LOS ANGELES, United States, Oct 25, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The United States,
buoyed by goals from teenagers Alyssa Thompson and Jaedyn Shaw, beat Iceland
3-1 on Thursday in a friendly match billed as a celebration of their Paris
Olympics women's football gold -- and a step on the road to the 2027 World
Cup.

Shaw, 19, produced a go-ahead goal in the 85th minute, eluding a pair of
defenders and slotting a right-footed shot past oncoming Iceland keeper Telma
Ivarsdottir.

Three minutes later Sophia Smith rifled in a right-footed shot to seal the
win in Austin, Texas.

Thompson, also 19, had put the hosts ahead with her first international goal
in the 39th minute.

A long pass from Sam Coffey found Thompson just outside the penalty area.

She turned and raced into the box from the left and fired a right-footed shot
into the top right corner as Ivarsdottir leapt for it in vain.

It was a triumphant return to the national team for Thompson. She made her
USA debut in 2022 at the age of 17 and was part of the 2023 World Cup squad.

But she saw limited action in the World Cup and didn't feature in the squad
that won gold in Paris this year.

It was something of a comeback for Shaw, as well. She was in the Paris squad
but was injured prior to the Americans' first match and didn't play.

The Americans, playing their first match since beating Brazil 1-0 in the
Olympic final in Paris, were up 1-0 at halftime, but Selma Magnusdottir made
it 1-1 in the 56th minute with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the
penalty area into the bottom left corner of Alyssa Naeher's net.

The match was the first of a three-game series to celebrate the USA's Olympic
gold. They play Iceland again in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday and take on
Argentina on Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky.

But US coach Emma Hayes said this month that her focus is already on the
pursuit of a fifth World Cup title in Brazil in 2027.

"Our focus is forward, our focus is on our process, and we want to keep
chasing new heights. I love that we get to see most of our Olympic Team again
after a few months, but I also love getting to work with some newer players
and evaluate how they perform in our environment," Hayes said.