Thanks for joining me tonight at VAVEL USA. Until next time, this is Kudzi Musarurwa signing off.
USA 5 - 3 Australia
Full-time: The US get the win after a battle of the offenses. There were some great goals scored and some poor defending on display tonight. It made what was billed to be a good game even better.
USA 5 - 3 Australia
Naeher pumps the ball long and both Pugh and Press are after it. Pugh gets there first and chips Williams who had come a long way out of goal.
90+5' GOAL! Pugh caps off a great night for herself with her second!
90+4' Raso tries to put the ball back in as Australia push for an equalizer but Naeher is quick off her line and plucks the ball out of the air.
90+2' Australia get another free kick is Lloyd is called for a handball. The US defend the set piece well but Australia still have the ball.
Australia have five more minutes to find the equalizer or for the US to score the goal that ends this competition.
90' YELLOW CARD: Long is the next to go into the book after she and Mewis bring down Kerr.
89' SUBSTITUTION: Yallop is replaced by Katrina Gorry as the game starts to wind down.
88' Yallop looks to shoot but her shot gets blocked and hits her right in the face. The game is stopped for her to receive some treatment.
87' Australia are still in this game and have the quality to tie this game up.
85' SUBSTITUTION: Carli Lloyd is the next chance and she comes in for Dahlkemper.
84' YELLOW CARD: Polkinghorne and Mewis get tangled up and the Australian defender is judged to have fouled Mewis.
83' Dahlkemper cross the ball in after a US corner but the knock on is straight at Williams.
81' SUBSTITUTION: Allie Long comes on for Alex Morgan.
USA 4 - 3 Australia
Carpenter gets forward and almost loses the ball but stays with it before picking out Raso. Raso then swings in the ball and Kerr, who finds some space in between the two central defenders, powers the header into goal.
81' GOAL! Australia are not done yet and Kerr gets her first goal against the USWNT.
78' SUBSTITUTION: Tierna Davidson is the next to step on the field as Sonnett leaves the field.
75' SUBSTITUTION: 16 year-old Mary Flower replaces Foord.
74' Yallop tracks back and miscues her kick which gives the US another corner.
73' CHANCE! Williams keeps Australia in the game as she comes up big to stop Press' volley!
71' Morgan comes back on and the game restarts.
69' Now Morgan is done on the ground after getting clipped by Van Egmond. Australia had gone on the attack but Raso couldn't find a teammate and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
68: SUBSTITUTION: Hayley Raso is on for Elise Kellond-Knight.
USA 4 - 2 Australia
Morgan holds up the ball well before feeding it to Sonnett. Sonnett then picks out Pugh who comes rushing in and places the ball in between William's dive from a tight angle.
67' GOAL! Mallory Pugh makes it four!
66' SUBSTITUTION: Rapinoe's night is done and Mallory Pugh comes in for her.
64' SUBSTITUTION: Christen Press is the next change for the US as she comes in for Horan. Rapinoe is also getting looked at by the medical team.
64' We have now seen the worst from Mewis and her very best twice now. She almost gets a goal when she connects with Morgan's cross from the edge of the area but her header goes wide.
USA 3 - 2 Australia
Sam Mewis glides past her marker before swinging the ball across goal. The fall ends up at Rapinoe's feet after Carpenter fails to clear her lines well and Rapinoe takes a few touches before slamming the ball home from about 18 yards out.
60' GOAL! Megan Rapinoe thumps the US into the lead!
58' The long throw comes in from Carpenter and Australia get the first touch to it but eventually the ball goes out for a US throw in.
57' SUBSTITUTION: Emily Gielnik comes in for De Vanna.
USA 2 - 2 Australia
Morgan gets to the byline and squares the ball across goal but Heath can't get to it. The ball stays with the US and Rapinoe tries to drive the ball across goal again but can't pick out a teammate. Sonnett then puts in a telling cross that Heath nods in from close range.
53' GOAL! Heath brings the US back on level terms!
51' Foord wins a free kick for Australia in midfield but nothing comes from it and the US regain possession.
51' Heath tries to find Morgan but Kennedy is there to knock the ball out for a throw in.
49' YELLOW CARD: Rapinoe picks up the first caution for the game after a high arm on Tameka Yallop.
USa 1 - 2 Australia
The US are unbelievably sloppy on more than one occasion in midfield and Australia combine well to go forward. Foord pulls off a great spin and leaves Mewis reeling before finishing well past Naeher.
47' GOAL! That has to be the goal of the game by Caitlin Foord!
46' The second half begins with Australia kicking off.
46' SUBSTITUTION: Sam Mewis comes in for Rose Lavelle. Lavelle had been slated to only play for 45 minutes as she continues to build up match fitness after her injury.
USA 1 - 1 Australia
Half-time: That was fun to watch! Both teams are testing the defenses whenever they can and it's made for entertaining viewing.
45' CHANCE! Heath finds space in between Gema Simon and Kennedy as she heads towards goal. She tries to score from a very acute angle and it goes just wide of the far post.
44' Lavelle gets by two defenders but her cut back doesn't find anyone. The ball comes back and Heath whiffs on the ball before Lavelle sends her effort over the crossbar.
42' Kennedy goes for goal from a long way out and completely shanks her effort. A waste of a good opportunity.
42' Horan leaves the field unassisted and looks to come back in. Australia are setting up their set piece opportunity now.
41' Australia win a free kick in a good area after Horan leaps over Emily Van Egmond. Horan is now down and looking to get medical treatment.
39' CHANCE! Kerr almost pulls off some magic by herself. She gets the ball at her feet, uses her speed and balance to skip past Sauerbrunn but her effort is blocked by Dahlkemper and Naeher is thankful that the ball misses her far post narrowly. The resulting corner is cleared by the US.
37' Australia finally get some reprieve as Morgan is caught offside again. Another move breaks down for the US again as Rapinoe is caught way offside.
35' CHANCE! Australia could have caught the US out when Dahlkemper puts in an errant first touch but they can't get going and Rose Lavelle tries to curl the ball past Williams. The Reign FC goalkeeper is up to the task though and keeps the score level.
34' CHANCE! It's end-to-end stuff now as Williams has to stretch high to tip over Horan's effort from outside the box. The corner is flicked over goal and Rapinoe gets another chance to send it in.
33' CHANCE! And now Australia almost go ahead! De Vanna is finding so much space out on the left and she finds Kerr at the far post beautifully but Kerr for the second time, can't find the back of the net.
32' CHANCE! Wow! Williams and Carpenter keep the US from taking the lead! A great touch by Morgan releases Heath and she gets to the byline before slowing down and picking out Rapinoe. Williams gets a touch on the shot and Carpenter is there to clear the ball off the line.
USA 1 - 1 Australia
Australia manage to bypass the US pressure and Kerr's pass goes just past Ertz' outstretched leg. Foord bombs forward and picks out De Vanna and this time, the veteran gets the goal with a curling effort into the top corner.
29' GOAL! What a lovely finish by Lisa De Vanna!
26' The US move forward again but Rapinoe can't find a teammate and Williams collects the ball easily.
22' CHANCE! Ertz meets Morgan's cross and knocks it down for Heath but the Portland Thorns FC forward can't keep her footing and slips at the crucial moment in front of goal.
21' Ellie Carpenter tries to pick out Kerr but Naeher is there to punch it away strongly. Carpenter gets another chance and Naeher makes the catch as it's over Kerr's head.
19' Abby Dahlkemper goes long to Morgan but before she can do anything with the ball, the offside flag goes up again.
17' Rapinoe sends it towards goal and Williams has to parry it out for another corner. The second corner is short but play is called dead as Rapinoe is flagged for offside.
17' The game has opened up a little here as the US are beginning to swing the momentum of the game their way. Another corner coming up for the hosts.
15' CHANCE! Australia almost get on equal terms straight away but Kerr shoots high over the crossbar from a good angle.
USA 1 - 0 Australia
The ball is played up towards Morgan and Clare Polkinghorne gets the step on her but fails to stay strong against Morgan. The Orlando Pride striker then takes the ball forward before going past Kennedy and shooting past Williams with her first foot.
14' GOAL! Alex Morgan opens the scoring and gets her 100th international goal!
13' CHANCE! The ball somehow manages to make it to Morgan who sets up Horan but her shot is blocked from inside the 18 yard area.
12' First foul of the game is awarded against Heath as Foord manages to nick the ball away from her. Australia look to build another attack but with the ball at her feet inside the box, Foord can't get past Becky Sauerbrunn.
11' Australia have settled in now and are passing the ball well while keeping the US backline with the ball instead of it getting to their attack. Australia try to create something but De Vann's cross goes right into Naeher's arms.
7' The US are pressing Australia high up the field and it's limited touches for the dangerous Sam Kerr. The pressure hasn't paid off yet for the hosts however.
5' Heath is found by Julie Ertz with a great ball over the top but she's ruled offside so the chance comes to nothing.
4' After some confusion which sees Lydia Williams not clear the in-swinging corner well, the US recycle the ball and Williams has to palm the ball out for another corner. This corner leads to nothing however for the US.
3' Lindsey Horan finds space in attack and plays it to Megan Rapinoe who puts Alex Morgan through on goal. The shot is blocked and the US earn another corner.
2' The US have multiple chances to cross the ball into the box after the corner is taken but Australia defend stoutly. The US keep possession however.
1' The US go forward quickly and Tobin Heath and Emily Sonnett combine well to win the first corner of the game.
1' Early break by Australia as Caitlin Foordstrides forward and finds Lisa De Vanna but her first touch isn't good enough and Alyssa Naeher gathers the ball easily.
1' Here we go! The USWNT and Australia do battle once again.
Our match officials tonight are: Karen Apt as the center official. Jennifer Garner and Melissa Snedden are the assistant referees, and Sandra Benitez will be the fourth official tonight.
The national anthems for both teams are being sung now as we are minutes away from kick-off.
The US backline has been talked about as a weak spot for them so it will be interesting to see how the match up against a familiar foe (for most of them) in Sam Kerr. As for the US attack? They have shown that over 90 minutes they can get the better of the Australian defense but having a new head coach for the Australians may change that tonight.
While we wait for kick-off to arrive, VAVEL USA has a preview for the match for all to read. Take a quick look before the start of the match to get more familiar with the players and tactics that may feature heavily tonight.
The head coaches for the two sides are; Jill Ellis for the home side, the USWNT, and Ante Milicic leads the Australians this year.
USWNT Starting XI: Naeher; Sonnett, Dahlkemper, Sauerbrunn, Dunn; Ertz, Horan, Lavelle; Heath, Morgan, Rapinoe.
Now the hosts, the USWNT have also announced their starting eleven for tonight's match.
Australia Starting XI: Williams; Carpenter, Polkinghorne, Kennedy, Simon; Van Egmond, Foord, Kellond-Knight; De Vanna, Kerr, Yallop.
Australia are the first team to drop their starting eleven for tonight and it's as follows...
Good evening everyone and welcome to our coverage of the friendly between the USWNT and Australia. I am your host, Kudzi Musarurwa, and I hope you will enjoy keeping up with the game here with me.
The game will be played on April 4, 2019 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado with kick off is scheduled for 9:00PM EST. In the United States, the match will be available to watch on FS1 while Fox Sports will be broadcasting it in Australia.
Australia will look to shut up shop much better this time around against the USWNT. In their first three matches of 2019, the Australians conceded just once but it was against lower opposition to the likes of the USWNT. In order to show just how far they have come as a team, they will need to shut down the fire power that the USWNT brings with it.
Australia come into this friendly still looking to find their feet under new head coach Ante Milicic. Australia have played three matches since the start of 2019, winning all of them but this game will be Milicic's first big test before the World Cup. As always, Samantha Kerr will be key to Australia's fortunes this Thursday and beyond. The Chicago Red Stars forward has shown no signs of slowing down and continues to score goals for fun. She is ably assisted by the likes of veteran Lisa De Vanna and Caitlin Foord while Hayley Raso has recovered from her season-ending injury last year to be ready for the national team now.
Fortunately for the USWNT, their attack is still in great form. Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath continue to offer great creativity from out wide and while Alex Morgan is yet to find the back of the net as consistently as she did last year, her hold up play as the lone striker has been impressive to watch. Christen Press off the bench has also given head coach Jill Ellis an extra weapon if needed and if Sam Mewis gets the start, she has shown to be a capable link between the backline and the attack.
The USWNT come off from finishing second at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup and will want to improve their performances from that as they look towards the World Cup in France this summer. In order to do so, the USWNT will need to work on their defense. Far too often during the SheBelieves Cup and in their two friendlies at the start of the year, the US backline allowed the opposition opportunities to win or draw the game. In goal, Alyssa Naeher continues to have inconsistent form and in front of her, if Kelley O'Hara is not available, the right full back position is a worry for the USWNT.
The two teams meet for the first time this year and the first time since last year's Tournament of Nations which saw the USWNT come back from behind late in the game to grab a draw. Australia went on to win the tournament but they will not want a repeat of that late collapse this time around.
Welcome everyone to the sixth match of the year for the United States Women's National Team. The USWNT will be facing Australia as they continue to ramp up their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup preparation.