'Losing our mind' – KC Current celebrate as Michelle Cooper scores her first goal for USWNT, seals SheBelieves Cup victory over Australia

The USWNT walked away with a 2-1 win over Australia Sunday night, advancing the team to a winner-takes-all match against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup final on Wednesday. But the victory meant more for forward Michelle Cooper, as well as her NWSL club, Kansas City Current. In just her second appearance for the national team, Cooper scored her first international goal to help secure the win.

The 22-year-old forward found the net in the 68th minute, six minutes after coming off the bench, and doubled the USA's lead and proving crucial in the team's win at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

“It was like a blur to be honest. It was such a crazy moment,” Cooper said. “We just kept attacking them and attacking them and attacking them, and to be able to get the goal and win off of that, it felt great.”

USWNT Emma Hayes fielded an entirely new starting lineup but that didn’t seem to matter for the USWNT as Lynn Biyendolo opened the scoring in the first minute, giving the U.S. an early lead. The game was settled by Cooper’s 68th minute strike.

Cooper was drafted by Kansas City as the second overall pick in the 2023 NWSL draft, starting in 17 matches and scoring three goals during her rookie season. The former Duke Blue Devil holds the record for the fastest goal in NWSL history, scoring only 22 seconds into Kansas City’s 2023 match against the Washington Spirit.

With wins over Colombia and Australia, Hayes’ side have set up a decisive final-game showdown with Japan in the SheBelieves Cup. Japan also won both their games by a combined score of 8-1.