Women’s World Cup: Americans kick it off with victory

SANTA CLARA — If the United States hopes to defend its Women’s World Cup title, it probably will have to survive games like the friendly the Americans experienced Sunday.

The world’s top-ranked team lacked sharpness against a South African team determined to play as if they were a desperate hockey team in a penalty kill situation.

But midfielder Samantha Mewis showed the kind of resolve the United States will need next month when starting its World Cup run in France. Mewis scored in each half to propel the Americans to a 3-0 victory in front of 22,788 fans in the women’s first appearance at Levi’s Stadium.

U.S. Soccer officials scheduled the game for the 49ers’ 68,000-seat stadium in hopes of attracting a Mother Day’s crowd of 30,000 people. The popular women’s team has played at 18,000-seat Avaya Stadium in San Jose in its previous Bay Area stops in the past four years.

Mewis, a former UCLA star, was a big presence on a day the Americans’ passing was sloppy and many of the runs into the penalty area were timed wrong.

It was a byproduct of South Africa’s defensive tactics.  The yellow-jerseyed visitors kept 10 women behind the ball much of the game to withstand waves of U.S. assaults.

South Africa mustered only one first-half shot and was outshot 19-5 as the ball stayed in the United States half almost the entire game.

It took the Americans a while to figure out a way through the South African rampart. Stanford alum Kelley O’Hara found openings along the right sideline with break after break from her outside back position. It appeared the defender found a way through in the 24th minute but a good chance was nullified when O’Hara was offside.

It wasn’t until the 37th minute that the deadlock ended when Rose Lavelle found Mewis at the top of the penalty area. Mewis, a strong central midfielder, controlled the ball and sent a hard-hit shot past goalkeeper Andile Dlamini.

Mewis got her 11th international goal career in the 78th minute when popping in the ball over onrushing keeper Kaylin Swart, who played three years at Menlo College.

The goal came after a quick free kick by Megan Rapinoe, who got the ball back and served an arching pass in front of the goal where Mewis charged in to score.

Carli Lloyd scored her 108th career goal in second-half stoppage time off fine play by forward Mallory Pugh, who dribbled through two defenders in tight quarters to deliver the ball to the team’s captain.

Five of the six players with Bay Area ties started Sunday with outside back Tierna Davidson of Menlo Park entering the game at the start of the second half. Davidson suffered a scary collision with an opponent but was able to return.

The Americans play New Zealand on Thursday and ends their tune-up series May 26 against Mexico.