Morgan misses a penalty and the US draws goalless with Colombians in a friendly

SANDY, Utah, USA (AP) — Alex Morgan missed a penalty late in the first half and the United States women’s team had to resign themselves to a goalless draw against Colombia in a friendly match played on Thursday.

Morgan’s shot in the 44th minute bounced off a post. She herself tried to score on the counterattack, but the ball went over the goal.

Under a temperature below 2 degrees Celsius (35 Fahrenheit), the United States played the first of two warm-up matches against the Colombians. The second is scheduled for Sunday in San Diego.

“We knew that Colombia was going to play a very tough game,” said defender Emily Sonnett. “We want to be more accurate in the last quarter of the field. I think overall we gave a good performance, although there are definitely some things we need to adjust.”

The US team will play two more games this year, both against China, in early December, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Frisco, Texas.

Colombia, 22nd in the FIFA women’s national team rankings, advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Cup last summer for the first time in its history. The Cafeteras were eliminated 2-1 by England.

The United States was eliminated on penalties against Sweden in the round of 16, after a 0-0 draw. It is the earliest elimination that the Americans have suffered in a World Cup.

The disappointing performance led to the resignation of coach Vlatkok Andonovski.

Since then, the team was led by interim Twila Kilgore, who was Andonovski’s assistant. The third-ranked United States is expected to name a permanent coach toward the end of the year as the team prepares for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.