Daily Times

LOS ANGELES: Alex Morgan bagged the fifth international hat-trick of her career as the United States thrashed Paraguay 8-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday. Morgan took her international goals tally to 114 in her 188th international as the world champions routed the South Americans for the second time in five days. The US women had romped to a 9-0 win over the Paraguayans in the first of two back-to-back friendlies last Thursday. But any question marks over whether they might ease up in Tuesday’s return in Cincinnati were erased after a one-sided opening as the US rattled in five goals in the first 15 minutes. Rose Lavelle opened the scoring on four minutes before Sophia Smith doubled the lead two minutes later. Morgan then bagged two goals in six minutes to make it 4-0 before Catarina Macario put the US women 5-0 up in the 15 minutes. Morgan completed her hat-trick in the 53rd minute before 39-year-old striker Carli Lloyd scored her 134th international goal in the 78th minute. Macario completed the rout with her second goal eight minutes from full-time.