Christen Press celebrates her goal with teammates during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Saitama Stadium in Saitama. Photo: Ayaka Naito / AFP
The U.S. women's national soccer team beat New Zealand on Saturday in a must-win game for their second appearance of the Tokyo Olympics.
The big picture: Following a stunning defeat to Sweden in the first match of the Olympics, the U.S. team rebounded Saturday, easing past New Zealand with a final score of 6-1 and dominating possession — a 180-degree turnaround from the U.S. team's first performance in the tournament.
Driving the news: Rose Lavelle started the scoring, finishing off of a pass from Tobin Heath in the ninth minute.
- Lindsey Horan also scored in the first half off of a header.
- The scoring continued in the second half, with an own-goal by a New Zealand player, a finish from Christen Press and another from Alex Morgan. One final own-goal finished the game in stoppage time.
What's next: The U.S. team plays Australia on Tuesday in the final round of the group stage, providing a chance to gain momentum ahead of the knockout rounds.
View from inside the stadium from Axios' Ina Fried:
Go deeper: U.S. women's soccer team seeks redemption on Olympic stage