HOUSTON — Christen Press and Sam Mewis each scored a pair of goals and the United States beat Costa Rica 6-0 on Monday night to finish atop its group in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament.
The World Cup-winning U.S. team extended its unbeaten streak to 26 matches. The United States wrapped up Group A play with three shutouts and 18 goals.
Both teams had already earned a spot in the semifinals of the eight-team qualifying tournament.
The top-ranked U.S. team will play the loser of Tuesday’s Canada-Mexico match in a semifinal Friday in Carson, Calif. Costa Rica will face the Canada-Mexico winner in the other semifinal.
Friday’s semifinal winners will earn CONCACAF’s two berths in the Olympic tournament this year in Tokyo.
Canada is ranked eighth in the world, Mexico is 26th and Costa Rica is 37th.
Press extended her scoring streak to four matches with a goal in the fourth minute.
Lindsey Horan, who had a hat trick in the U.S. team’s 8-0 victory over Panama on Friday, scored six minutes later.
Press, who plays for Utah of the National Women’s Soccer League, added her second goal in the 36th minute.
Mewis scored after a free kick by Press in the 63rd minute and Jessica McDonald added a goal in the 77th before Mewis’ second goal in the 82nd minute.
U.S. standout Megan Rapinoe, who plays for Reign FC in the NWSL, entered in the 64th minute but didn’t have a goal or an assist.
The United States has qualified for every Olympics since women’s soccer was introduced in 1996, and has won the gold medal four times. The U.S. team has five consecutive titles in the qualifying tournament.
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