Africa.
Lavelle’s first appearance for the USWNT in 2025 resulted in a goal and an assist, sparking a 4-0 win over Ireland in the first leg. The win in Colorado was the USWNT’s third in a row since a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in April.
“It’s kind of one of those things where you look back, and it’s an up and down journey,” Lavelle spoke about her return to her role in the USWNT. “It’s never easy to be in this environment. It’s an environment that pushes you and makes you really uncomfortable, but I think it’s so rewarding in the end, and we’re all better for it.”
First half
The USWNT rolled out a completely new lineup from Thursday’s 4-0 win. Both Rodriguez and Samantha Meza received their first caps for the first team, while Lavelle started on the bench after 59 minutes the last match.
Both teams seemed to approach the first half with familiarity in each other’s game after Thursday’s result, but the USWNT struck first. Dublin, Ohio’s own Emma Sears found herself open near the end line in the 12th minute. Her popped cross into the box found captain Biyendolo for a one-timer past the Irish goalkeeper. The Seattle Reign forward’s 25th goal for country made it 1-0 early.
While the USWNT enjoyed a good deal of possession in the first half, Ireland had a good deal of chances later in the first half. Ireland’s best attempt was in the 39th minute, but Kyra Carusa’s right-footed attempt skirted wide of the net.
The U.S. women extended the lead before halftime. In the 42nd minute, Sears pounded a shot at goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan. The Irish GK’s solid save deflected the ball to Rodriguez for a solid strike past Brosnan. The Kansas City Current star scored in her first match for country to give the USWNT a solid 2-0 lead at halftime.
Second half
The lineup stayed intact for the USWNT, and the dependence on a strong attack paid dividends in the end.
In the 66th minute, Sears saved a free ball on the end line and served a pass back to Olivia Moultrie. The midfielder’s cross into the box was met by Ryan, who scored her first goal for the USWNT in 12 caps to make it 3-0.
With the game safely in hand, the victory cigar came in the 87th minute. Claire Hutton fed a streaking Thompson in the box for a measured shot past Brosnan. The Angel City FC winger’s third for the USWNT polished off the offense for the 4-0 win.
While Lavelle was not slated to work much for the USWNT in this second leg, Hayes did bring her in for a cameo in the 87th minute. The crowd yelling “We want Rose!” was enough for Hayes to sub Lavelle late into the game.
“(Emma) just said, ‘Go and get your flowers’,” Lavelle admitted after the match. “It was really cool of her to just let me go in. Obviously, I think having a quick turnaround in between games isn’t easy. We had to be kind of smart, loading wise, with just coming back from injury, but I was really grateful she let me do that.”
“There had been a planned program for Rose, and we respect that she’d been out a long period of time, so we can’t expect she’s going to play a game every four days,” Hayes added post-match. “I wanted her to be involved in the first and third game, but I knew I was going to get questions from the crowd, and I welcomed it.
“Yes, she deserves her flowers, because she’s unique. In the world game, there’s not many flowers like Rose Lavelle, and I genuinely there is another level for her to go with that team. So with the permission from the medical and performance teams, I brought her in to give the crowd to acknowledge and embrace a very special human being.”
“I think that it’s really cool when you have a native player on the team, and you always want them to succeed,” Biyendolo mentioned afterwards. “I think, when you’re on a team, you want everyone to succeed. I think being able to say that we’re doing this for Rose—that we’re also doing this for ourselves—it’s really cool.”
The USWNT wrap up their international shifts with a Wednesday friendly against the Canadian Women’s National Team on Wednesday. Ireland begins their UEFA Nations League qualification matches against Belgium in October.
International Friendly
U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Ireland Women’s National Team
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 24,016
Result: USWNT 4, Ireland 0
BOX SCORE
United States Starting XI (3-4-3):
Mandy McGlynn (GK); Emily Sams, Jordyn Bugg, Tara McKeown; Croix Bethune (Ally Sentnor 63′), Samantha Meza (Rose Lavelle 87′), Izzy Rodriguez, Olivia Moultrie (Claire Hutton 80′); Emma Sears, Lynn Biyendolo (c) (Sam Coffey 63′), Yazmeen Ryan (Alyssa Thompson 80′).
Bench: Claudia Dickey, Naomi Girma, Avery Patterson, Michelle Cooper, Emily Sonnett, Lilly Reale, Angelina Anderson.
Ireland Starting XI (4-3-3):
Courtney Brosnan (c – GK); Jessie Stapleton, Anna Patten (Ruesha Littlejohn 73′), Caitlin Hayes, Chloe Mustaki (Hayley Nolan 46′); Tyler Toland (Isibeal Atkinson 84′), Saoirse Noonan (Amber Barrett 58′), Marissa Sheva; Emily Murphy (Megan Connolly 46′), Abbie Larkin (Lucy Quinn 46′), Kyra Carusa.
Bench: Grace Moloney, Sophie Whitehouse, Deidre Bradley, Erin McLaughlin, Ellen Molloy, Erin Healy.
Scoring summary:
USA – Lynn Biyendolo 12′ (Sears)
USA – Izzy Rodriguez 42′ (unassisted)
USA – Yazmeen Ryan 66′ (Moultrie)
USA – Alyssa Thompson 87′ (Hutton)
Discipline:
YC – Lucy Quinn 62′ (IRL, foul)
YC – Izzy Rodriguez 69′ (USA, foul)
Next up:
USWNT vs. Canada, 7:30 pm, Wednesday July 2nd (Washington D.C.)
Recommended for you
