The U.S. women’s soccer team, the reigning Olympic champions, extended its unbeaten streak to 11 games under coach Emma Hayes after defeating Iceland 3-1 in Thursday’s friendly in Austin, Texas.

Two and a half months after winning their fifth Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games, the USWNT was back on the field and secured an entertaining victory over their Nordic opponents in front of 18,580 fans at Q2 Stadium.

Alyssa Thompson gave the Americans a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute with a great shot into the top right corner as she sprinted down the left wing before firing to the right just outside the six-yard box.

It was the first international goal for Thompson, the only non-Olympian in the starting lineup. The 19-year-old is the fourth teenager to score for the USWNT this year, the most in a single calendar year since 2000 (6).

The fans in the stadium fell silent in the 54th minute when Iceland’s Selma Magnusdottir equalized with a shot from outside the penalty area that landed well out of goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s reach and inside the left post.

But Iceland’s lead didn’t last long as USWNT’s Jaedyn Shaw scored in the 85th minute before Sophia Smith secured the win in the 88th minute.

Casey Krueger did well to move the ball down the right wing and passed inside to Shaw, who deftly dribbled past the Icelandic defenders and then fired a shot under the goalkeeper. It was 19-year-old Shaw’s eighth international goal and his sixth of the year.

The game was over a few minutes before the final whistle when Smith sent her half-volley shot into the bottom right corner for her ninth goal of 2024, the most by a USWNT player.

Thursday’s win was the team’s 10th under Hayes in 11 games. The Englishwoman has a record of 10W-0L-1D so far.

The U.S. will face Iceland again in a friendly in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday before closing the international window against Argentina three days later in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hayes applauds teenager Thompson

Coach Hayes rightly praised Thompson in her post-game conference, saying the young player had a lot to offer for the national team.

“I know she is determined to get to the next level in her game and I think you can see how threatening and dangerous she is,” Hayes said, according to ESPN.

“It’s not an easy goal, we come from the left and cover it in the top corner. But she is someone who is – her international career started at a very early stage. That’s why I think it takes time.

“Maybe she wasn’t ready before, but I can see from her performance tonight that she has a lot to offer us in the future and I was really pleased with her goal and her performance.”