PARIS -- Carli Lloyd scored a pair of goals for the United States in a somewhat subdued 3-0 victory over Chile that advanced the defending Women's World Cup champions to the round of 16.
The Americans were criticized after their record-breaking 13-0 rout of Thailand when players celebrated goals even after the victory was well in hand. They were noticeably more muted in this one, and all three goals were in the first half.
Sweden also advanced out of Group F with a victory 5-1 victory over Thailand earlier Sunday in Nice. Japan, playing in Group D with England, also went through to the knockout stage because both the United States and Sweden won.
Lloyd earned the start after coming off the bench in the opener, and in the 11th minute became the first player to score in six straight World Cup matches.
She added another on a header off a corner in the 35th minute for her 10th career World Cup goal, which moved her into third on the all-time U.S. list behind Abby Wambach (14) and Michelle Akers (12).
Four years ago at the World Cup in Canada, Lloyd scored three goals in the opening 16 minutes of the finale to lead the United States to a 5-2 victory over Japan for the team's third overall title.
She nearly got another hat trick -- which would have made her the first player with two World Cups -- but her penalty kick in the 81st minute went wide left.
"It's haunting me right now," Lloyd said. "Wasn't good enough."
The score could have been worse for Chile without unshakable goalkeeper Christiane Endler, who finished with six saves and fended off a flurry of U.S. shots in the second half.
"I think we would have definitely had a couple more in there if she had not come up with those big saves," Lloyd said.
Endler, who was named player of the match, lamented the loss to the defending champions afterward.
"I thought it was a good game that we played, but obviously you saw how complicated it was for us as a team," she said through a translator.
The Americans were blasted after their tournament-opening victory for the lopsided score, and overenthusiastic celebration, and the controversy clouded the run-up to Sunday's game.
Several of the American players reached out to their Thai counterparts following the match. Lloyd exchanged encouraging words and tweets with goalkeeper Sukanya Chor Charoenying, and FIFA posted an interview with Thailand's coach thanking the U.S. players for being professional and playing well.
The United States set records for goals and margin of victory against Thailand. Alex Morgan tied the World Cup record for most individual goals with five, and she was among a record seven different scorers in a single game.
After such a rout, Jill Ellis made sweeping changes to the starting lineup against Chile with a new front line: Lloyd, Christen Press and Mallory. Morgan was moved to the bench along with Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath.
Becky Sauerbrunn, who sat out of the match against Thailand because of a minor quad injury, returned and anchored a backline that included 20-year-old Tierna Davidson, who was making her World Cup debut. Davidson is the youngest player to start for the United States in the World Cup since Tiffany Roberts against Norway in 1995.
Chile made just one lineup change, starting midfielder Claudia Soto in place of Yanara Aedo.
Chile lost its opener to Sweden 2-0 but goalkeeper Endler kept the Swedes out of the goal until 83rd minute. The second goal got past her in stoppage time. The 6-footer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain was solid again against the U.S., which peppered her with shots.
Julie Ertz scored in the 26th minute with a header off a corner kick from Davidson that Endler got her hands on but couldn't stop. It was her first World Cup goal and came with her husband Zach Ertz, a tight-end for the Philadelphia Eagles, looking on.
Endler was able to prevent Lloyd from another attempt at a hat trick when she tipped the U.S. captain's shot over the net in the 72nd minute.
Former Vice President Joe Biden was among the U.S. team's well-wishers before the sold-out game at Parc des Princes stadium. Biden, who is running for President in 2020, referenced the team's lawsuit against U.S. Soccer alleging gender discrimination and seeking equitable pay.
"As we cheer them on in the World Cup, we must support their fight off the field for equal pay. In 2019, it's past time we close the pay gap and ensure women get paid as much as men," Biden posted on Twitter.
U.S. soccer maintains that the two teams have different pay structures because of separate collective bargaining agreements.
The United States plays Sweden in Le Havre on Thursday to wrap up the group stage. It is the first meeting between the two teams since Sweden ousted the American from the quarterfinals at the 2016 Olympics.
Chile wraps up the group with a match against Thailand on Thursday in Rennes.
Sweden 5, Thailand 1
NICE, France -- A couple of seconds elapsed before a disbelieving Kanjana Sungngoen raised her arms in celebration.
It really happened.
Thailand had finally scored at this Women's World Cup.
By the time Sungngoen found the net against Sweden in the first minute of stoppage time, Thailand was already trailing 4-0 Sunday.
But simply scoring was a triumph after Thailand's humiliating 13-0 opening loss to the United States. Coaches embraced on the bench and Thai flags were raised in the stands on the French Riviera.
They were still beaming after the final whistle, even after Elin Rubensson scored with the final kick of the game from the penalty spot to seal a 5-1 victory for Sweden, which advanced to the round of 16 with a game to spare.
"Everyone was very happy that we at least scored one," Kanjana said through a translator. "The whole team is very glad."
Even if it was only a consolation goal and the team remains bottom of Group F.
"It was a difficult goal and playing a great team like Sweden, it meant so much," Thailand coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian said through a translator. "It meant that all of our preparation paid off. We had a lot of chances today. This one goal made us laugh, made us smile and makes us happy."
Forget that Thailand's 18 goals conceded equals the tournament record set by Argentina in 2007. And, Thailand still must face Chile in the group finale.
Even Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, through the disappointment of not keeping a clean sheet, could see what scoring meant to the Thais.
"We are all human," Lindahl said, "and having had that defeat they had against the US, and now scoring their goal, you can feel some empathy for them."
It helped that her teammates had already scored four times by the time Sungngoen got on the end of a high ball on the right flank and cut in before beating Lindahl at her near post.
The first of the five Swedish scorers netted in the 6th minute in Nice, with Linda Sembrant heading past Waraporn Boonsing.
The Thai goalkeeper did manage to palm away Anna Anvegard's shot in the 19th minute but she couldn't recover the ball to prevent Kosovare Asllani scoring. Boonsing couldn't stop the 41st-minute strike from Fridolina Rolfö curling into the top corner.
Just like in the game against the United States, it was 3-0 at halftime. Unlike in Paris, Thailand didn't concede another four times in the opening 11 minutes of the second half.
In fact, it took Sweden until the 81st minute to find the net again through Lina Hurtig's header before being beaten by Thailand on the counterattack.
So when the final whistle blew, the Thai squad was able to bow to its fans. Some pride had been restored.
"Our defeat in the last game was massive," Srathongvian said. "We were disappointed, but scoring one today we made some success. We still need to develop and we need to improve and make it better. We need to get as close to other super teams. We need to play better so we can enjoy it more."
Sports on 06/17/2019