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Football: Ertz goal lifts US women to 1-0 win over Spain

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/sports/03/09/030920-usa-spain-football.jpg"/><figcaption>USA midfielder Julie Ertz (8) celebrates her goal against Spain with teammates during the second half of a match in the 2020 She Believes Cup soccer series at Red Bull Arena. <em>Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>NEW YORK -- Julie Ertz headed in a last-gasp goal in the 87th minute Sunday to lift the World Cup champion United States to a 1-0 victory over feisty Spain in the SheBelieves women&#x27;s friendly football tournament.</p><p>The United States, who ousted Spain in the round of 16 on the way to the World Cup title last year, had to battle to break through against a technically sound Spanish side that controlled possession for much of the first half.</p><p>Spanish goalkeeper Sandra Panos delivered a strong performance, pushing a shot from US star Megan Rapinoe over the crossbar in the 32nd and diving to save a long-range blast from Samantha Mewis in the 60th.</p><p>Just when it looked as if the Americans might be held without a goal, a set-piece gave them an opportunity.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">JULIE ERTZ! 😱<br/><br/>A beautiful header puts the <a href="https://twitter.com/USWNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USWNT</a> up 1-0 in the 87th minute. <a href="https://t.co/vnbamFFqDx">pic.twitter.com/vnbamFFqDx</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1236787454885142528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2020</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Christen Press&#x27;s free kick from the left found a charging Ertz, who rose to head the ball past Panos, who got a hand on the ball but couldn&#x27;t stop it.</p><p>&quot;I feel like if you give (Ertz) a ball, she can compete for it,&quot; Press said after the United States stretched their unbeaten streak to 30 games. &quot;It doesn&#x27;t matter who she is playing against. She is just world class.&quot;</p><p>The match was played before a sellout crowd of 26,500 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, one year to the day after 28 US women internationals sued US Soccer over pay inequality.</p><p>US federation president Carlos Cordeiro had released an open letter on Saturday night in which he said federation officials &quot;strongly believe&quot; they have addressed the women&#x27;s concerns and offered to provide &quot;identical compensation&quot; to the women&#x27;s and men&#x27;s teams for matches controlled by US Soccer.</p><p>He said $66 million sought by the women players in the lawsuit -- scheduled to go to trial in May -- represents a difference in prize money from FIFA in the men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s World Cups, which the national federation can&#x27;t be expected to make up.</p><p>Molly Levinson, a spokesman for the players suing, quickly refuted Cordeiro&#x27;s claims, saying the federation &quot;did not and has never offered equal pay to the women players.&quot;</p><p>Levinson also took a dig at the timing of Cordeiro&#x27;s letter in the midst of the tournament, which she noted the federation says &quot;celebrates the hopes and dreams of women and girls.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/football/news/2020/03/09/madrid-loses-2-1-betis-barcelona-stays-top-spain-66875">Madrid loses 2-1 at Betis as Barcelona stays top in Spain</a></li></ul><div><strong>- White strikes -</strong></div><p>In the opening match of the day&#x27;s double-header, Ellen White&#x27;s late strike was enough to lift England to a 1-0 victory over Japan.</p><p>Against a Japan side they beat convincingly at last year&#x27;s World Cup, England bounced back from their 2-0 loss to the United States on Thursday.</p><p>Japan, surprised 3-1 by Spain in their opener, remain in search of their first win of the round-robin tournament, which concludes on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas, where the United States will face Japan and England will take on Spain.</p><p>The Lionesses will be relieved to have come away with a victory after a multitude of squandered opportunities before White&#x27;s 83rd-minute goal.</p><p>England seized upon a defensive error by Japan, with a sloppy pass allowed Toni Duggan to gain the ball and cross into the box for White to tap in.</p><p>Manchester City striker White and Duggan were among the multiple second-half substitutions by England manager Phil Neville.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>).</strong></div>

<p>Julie Ertz headed in a last-gasp goal in the 87th minute Sunday to lift the World Cup champion U</p>

Julie Ertz headed in a last-gasp goal in the 87th minute Sunday to lift the World Cup champion U