New Zealand’s Meikayla Moore scores hat-trick of own goals against USA
New Zealand defender Meikayla Moore scored three goals – for the US women’s national team – as the Americans won 5-0 on Sunday in the second round of matches in the SheBelieves Cup.
The US, who drew with the Czech Republic 0-0 in their tournament opener on Thursday, got all the help they needed thanks to Moore’s own goals in the fifth, sixth and 36th minutes.
The US took over from there. Ashley Hatch made it 4-0 in the 51st with a header that was set-up by Sofia Huerta, and Mallory Pugh scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
Moore’s nightmare started early when she tried to stop a cross from Sophia Smith but instead redirected the ball into her own net. A minute later, Catarina Macario’s header was going wide until it glanced off Moore’s head. Her unenviable hat-trick was completed after Margaret Purce’s cross from the right wing. Moore stuck out her foot to clear the ball, but again it went horribly wrong. She was substituted four minutes later.
The 25-year-old is an experienced player and has 48 caps for New Zealand. She signed for Liverpool in 2020.
Sunday was the first time the USWNT had been the beneficiary of three own goals in a game.
With the victory, the US extended their home unbeaten streak to 64 matches. Alyssa Naeher made one save for the US, who have not allowed a goal on home soil in nearly two years. They last conceded a goal on 11 March 2020, in a 3-1 win over Japan in the final match of the SheBelieves Cup. Since then, they’ve kept a program-record 16 straight home shutouts.
The tournament wraps up Wednesday in Frisco, Texas, when New Zealand play the Czech Republic before Iceland and the US meet.
Source: Ghana News
