The <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/uswnt">USWNT</a> secured another 3-1 win over Iceland, after also beating the same rival with an identical result on Thursday. However, this time, one of the stars of the night was 23-year-old Emma Sears, who had a dream debut with the US women’s national team.



Sears, who plays as forward for the Racing Louisville in the <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/nwsl">NWSL</a>, assisted Lynn Williams in the first goal for the US, which put the match 1-1 after Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir scored the first for Iceland. It was actually the first time that the USWNT trailed behind since Emma Hayes took charge of the team back in May.



Lindsey Horan, who replaced Sam Coffey at the start of the second half, scored the second goal for the US. Sears, however, sealed the 3-1 victory with a great goal on aggregate time, also becoming the first player to score a goal and provide an assist in her first cap since Christen Press (two goals, an assist) did it in 2013, according to OptaJack. She is also the only fourth player to do so, per the USWNT official X account.



With five goals this season, the former Ohio State player has set a new rookie scoring record for the young Louisville franchise. She is ranked among the top 20 in the NWSL for goal- and shot-creating actions, according to WDBR.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20241028_BUS_260965_emma-sears-uswnt-1024x576_d3c3b026.webp&amp;width=1024&amp;height=576" alt="emma sears celebrating" class="wp-image-260967" srcset="https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt-300x169.jpg 300w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt-768x432.jpg 768w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt-740x416.jpg 740w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt-490x275.jpg 490w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt-250x140.jpg 250w, https://bolavip-us.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/emma-sears-uswnt.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure><figcaption> Lynn Williams #6 and Emma Sears #26 of the United States celebrate after a goal (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Meanwhile, with this win, Emma Hayes’ USWNT remains unbeaten in 12 games. The English coach already won her first major title with the US, as they clinched the Olympic Gold medal this summer in Paris. Their next friendly will be against Argentina, on Wednesday, Oct. 30th.


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<h2>Hayes wants to keep discovering new players</h2>



Ahead of the match, Hayes told WDRB that Sears “is a clear example of what we’re looking to do in terms of providing opportunities for players who have performed well.” She also said that “It’s the start of a new cycle. It’s a chance to celebrate some of the really good things that are going on outside of the national team pool and I think Emma very much deserves to be there.”



<h2>Sears could play the playoffs with Racing Louisville</h2>



Back in the NWSL, Sears and Louisville still have a chance to play in the upcoming NWSL Playoffs. The team defeated Portland Thorns 1-0 in their last match, and they will end the regular season against San Diego Wave on Sun., Nov. 3.

USWNT: Racing Louisville's Emma Sears shines in dream debut, emulates Christen Press

USWNT: Racing Louisville's Emma Sears shines in dream debut, emulates Christen Press - Bolavip US

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The Orlando Pride clinched their first <a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/nwsl">National Women’s Soccer League</a> Shield on Sunday with a 2-0 win over the second-place Washington Spirit at Inter&amp;Co Stadium. With the Shield in her hands, Marta, Pride’s captain, reflected on what the achievement meant to her and the team.



“It means so much,” she said, visibly emotional. “We worked so hard from the beginning and — wow. I waited so long for this moment. This team deserves [it] because we showed we can do [it] from the first game this season, then we keep doing [it], and I hope we’re going to go for more.” 



<a href="https://bolavip.com/en/topic/marta">Marta</a>, who opened the scoring in the 56th with a penalty kick, has been with the Pride for eight years and has witnessed the ups and downs of the team. “I’ve been here for eight years, so I try to find out why I still love to be here, to play for this team, to represent the community in Orlando,” she said.



“Tonight, I had the answers, you know? I think when you believe about something, and then you know you can do that, and you just put me in your mind, like, ‘I’m not going to give up.’ And then I did that. I stayed here because I want to make history with this team. And then we did tonight, and then we go for more,” she concluded.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">"I waited so long for this moment" –<a href="https://twitter.com/martavieiras10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@martavieiras10</a> 🥹 2024 Shield Winners presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/CarMax?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CarMax</a> <a href="https://t.co/CrFJxjU1Pl">pic.twitter.com/CrFJxjU1Pl</a>— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSL/status/1843070147336294860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Orlando’s history has largely been marked by struggles and disappointing seasons. The Pride finished in the bottom three of the standings in five of their seven seasons before this campaign, including a last-place finish in 2019, where they conceded 53 goals in 24 games—a record still tied for the most goals allowed in a single season. This Shield represents a significant turnaround for a club that has long been searching for success.



<h2>Pride joins a select list of teams to win the NWSL Shield</h2>



Orlando’s win makes them just the fifth franchise to win the NWSL Shield, which is awarded annually to the team that finishes first in the regular-season standings. Last year, San Diego Wave FC claimed the title in their debut season.



Other teams that have previously won the Shield include the Portland Thorns, Seattle Reign, and the Western New York Flash/North Carolina Courage franchise, which moved to North Carolina in 2017.

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USWNT: Racing Louisville's Emma Sears shines in dream debut, emulates Christen Press

Marta's emotional reaction to Orlando Pride winning their first NWSL shield