Asher Greene/Sipa USA, via AP
Jadyn Shaw has scored seven goals for his country.
CNN
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When Jadyn Shaw played youth soccer for FC Dallas, she wore her hair straight in a high ponytail and a black pre-wrap. The show paid homage to U.S. national team forward Mallory Swanson (née Pugh), who wore the same hair, which she called the “Mal Pugh ponytail.”
On Saturday, as the United States defeated Japan 2-1 in front of a record crowd of 50,644 to advance to the SheBelieves Cup in Atlanta, the 19-year-old Shaw shared his role model with teammates. lined up on the same field. On to the finals.
Assisted by Sam Coffey, Shaw scored the United States' first goal in the 36th minute, firing a low shot from outside the 18-yard box into the bottom right corner of the net.
She became the first player in national team history to score in her first five starts, the first player to score in her first four starts, and now has seven goals in her first 11 international matches. There is.
“She's a soccer player,” U.S. captain Lindsey Horan, who played with Shaw in midfield and scored the United States' second goal in the 77th minute, told CNN.
“She has a physical presence, but on the ball she's very smart, technical, savvy and creative.”
Meanwhile, Swanson donned a national team uniform for the first time in almost a year after missing last year's Women's World Cup due to a patella tendon injury.
“I looked up to her. She's a great player,” Shaw told reporters about Swanson. “She's so happy to have her back and play with her.”
This game was Shaw's first time playing on the national team with Swanson. Shaw turned professional in July 2022, when she declined her scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina Women's Soccer and she signed with the National Women's Soccer League expansion team San Diego Wave FC. Since then, she has scored nine goals and recorded three assists.
Robin Allam/ISI Photography/Getty Images
Jadyn Shaw celebrates with Sam Coffey (right) after scoring.
“I feel like it’s because of the Wave that I was able to come here and play at this level and contribute to this team. So I credit a lot of the coaching staff and teammates. ” Shaw added. “It's my dream to come here.”
Abby Dahlkemper, a teammate of Shaw's in both San Diego and on the national team, recalled a conversation in which she told the young player that he might have to hold out until he was called up to the national team.
“[I told her] You'll be there for a long time. You will be on the national team for a long time. You're going to be a big player. And you know, there's no denying that she was talented. She's playing way beyond her age,” Derkemper told CNN.
Shaw was first called up to the national team in October 2023 and scored in his second appearance and first start in the 3-0 win against Colombia. She scored the winning goal against China in December, entertaining the hometown crowd in Frisco, Texas.
“I feel like none of my goals are just for me. I always feel like it's my teammates that are creating those opportunities and contributing,” Shaw said.
His scoring streak continued at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup en route to America's gold medal, scoring four goals and earning tournament MVP honors.
“Right now, you can see she's working as hard on defense as she is on offense, and you can see her game evolve,” Dahlkemper said. “She can't stop this team from scoring. She's going to be a big player for us in the future, and she's still a big player for us.”
Shaw's offensive contributions to the U.S. team come as the team prepares for the 2024 Olympics.
Shaw had not yet made her U.S. debut at the time the 2023 Women's World Cup squad was selected, but although it was a competitive selection pool, she was quick to make a case for inclusion in the squad for the next major tournament. There is.
“That's what makes America so competitive and so special because there's a lot of young, important players on this team and a lot of players to choose from,” Horan said. said. “It's going to be difficult and competitive, and that's how it is.”
