This 2022 has been a dream year for Wave FC's Taylor Kornieck.
The midfielder from Troy, Michigan made her international debut over the weekend against Colombia, playing her face match for her country after displaying a fantastic season for the San Diego Wave who is currently top of the league.
The USWNT were up 2-0 against the Colombians before Kornieck headed a set piece ball from Megan Rapinoe into the back of the net for her first national team goal.
The goal came at the 90th minute of the match to wrap up a 3-0 victory, also wrapping up the perfect debut in a season where her career has been evolving drastically at just 23 years of age.
After the match, the Wave midfielder said Saturday's debut was more than just a great career milestone, but it was also a dream she's had since she was a child imagining herself playing for her country's national team.
“It just means everything to me. It’s been my dream since I was a little girl and scoring obviously wasn’t part of the plan but it’s a good perq,” Kornieck said.
World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe also expressed her appreciation for this big moment of Kornieck's career, stating that they had sorta planned a set piece like that before going into the pitch.
“We talked about it right before we both went in,” Rapinoe said. “Obviously having a target like that is ridiculous so it was kind of fun I was like, ‘no f—ing way this is going to happen on her first CAP.’”
USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski says that this is only the beginning for Kornieck's young career, as she will play a pivotal role in the upcoming CONCACAF Women's Championship tournament.
“Taylor has been very good in training, and we wanted to give her minutes to get her through some stress, nerves and anxiety of her first CAP,” Andonovski said. “We believe that we will need her when we’re in the tournament (Concacaf W Championship).”
