USWNT lose first home game since 2017 as Germany pull off dramatic win | OneFootball

Third-ranked Germany pulled off an impressive 2-1 victory over the top-ranked United States on Thursday in Harrison, New Jersey.

Scorers: Rapinoe 85′; Murphy 52′ (OG), Krumbiegel 89′

This match had an electric pace right from kick-off and the contest was wide open over 90 minutes as a result.

United States stars Sophia Smith and Rose Lavelle were causing heaps of problems for the visiting Europeans with the duo keeping goalkeeper Merle Frohms on her toes.

As a result the hosts subsequently went inches away from opening the scoring when Lavelle dummied a defender, and the ball landed to Lindsey Horan whose strike hit right on, not over, the line.

Meanwhile down at the other end, Germany were causing their own threats as the always-deadly Alexandra Popp and Lina Magull called goalkeeper Casey Murphy into action.

Things somehow remained 0-0 at the break however the tempo didn’t slow down at all during the second 45 minutes.

Horan again came inches away from breaking the deadlock when her bicycle kick hit the post, but then the ball fell to Germany, and they hit back immediately on the counter.

Within seconds, substitute Paulina Krumbiegel was denied by Murphy only for Klara Bühl to pick up the ball at the top of the box, drill it off the post and it hit off the goalkeeper’s back for 1-0.

With roughly half an hour to go the reigning World Cup champions ramped up the pressure and made multiple substitutes in hopes for an equaliser while the Euro 2022 finalists searched for another goal.

Things then took a dramatic turn in the dying moments. A one-goal game, the door was still open for the USA and Alex Morgan teed up a wide-open substitute Megan Rapinoe for 1-1.

However, Germany then found a later winner as Krumbiegel turned things in favour of the visitors at the death to break the hosts’ hearts.

The result means the USA have lost for the first time on home soil after 71 matches (dating back to 2017) as Germany held on for a stunning result.