Lavelle sent Megan Rapinoe through for the US’ opener against the South American outfit with a deft chip in the 16th minute at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
And further goals from former City forward Carli Lloyd, Kristie Mewis - sister of our midfield enforcer Sam - Alex Morgan, Christen Press and a second from Rapinoe ensured the US took home the trophy for a second consecutive year.
While Lavelle did not get on the scoresheet herself, she was rightfully acknowledged for her influence across the whole tournament, which included vital contributions against both Canada and Brazil.
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The midfielder pounced on a lapse in concentration in the Canadian defence to kick-off the US’ SheBelieves Cup campaign with three points, firing home the game’s only goal in the 79th minute.
And she once again played a key role in the 2-0 triumph over Brazil two days later, ensuring that simply avoiding defeat against Argentina would have been enough to retain the trophy.
City teammate Abby Dahlkemper was an unused substitute for the final, but had been a regular in Vlatko Andonovski’s side’s road to glory before the Florida showpiece.
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Starting in both the victories over Canada and Brazil, our centre-back’s reassuring presence at the heart of the US rearguard helped to secure back to back clean sheets, no small feat against two sides known for their attacking prowess.
Congratulations to both Rose and Abby for their international achievements!
