Italy went toe-to-toe with the most decorated team in women’s international football for much of the first half, before fading and allowing the USA to score twice more on their way to their 11th win of a stellar 2025. The Azzurre lost 3-0 in Orlando in the first of two friendlies, but showed they could trouble the team ranked second in the world. After conceding within two minutes to Moultrie and later to a clinical second-half double from Macario, Italy still created three excellent chances through Linari, Cambiaghi and Beccari – opportunities that, with a little more precision, might have changed the complexion of the game.

“There were difficulties against an exceptional opponent,” said head coach Soncin afterwards, “but we stayed in the game, creating and battling together. This is exactly the kind of experience we wanted, and we see it as a moment of growth. We have been able to organise top-level tests because we believe these fixtures will help us improve more and more.”

THE MATCH.
For his first non-European test as head coach – the 16th meeting between Italy and the American powerhouse (with only one Italian win, in 2001) – Soncin stayed with his fluid 4-3-3. Giuliani started in goal behind centre-backs Lenzini and Linari, with Bergamaschi and Boattin out wide. Giugliano and Caruso returned in midfield alongside Greggi, while up front were Beccari, Cambiaghi and Cantore, already a fan favourite in the United States. Hayes, the former Chelsea manager now two years into her USA tenure, lined up her side in their familiar 4-2-3-1, with in-form forwards Moultrie and Macario (standout performers in last month’s wins over Portugal and New Zealand) leading the attack.

The hosts started at full throttle and needed only two minutes to strike, with 20-year-old Moultrie, the Portland Thorns star, firing a low shot past Giuliani for her fifth international goal. Italy absorbed the blow and immediately responded, creating two clear set-piece chances around the 10-minute mark, but Linari and Cambiaghi were unable to hit the target. The tempo remained high and both sides looked to break forward early: in the 37th minute, Giugliano sent Beccari through on goal, only for Girma to make a superb recovery challenge.

The pattern stayed the same after the restart. 52 minutes in, Lavelle and Cambiaghi both had good opportunities to score, but failed to convert. Macario, named player of the match, did not. In the 63rd minute, she doubled the USA’s lead with a precise finish cross-goal, breaking Italy’s resistance. With the gap widened, the Americans grew increasingly dangerous and added a third in the 76th minute, with the Chelsea striker completing her brilliant brace to seal it for the United States.

The teams meet again in Fort Lauderdale, with kick-off on Monday 2 December at 19:00 local (01:00 CET), where Soncin’s side will try to close out the year on a high.

USA–ITALY 3–0 (HT 1–0)

USA (4-2-3-1): Dickey; Girma (33' Samms), Sonnett, Reale (41' Wiesner), Fox; Hutton, Coffey; Moultrie (26' Shaw), Lavelle (26' Yohannes), Thompson; Macario (33' Joseph).
Substitutes: McGlynn, Bugg, Patterson, Wesley, Samms, Heaps, Sears, Howell.
Head coach: Hayes.

ITALY (4-3-3): Giuliani; Bergamaschi, Lenzini (15' st Salvai), Linari, Boattin (15' st Oliviero); Giugliano (30' st Schatzer), Caruso (30' st Dragoni), Greggi; Beccari (15' st Piga), Cambiaghi (39' st Girelli), Cantore.
Substitutes: Baldi, Durante, D’Auria, Merlo, Nischler, Pavan, Bonfantini, Corelli, Piemonte.
Head coach: Soncin.

Referee: Sandra Benitez (SLV). Assistants: Elizabeth Aguilar (SLV), Hilda Hernandez (SLV). Fourth official: Charlize Hood (TRI).

Goals: 2’ Moultrie (USA), 63’ & 76’ Macario (USA).

Booked: Bergamaschi (ITA).

Attendance: 14,200.