The stands of Le Parc des Princes in Paris were packed with red, white and blue as Chile and the United States took the field. Although few expected a blowout by the United States as seen in the previous match, they were heavily favored to walk away with the win.

The Americans played with no mercy, scoring three goals in the first half and looking as menacing as ever. With only four returning starters, the strong play by the team demonstrated that their bench runs deep.

Carli Lloyd was hungry for goals and it didn’t take long for her to satisfy her desire. In the 11th minute, Lloyd sent a rocket into the back of the Chilean net, making her the first player to score in six consecutive Women’s World Cups (including her run in the 2015 tournament). She gave a nod to her critics from the last game by celebrating with a golf clap.

Strong corners from World Cup debutant Tierna Davidson paved the way for Julie Ertz’s impressive reverse header in the 26th minute and Carli Lloyd’s diving header in the 35th minute. However, Davidson left the United States’ left side weak in defense and the team was lucky that the Chilean offense wasn’t strong enough to push past her.

Christen Press put up a strong performance as she continually made long runs down the left wing and lofted balls into the box, creating numerous chances for players like Lindsey Horan. Unfortunately, none yielded a goal. Despite these missed opportunities, the United States’ offense proved it is one of the best in the world.

​Jessica McDonald joined these ranks in her World Cup debut with a strong performance that may earn her a starting spot in future games.

Ultimately, the best performance in the match came from Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler. Her litany of impressive saves spared the Chileans from the heartbreak that Thailand suffered against the United States. Her performance kept the second half scoreless despite constant pressure from the Americans.

Endler stared down Lloyd as she stepped up to take a penalty kick late in the second half. A goal from Lloyd would have given the Americans a 4-0 lead, and would have made her the first player to ever score two hat-tricks at the Women's World Cup. But Endler was able to psych out Lloyd, who sent the ball just wide of the frame.

Lloyd appeared to be in disbelief, but despite her missed attempt, it is clear that she was made for the World Cup. Her two goals in this match improved her record to 10 goals scored in Women’s World Cup tournaments alone.

With the 3-0 victory, the United States moves on to their final group stage match where they will face Sweden on June 20th. Both Sweden and the United States have earned six points thus far, securing their spots in the round of 16. A victory by either team will ensure they finish first in the group. With a tie, the order will come down to goal difference, where the United States’ 13-0 victory against Thailand would ensure the top spot.

The team at the top of the group will play the second ranked team in group B, likely to be either Germany or Spain, with the slight chance that China could overtake either team. The second ranked team will play the second team in group E, either the Netherlands or Canada.​

If the United States tops the group it could lead to a difficult match against France in Paris on June 28th, leaving some pundits to wonder if it would be more strategic not to go all-out in the match against Sweden. U.S. head coach Jill Ellis has indicated this is not the plan, saying, “For us, it’s making sure that we play as well as we possibly can and win the game.”