SAN ANTONIO (AP) _ Christen Press scored three goals after entering the game as a second-half substitute and the United States defeated Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in an exhibition at the Alamodome on Thursday night.
Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan also scored as the U.S. team continued its victory tour to celebrate the Women’s World Cup victory in Canada this past summer.
Press first scored in the 61st minute, right after she came into the game. She also scored in the 75th and 84th minutes for her third career hat trick. Press also scored three goals in an 8-0 victory tour win over Costa Rica on Aug. 17 in Pittsburgh.
The match capped a week of drama for both teams, who had been scheduled to play last Sunday in Hawaii.
It started last Friday when U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe tore a ligament in her right knee during training in Honolulu. Rapinoe will need surgery for the injury, meaning she won’t be available for Olympic qualifying in February.
On Saturday, the U.S. practice at Aloha Stadium was cut short and players complained about the condition of the playing surface. Goalkeeper Hope Solo posted a photo to Twitter showing a player pulling up a seam in the artificial turf.
U.S. Soccer canceled the match later that night and said it would provide fans refunds. About 16,000 tickets were sold for the match.
The players later issued a statement on The Players’ Tribune website.
“We have become so accustomed to playing on whatever surface is put in front of us. But we need to realize that our protection — our safety — is priority No. 1. At the end of the day, we expect to be treated equally as our male counterparts. And we hope that, in the future, our fields and our venues will be chosen and inspected at the standard of an international match — whether it’s men or women playing on the field,’’ the players wrote.
A class-action lawsuit on behalf of fans who were planning to attend the game was filed on Tuesday in Honolulu.
The Trinidad and Tobago players, meanwhile, threatened to boycott Thursday’s match in San Antonio because of a dispute over pay.
The United States plays China in the final two games of the tour. The first match is set for Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.
