Sophia Wilson hits 2nd-minute strike to score 1st USWNT goal since 2024

Sophia Wilson is so back for the United States women's national team. Just minutes into the first of two friendlies against Brazil, the forward smoked a beautiful strike to give the USWNT an early lead. The shot, which curled just enough to slide past Brazilian keeper Letícia “Lelê” Izidoro, totally silenced the São Paulo crowd. It was Wilson's first for the USWNT since the 2024 Paris Olympics, and her first since returning from maternity leave in January. Unfortunately for the U.S., the lead didn't last, as the Brazilian continued to put immense pressure on the USWNT back line. Nine minutes after Wilson's goal, a Brazilian throw-in gave 21-year-old Taina Maranhão the chance to equalize with an unmarked header. And just three minutes after that, Bia Zanaretto took advantage of several U.S. defending errors to send the ball past Mandy McGlynn and give Brazil the lead. The crowd was quickly raucous again after Brazil took the 2-1 lead. Saturday’s friendly was a rare opportunity for the USWNT to play in a truly hostile environment. The U.S. has not played away from American soil since Paris, which was (for all intents and purposes) a neutral site. The crowd at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo, however, is anything but neutral. The environment is noisy, with some of the U.S. players likely getting booed for the first time on the international stage. Tuesday’s friendly, held in Fortaleza, Brazil, will be no different. In May, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said that the two friendlies offer “perfect preparation” for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil next summer. “I’ve said so many times that Brazil is probably the one team in the world where you’re lucky if you get two or three passes in a row because of the intensity of the press and their deliberate intentions, 1-v-1,” Hayes said at the time, via The Athletic . “So, to experience that in their home backyard, I think, is important, and we’re very much looking forward to it.” That intensity has been clear in the first half of the game, with the U.S. trailing at halftime. This story will be updated.