The U.S. women's soccer team sent their coach out on a high note on Wednesday night, beating Australia in an international friendly 6-2 in Commerce City, Colorado.
With the game tied in the second half, Abby Wambach scored a goal to take the lead and the team never looked back. Coach Pia Sundhage had announced earlier in the month that she was stepping down from the team to coach her native Swedish National team.
Sundhage led the team to back-to-back gold medals after winning at this year's London Olympics.
"Today is Pia's day. We've been talking about it all day: What can we do to show her?" Wambach said. "She's a passionate woman about this game. We knew the best thing we could do was give her a win."
The American team faced a 2-1 deficit in the first half after Sarah Walsh put a shot past goalie Hope Solo. But the lead didn't last long.
Only a few minutes later, Morgan added her first goal to tie the game at 2-2. In the 53rd minute, she put in her second score of the game for the decisive goal on a hard leg kick to the open side of the net.
Morgan finished the game with two goals and two assists. She has scored 63 points so far this year, the most by a player since Wambach scored 75 in 2004.
"We wanted to give her a good show," Morgan said. "We didn't have the right rhythm in the first half. We're happy that we got a win in Pia's last game."
The U.S. had five different goal scorers, including Heather O'Reilly, Shannon Boxx and Sydney Leroux. The Americans had the advantage in shots on goal, 13 to 2 and also had more corner kicks.
The win improved the U.S. team to 21-0-2 against Australia.
Hired five years agho in 2007, Sundhage had amazing success with the team, making it to the 2011 FIFA World Cup finals and winning two Olympic gold medals. Her career record with the team was a staggering 91-6-10.
"She's built this game, helped elevate the game to a new level," said Solo, whose team won its 14th straight match. "So, there's not too much to be sad about. Of course, we're heartbroken that she's gone. But she's fulfilling her dreams and we're going to fulfill ours."
Following the match Sundhage described some of her favorite moments with the team, including when the American tied a match against Brazil in the 122nd minute off a Wambach header. The team then won 5-3 in penalty kicks.
"Better than a movie," Sundhage said. "That is the moment of my soccer life."
The team still has yet to name a replacement, but the U.S. soccer federation had already began to compile names.
"Heard they have it down to double-digit (candidates)," Solo said. "But I don't know who it's going to come down to."
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