Boston Legacy FC International Window Recap

The FIFA international window came to a close Saturday, and the five Boston Legacy players who were called up for matches had many contributions.

Here’s how they fared:

Bárbara Olivieri

Venezuela played friendlies against Brazil and Liga MX Femenil teams Cruz Azul and Club América. 

Venezuela suffered a 2-1 defeat against Cruz Azul after being reduced to 10 players in the 41st minute. Olivieri started the game on the right wing, but did not get many touches until the latter half of the first. She received a yellow card in the 30th minute after pulling down a Cruz Azul player in an attempt to win the ball.

Venezuela’s coach subbed nearly the entire lineup, including Olivieri, for the second half. Cruz Azul was also reduced to 10 after one of its players received a second yellow in the 59th minute. All goals were in the second half.

La Vinotinto went on to hand Brazil a 2-1 defeat. Brazil was left with ten players in the first half. Olivieri, who started on the right wing, recorded an assist for Venezuela’s second goal in the 49th minute.

She got the rebound off the goalkeeper in the box and was able to find space. She turned away from the goal before three Brazilians were able to surround her and located her open teammate for the goal. Olivieri was later sent off in the 74th minute after receiving a second yellow card. She had 86% passing accuracy in the game, and won five of 13 duels. This was the Venezuelans’ first ever win against Brazil.

The match against Club América resulted in a 2-2 tie. Olivieri subbed in at the start of the second half and took the left wing. The 24-year-old made several attacking runs and created chances for her teammates. She was often able to display her ability to escape pressure and move past multiple defenders.

Nicki Hernández

Mexico churned out a 7-nil victory in its CONCACAF W qualifier against Saint Lucia. Hernández was a key player in the game, starting as left back and playing the full 90 minutes.

Mexico’s constant high press prompted Hernández to assume a more offensive role. She led the team in touches (110) and had 82.8% passing accuracy. Several chances were created as a result of her seven successful passes into the box. Hernández also took five shots, one of which found the back of the net in the 87th minute. Fans later voted her the player of the game.

Mexico beat Brazil for the first time since 2019 in a 1-0 victory. The left back entered the match at the 58th minute and made an immediate impact.

Minutes after entering the match, Hernández received the ball just past the halfway line and made an unmarked run into the box before an attempted pass to her teammate was kicked out by Brazil. She recorded one clearance and one interception. Though she only had eight touches on the ball, the defender consistently marked her opposition and created pressure, forcing them to falter.

Nichelle Prince

Canada participated in the SheBelieves Cup and faced the United States, Argentina, and Colombia; the team ended with a 1-1-1 record and came in second place behind the U.S. 

The Canadians opened the tournament with a 4-1 win against Colombia. Prince entered the game as the right winger at the start of the second half and had 10 touches, including one tackle and one recovery.

Colombia was down to 10 players in the 83rd minute after one of its players received a red card. Prince put the nail in the coffin in the 90th minute, scoring a one-touch goal into the left side of the net.

Canada met the United States for the second round and lost 1-0. Canada held 36% of the possession and spent most of the match defending its own half. Prince started on the right wing and played 61 minutes. She had 64% passing accuracy, including a successful seven of 10 passes in the opposing half. The 31-year-old also recorded four interceptions and five recoveries. 

Canada’s game against Argentina ended in a scoreless tie, but the team came out on top after beating the Argentines 3-2 in penalties. Prince did not play in the game.

Jorelyn Carabalí

Colombia also participated in the SheBelieves Cup and placed third after winning one game and losing two. Carabalí did not play in Colombia’s 4-1 loss to Canada. 

The center back played a full 90 minutes in her team’s 1-0 win against Argentina. Her coach tasked her with distributing the ball up to her forwards in the first half. In all, she had 84% passing accuracy (67/80), including 43% accuracy for long balls (6/14). Carabalí also had seven recoveries, three clearances, and two interceptions. 

Colombia’s game against the U.S. resulted in a 1-0 loss after a late goal. Carabalí played the entire match and was mainly responsible for marking Ally Sentnor, who did not take any shots in the 61 minutes she played. The defender had 74% passing accuracy and made six recoveries and two clearances.

Josefine Hasbo

The Danes had World Cup qualifiers against Serbia (3-1 W) and Italy (1-1). Hasbo did not play in either game.