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Former Badger Rose Lavelle Leads USWNT past Sweden

By Noah Seligman

Apr 6, 2017; Frisco, TX, USA; USA midfielder Rose Lavelle (16) controls the ball in the first half against Russia at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2017; Frisco, TX, USA; USA midfielder Rose Lavelle (16) controls the ball in the first half against Russia at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former Wisconsin soccer star Rose Lavelle continues to impress at the international level

As we’ve written before on Badger of Honor, ex-Wisconsin Badger soccer player Rose Lavelle is making quite an impression for club and country.

Today she scored the only goal of the match to secure a 1-0 win for the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) in a friendly against host and rival Sweden.

In the 56th minute Lavelle bolted down the right flank opening space for Crystal Dunn to charge down the middle.  She smartly angled her run and first touch towards the near post so as to preserve a shooting angle.  Lavelle showed good awareness to stay tucked safely onside and essentially run herself open to make the feed from Dunn as simple as possible.  A quick touch got her feet right for the shot and Lavelle buried a low drive to the far post.

For the game, the USWNT split possession evenly with Sweden and both sides had four shots on goal.  But the hosts had 14 total shots to just seven for the USWNT and 10 corner kicks to only two for the USWNT.  Also, the Americans only committed four fouls all match is pretty low suggesting (as do the other statistics) that home side Sweden was much the aggressor all match.

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Lavelle got the start today and nearly went the distance only giving way in stoppage time for a cameo appearance from USWNT veteran Megan Rapinoe.  While it’s only a friendly, USWNT-Sweden is never an insignificant affair.  Just ask former USWNT goalie Hope Solo.

Sweden is coached by former USWNT manager Pia Sundhage who led the Americans to two Olympic golds and 2nd place in the 2011 World Cup.  But the separation has not always been gracious.

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The USWNT continue its brief international tour with a match against Norway on Sunday at 12 p.m. CST broadcast on FOX.  We’ll see if Lavelle is again in the starting XI but she has certainly helped her cause in limited appearances for the USWNT thus far.