The U.S. women's national team crushed Ireland, 5-1, Wednesday night at Soldier Field to move to 26-1-3 in 2004, tying a record for most wins in a calendar year that was set in 2000.
Cindy Parlow's hat trick gave her seven hat tricks in the career, putting her ahead of retired legend Michelle Akers and one behind Mia Hamm. The 26-year-old Parlow has 75 career goals, the fifth most in U.S. history.
The U.S. also got goals from defender Cat Reddick and forward Abby Wambach in the sixth match of the 10-game Fan Celebration Tour.
The tour stops next in Houston as the USA once against takes on Ireland, this time at Reliant Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. CT. The tour will finish with two matches on the East Coast against Denmark on Nov. 3 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.Y., (7:30 ET) and on Nov. 6 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (4 p.m. ET), before ending with yet-to-be confirmed match in early December.
GAME REPORT:
Oct. 20 in Chicago
USA 5 Ireland 1. Goals: Parlow 35, 42, 59, Wambach 54, Reddick 56; O'Brien 63.
USA — Scurry (Luckenbill, 46), Rampone (Mitts, 46), Reddick, Markgraf, Chastain, Foudy, Boxx, Wagner (Wambach, 46), Lilly; Parlow, Hamm.
Ireland — Peters, Gibbons, Boyle, Deasley, Tracy, O'Conner, Thorpe (Taylor, 56), O'Brien, Curtin, Walsh (Kierans, 81), O'Toole (O'Driscoll, 75).
Referee: Sandra Hunt (USA).
Att.: 12,856.