The U.S. women’s national soccer team rallied after a lackluster first half to take down Colombia 3-0 Saturday in the first of two friendlies between the sides.

Colorado native Sophia Smith led the way, scoring the first two goals of the game in front of her home crowd at DSG Park in Commerce City.

With Colombia set up in a low block and a sweeper, the USWNT struggled to break down their opponent’s backline. Despite holding 71 percent of possession, the USWNT only put three of their 12 shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes, failing to execute in the final third.

The team was awarded a penalty kick in the final seconds of the first half and a breakthrough goal before the break seemed imminent, but Colombia keeper Catalina Perez denied Lindsey Horan from the spot to keep the match deadlocked.

The second 45 minutes were a different story for the USWNT, with Sophia Smith notching the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute, finishing off a perfectly placed ball from Rose Lavelle.

THE BUBBLE BRAID!@sophsssmith megs us into the lead! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/BmV6YRj4xe

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 26, 2022

Smith doubled the USWNT’s lead in the 60th minute, again getting on the end of a long ball out of the midfield from Lavelle.

.@sophsssmith's second of the evening, and FIFTH of 2022! pic.twitter.com/WclxMx2T2w

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 26, 2022

Taylor Kornieck put the icing on the cake for the United States, nodding in a set-piece from Megan Rapinoe in stoppage time for her first USWNT goal in her national team debut.

Double check our math, but @taylorkornieck has scored in 100% of the #USWNT matches she's appeared in 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/wb22ii7rKc

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 26, 2022

Three takeaways from Saturday’s win

Sophia Smith shines in her home state

Colorado native Smith put on a show, notching a brace in front of the Commerce City crowd. The attacker played a full 90 minutes and made magic with Lavelle throughout the match, with the duo linking up in both of Smith’s goals.

Smith is tied for the USWNT’s scoring lead with five goals on the year. Heading into the June camp, coach Vlatko Andonovski said it would be “extremely difficult” for a player to take Smith or Mallory Pugh’s starting spot, with Smith’s Saturday night performance further solidifying her place on the front line.

Ashley Sanchez shifts the tempo

Ashley Sanchez and Alex Morgan were subbed on at the half, relieving Horan and Ashley Hatch. The duo immediately made an impact, jump-starting an out-of-sync USWNT offense while upping the game’s tempo.

Sanchez unlocked space, drawing defenders with her skills on the dribble, showing off her creative flair and courage one-on-one. Not only is Sanchez exciting to watch, but she is also effective, especially in breaking down a low block and pulling defenses apart with her dynamic movement on and off the ball.

ASHLEY SANCHEZ.
THE MAGICIAN.

🧙‍♀️🪄⚽️pic.twitter.com/Uv5OCk2Rmo

— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) June 26, 2022

The star midfielder nearly put Morgan on the board, dishing out a well-executed ball to the forward in the box before she was fouled, drawing a penalty. Lavelle, however, missed from the spot, with Perez once again denying the USWNT.

Sanchez and Morgan marked a handful of second-half substitutions from Andonovski, including Sofia Huerta for Kelley O’Hara, Kristie Mewis for Andi Sullivan, Kornieck for Lavelle and Rapinoe for Pugh.

Taylor Kornieck scores in USWNT debut

Kornieck had a night to remember, with the University of Colorado alum scoring in her first appearance with the USWNT. The San Diego Wave midfielder subbed on in the 73rd minute before heading in a set piece from Rapinoe, putting the score at 3-0 in the final minutes of stoppage time. With her late-game goal, Kornieck became the 22nd player in USWNT history to score in her first appearance.

Despite a few shocking upsets in the early rounds of the 2025 NCAA soccer tournament, the ACC has retained its status as the conference to beat, with the powerhouse sending three teams to this season's College Cup semifinals on Friday.

With two tickets to Monday's national championship match on the line, four-time title-winners and No. 3-seed Florida State will take on College Cup debutants TCU in Friday's first semi, with the No. 2 Horned Frogs booking their semifinals spot by ousting fellow SEC standout No. 1 Vanderbilt 2-1 last Saturday.

The nightcap, on the other hand, will be an all-ACC affair, as No. 2 Duke continues their hunt for a first-ever national title against the tournament's overall No. 1 seed, Stanford.

The three-time NCAA champ Cardinal has been unstoppable, outscoring their opponents 21-5 across the tournament's first four rounds to set up a season-first matchup with the Blue Devils.

The 2025 College Cup will take place for the first time at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, home of the NWSL's Kansas City Current.

How to watch the 2025 College Cup semifinals

Friday's 2025 College Cup semifinals will begin with No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Florida State at 6 PM ET, with No. 1 Stanford's clash against No. 2 Duke kicking off at 8:45 PM ET.

Both semifinals — plus Monday's 7PM ET championship match — will air live on ESPNU.

Playa Society is honoring the 25th anniversary of the classic sports film "Love & Basketball" this week, with the popular women's basketball outfitter dropping a capsule collection entitled "First Quarter: Ball Better Than You" — an homage to one of the film's iconic quotes.

"This is a love story, about our love for 'Love & Basketball,'" notes Playa Society about the collection. "Our love for [lead character] Monica, who served as the first representation of an unapologetic female athlete in film. Our love for [writer and director] Gina Prince-Bythewood for her persistence in delivering culture and truth. And our love for the energy of it all that inspired Playa Society to fill in the gaps for women in sports."

"I am so humbled by the enduring impact of the film on both ballers and non-athletes, who are inspired by characters who believe in themselves enough to fight for an impossible dream," Prince-Bythewood said of the project.

With New York Liberty teammates and girlfriends Natasha Cloud and Izzy Harrison serving as models, the "First Quarter" collection includes T-shirts, hoodies, and more.

This week's drop is just the first in the works between Prince-Bythewood and Playa Society founder Esther Wallace, with the LA Sentinel describing their collaboration as "blending nostalgia, culture, and women's sports in a way that honors the film while pushing the narrative forward."

How to purchase from Playa Society's "Love & Basketball" collection

All items from the "First Quarter" collection are now available in limited quantities at PlayaSociety.com.

The inaugural North American iteration of World Sevens Football (W7F) kicks off in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, when eight standout clubs will battle for three days for the the largest share of the 7v7 competition's $5 million prize pool.

All eight clubs boast championship backgrounds, including the reigning NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current, 2023 NWSL Shield-winners San Diego Wave, Liga MX Femenil Apertura winner Tigres UANL, current Northern Super League Shield-winner AFC Toronto, and more.

This weekend's edition is the second-ever W7F tournament, after the new venture launched with a Europe-centric competition in Portugal last May, crowning Bayern Munich as its debut champions.

In W7F, the 11v11 clubs instead field seven players per side on a pitch half the size of a regulation field, with matches comprised of two 15-minute halves along with smaller goals, no offside rule, and rolling substitutions throughout the games.

All eight clubs will compete in the group stage on Friday and Saturday, with the top four teams advancing to Sunday's knockout rounds.

How to watch this weekend's W7F tournament

The North American debut of W7F kicks off when the NWSL's Kansas City Current faces Brazilian powerhouse Clube de Regatas do Flamengo at 5 PM ET on Friday.

All games, including Sunday's 4:30 PM ET championship match, will air live on HBO Max as well we either TNT or truTV.

The SEC displayed its basketball dominance on Thursday's courts, as the conference won all four of the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge Day 2 matchups to feature at least one Top-25 team.

No. 2 Texas handled No. 11 North Carolina 79-64 while No. 3 South Carolina and No. 13 Ole Miss survived nail-biters against No. 22 Louisville and No. 18 Notre Dame, respectively.

"I thought [our players] got out and made big plays for themselves in the fourth and building the five-point lead," said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. "It was a turning point for us, whether we were going to succumb to losing the game or fight to get back in it."

No one had a better night than No. 5 LSU, however, as the Tigers faced their season's first Power Four opponent to a 93-77 result over unranked Duke, erasing a 14-point deficit behind six double-digit LSU scorers — led by 18 points from star guard Flau'jae Johnson.

"We scored 93 tonight, and look how poor we played in the first quarter. We were behind. Scoring the ball is not going to be a problem," said Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey. "Our problem is we have to just continue to get better on the defensive end and take care of the ball."

Across the 16 total 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge games, the SEC took 13 victories, with only unranked Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and SMU earning ACC wins — over Auburn, Florida, and Arkansas, respectively — this week.

How to watch Top-25 NCAA basketball this weekend

This weekend's NCAA docket sees the nonconference schedule cool down, with No. 16 USC hosting No. 21 Washington in the only ranked battle.

The Trojans and Huskies will tip off in LA at 8 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on the Big Ten Network.