U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL ROLLS TO 3-0 VICTORY OVER CHINA IN MINNESOTA ON GOALS FROM CATARINA MACARIO, SAM COFFEY AND LINDSEY HEAPS
Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta Earns First Cap and Becomes Oldest USWNT Debutante Ever at Age 32; Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce Earns Shutout in Second Cap
St. Paul, Minn. (May 31, 2025) — The U.S. Women’s National Team cruised to a 3-0 victory over China PR to open the summer slate of games as Catarina Macario and Sam Coffey scored in the first half and Lindsey Heaps added a goal in the second.
Macario scored the first goal of the match in the 28th minute following a wild sequence inside the six-yard box. Winger Michelle Cooper sent a cross into the penalty area on the ground and toward a crashing Alyssa Thompson, but a Chinese defender managed to body her off from connecting with the cross. While on the ground right in front of the net, Thompson tried to kick the ball toward the goal, but it was deflected by a defender and Macario ran it down at the far post before finishing with a tap in from close range into the left side of the goal.
It was Macario’s 11th career goal and third of 2025, making her the USWNT’s leading scorer this year. Macario, who started at center forward, is on the upswing after coming back from injuries that kept her away from the National Team for about two years.
Midfielder Sam Coffey scored minutes later to extend the lead off a pass from Macario. It was Coffey’s second international goal, both of which have come against the same opponent. Coffey’s first goal for the USWNT came in the team’s most recent game against China in December 2023. Macario’s assist was the fifth of her National Team career. Macario has contributed to at least one goal in eight of her last nine starts for the U.S.
Team captain Heaps netted the third goal with a header in the 54th minute off a pin-point cross from Cooper, who earned her first career assist in international play. Like Coffey, Heaps also scored in the USWNT’s last match against China.
The Americans dominated the match against a Chinese side that played a high line for most of the match, one which was repeatedly breached by the speedy U.S. wingers, and in the end, the scoreline flattered the Chinese a bit, although the long-time Asian power showed grit and skill throughout the 90 minutes. The USA ended up outshooting China 18-4 and 7-2 for shots on goal.
Next up, the USWNT travels to St. Louis, Mo. to face Jamaica at Energizer Park on Tuesday, June 3 (Energizer Park in St. Louis on Tuesday, June 3 (7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET on TNT, Max, Universo and Peacock in Spanish and Westwood One Sports on radio).
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
USA -- Catarina Macario, 28th minute: Catarina Macario broke the deadlock about halfway through the first half after Michelle Cooper got the U.S. in scoring position with a promising cross from the right wing. Alyssa Thompson got to the ball first as she slid to the ground. She couldn’t turn it on goal but kept the ball alive inside the six-yard box. Thompson swung at the ball from the ground and it hit a Chinese defender before rolling to the left side of the goal. It was only a matter of who would reach it first, Thompson or Macario, and it was Macario who tapped it home.
USA -- Sam Coffey (Catarina Macario), 35th minute: Alyssa Thompson was the creator of this scoring chance by racing past her defender into the right side of the penalty area and playing a pass on the ground to Macario, who took a deft touch, and then played a square pass to Coffey who spun her left-footed shot into the upper left corner from around the penalty spot.
USA -- Lindsey Heaps (Michelle Cooper), 54th minute: The third goal came off a classic Lindsey Heaps header off a perfect cross from the right wing from Cooper. Heaps headed the ball back across the goal, nailing the ‘keepers’ cleats into the ground for her 38th career goal, which tied Mallory Swanson for 16th on the all-time scoring list.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
• Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta became the oldest player ever to debut for the USWNT when she entered the match in the 70th minute. Previously, the oldest debut belonged to McCall Zerboni, who earned her first cap on Oct. 22, 2017, shortly before her 31st birthday.
• LaBonta was 32 years, 2 months and 13 days old today.
• Phallon Tullis-Joyce earned her second cap and her second clean sheet in goal for the USA.
• The starting lineup averaged 49.1 caps, but four of the 11 had six or less appearances heading into the match: Tullis-Joyce, Michelle Cooper, Lilly Yohannes and Avery Patterson, who played a find match at right back.
• Center back Naomi Girma returned to action for the USWNT for the first time since December 2024 after dealing with some injuries in the first part of this year.
• Defender Emily Sams earned her fourth cap when she came on for Emily Sonnett in the 69th minute.
• The USWNT has now played China 61 times, second only to Canada for the most against any opponent. The USWNT holds a record of 39-9-13 against China.
-U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. China PR
Date: May 31, 2025
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Allianz Field; St. Paul, MN
Attendance: 17,046
Kickoff: 4:37 p.m. local (5:37 p.m. ET)
Weather: 79 degrees, sunny with haze
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 1 3
CHN 0 0 0
USA – Catarina Macario 28th minute
USA – Sam Coffey (Catarina Macario) 35
USA – Lindsey Heaps (Michelle Cooper) 54
Lineups:
USA: 21-Phallon Tullis-Joyce; 8-Avery Patterson, 4-Naomi Girma, 14-Emily Sonnett (2-Emily Sams, 69), 19-Crystal Dunn; 17-Sam Coffey, 7-Lily Yohannes (3-Lo’eau LaBonta, 70), 10-Lindsey Heaps (Capt.) (13-Olivia Moultrie, 77); 12-Michelle Cooper (22-Emma Sears, 57), 20-Catarina Macario (6-Lynn Biyendolo, 70), 11-Alyssa Thompson (9-Ally Sentnor, 57)
Substitutes not used: 1-Mandy McGlynn; 5-Tara McKeown; 16-Claire Hutton; 18-Claudia Dickey, 23-Emily Fox, 24-Kerry Abello
Head coach: Emma Hayes
CHN: 24-Pan Hongyan; 2-Li Mengwen, 3-Chen Qiaozhu, 5-Wu Haiyan, 6-Zhang Xin (9-Shen Mengyu, 59), 7-Wang Shuang (28-Tang Jiali, 46), 10-Wang Yanwen, 16-Liu Jing, 18-Shao Ziqin, 33-Jin Kun (26-Zhi Jie, 59), 45-Wang Linlin
Substitutes not used: 1-Xu Huan, 4-Dou Jiaxing, 13-Yao Mengjia, 14-Ou Yiyao, 21-Qiao Ruiqi, 23-Wang Aifang, 30-Juo Yuexin, 39-Zhu Yu, 41-Zhai Qingwei
Head coach: Ante Milicic
Stats Summary: USA / CHN
Shots: 18 / 4
Shots on Goal: 7 / 2
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 2 / 0
Fouls: 5 / 10
Offside: 7 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
CHN – Li Mengwen (Caution) 21st minute
CHN – Wu Haiyan (Caution) 65
CHN – Wang Linlin (Caution) 83
Officials:
Referee: Carly Shaw MacLaren (CAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Gabrielle Lemieux (CAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Iris Vail (GUA)
4th Official: Astrid Gramajo GUA)
Michelob Ultra Woman of the Match: Lindsey Heaps
