Teenager Lily Yohannes scores to help USA beat South Korea 3-0 ahead of Olympics

Lily Yohannes, 16, scored in her national team debut and the United States beat South Korea 3-0 in an exhibition Tuesday night.

Crystal Dunn and Sophia Smith also scored for the United States, playing in their second match under coach Emma Hayes.

“It really is a dream come true,” said Yohannes, who came on in the second half. “I mean, I played this scenario in my head, how many times before this match? I just have the idea of ​​coming in and scoring.

Hayes was appointed manager last November but remained in Europe to finish the season with Chelsea. She replaces Vlatko Andonovski, who resigned after the United States was eliminated from last summer's Women's World Cup in the round of 16.

The United States also won its first friendly match against South Korea 4-0 on Saturday in Commerce City, Colorado. Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson each scored two goals.

Hayes will now focus on selecting an 18-player roster for the U.S. Olympic team. The United States will open the Olympic Games on July 25 against Zambia in Nice.

Hayes made sweeping changes to the starting lineup for Tuesday's game played in steady rain at Allianz Field in St. Paul. Only captain Lindsey Horan and Jenna Nighswonger also started Saturday.

Alex Morgan, who did not play in the first match against South Korea due to a minor injury, was among the starters.

Dunn, making her first start as a striker since 2017, scored in the 13th minute on a Nighswonger cross. Dunn, who has played primarily at left back in recent years, had not scored since October 2018. She has 25 career goals.

Goalkeeper Casey Murphy maintained the lead when she dove to save a free kick in the 30th minute.

Smith scored his fourth goal of the year in the 67th minute from a tight angle on a backheel pass from Swanson.

Smith said she and Swanson have a unique chemistry.

“I think we are very similar, but we are different in many ways. We bounce off each other really well, play against each other and make runs,” Smith said. “I feel like I always know where she’s going to go, where I’m going to go. It's a fun combination, that's for sure. And I really think this is just the beginning.

Yohannes, who plays for Dutch club Ajax, scored her goal just ten minutes after coming on as a substitute, scoring from the front in traffic from a Trinity Rodman cross in the 82nd. Yohannes became the third youngest player to score for the national team.

After the goal, Yohannes was mobbed by her teammates to celebrate and even the bench emptied to cheer her on.

“It was really amazing support from my teammates running towards me. It made things even more special and I’m really, really happy,” Yohannes said. “Really excited.”

Midfielder Rose Lavelle played her 100th match for the United States.

The team still has two matches left before leaving for France. They will face Mexico on July 13 at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey before a farewell match against Costa Rica in Washington DC on July 16.

“I'm really proud of the team who bought into everything Emma and the staff offered us this week. There’s a lot of new stuff, but everyone has taken it in and adapted quickly, and so we’re just excited about where we’re going with this,” Murphy said.