VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Chosen to start in a Women’s World Cup game for the first time on Tuesday, Alex Morgan said she jokingly sought pointers from left back Meghan Klingenberg, who has made all of three starts.
“She’s such a veteran,” Morgan said with a laugh after the game.
The United States had just defeated Nigeria, 1-0, on a goal by Abby Wambach off a corner kick just before halftime, exploiting its opponent’s yawning vulnerability on set pieces.
“It was pretty apparent they were ball watchers,” Morgan said.
In 65 minutes on the field, Morgan looked predictably rusty, the result of not starting a match for more than two months while recovering from a bone bruise in her left knee.