Alex Morgan hits a hat trick as USWNT beat Paraguay 8-0 

The USA women's national soccer team have run out 8-0 winners over Paraguay, just five days after hitting nine past the same opponent.

Following the five-goal heroics of Carli Lloyd in the two teams' first encounter last Friday (17 September), it was Alex Morgan who took the limelight by hitting three goals in the second game - the fifth hat trick of her career.

In a match that flickered to life from the opening exchanges, it didn't take long for the USA to establish their dominance with Rose Lavelle scoring her side's first goal with only four minutes on the clock.

After that, the floodgates opened.

A sixth-minute strike from Sophia Smith - her first for the national team - was followed by two goals from Morgan as USWNT found themselves 4-0 up after only 14 minutes. The irrepressible Morgan completed her hat trick in the 53rd minute, after she expertly deflected expertly Smith's cross goalwards.

Rose Lavelle, who was playing in front of a home crowd in Cincinnati, was also on scintillating form, registering one goal and three assists during the 90 minutes of action.

To round out the scoring, 21-year-old Catarina Macario nabbed a brace, while the legendary Carli Lloyd, who was taking part in the second of a four-game farewell tour after announcing her retirement from the sport, scored in the 78th minute to make it six goals from her last two national team outings.

After the game, an ecstatic Lavelle spoke to Fox News about her joy at putting on such a dominant display in her home city: "It's so special. I get a little emotional thinking about it," she said. "This city built me into the person and player I am today, It was a very special night."

The USA's next two games are another doubleheader, as they take on opponents Republic of Korea on 22 and 27 October.