Emma Sears has a hat trick in a 6-0 USWNT victory over New Zealand

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Emma Sears scored three goals and Catarina Macario added twp as the U.S. women's national team routed New Zealand 6-0 on Wednesday night.

It was the most goals scored by the United States in a match under coach Emma Hayes. Michelle Cooper had two assists.

Cooper sent Lily Yohannes' backheel pass over to Sears, who scored her first goal in the eighth minute to give the U.S. the early lead.

Macario, who plays for Chelsea, doubled the lead with her first goal in the 34th minute and Rose Lavelle scored a curling shot into the side netting from distance to make it 3-0 before halftime. It was Lavelle's 27th career goal.

Sears, who plays for Racing Louisville in the National Women's Soccer League, scored her second in the 55th, again with an assist from Cooper. Macario added her second in the 66th to make it 5-0. Macario has four two-goal games for the United States.

Sears got her third in the 84th, for the national team's first hat trick since Sophia Wilson did it against Uzbekistan in 2022.

“Honestly, I want to give a lot of credit to my teammates. I felt like, especially with that first goal, Michelle served it on a platter for me to just tap it in,” Sears said. “And the goals following, I felt like it was good to carry on that momentum throughout the game and ultimately get the win.”

Defender Kennedy Wesley started in her debut, becoming the 25th player to earn her first cap under Hayes. The backline of Wednesday's starting lineup had just 11 combined appearances for the national team.

It was the team's third match of the international window. The United States had 113 days off before falling to Portugal 2-1 in the opener last week in Pennsylvania then won 3-1 in the second match in East Hartford, Connecticut, on Sunday. The loss in the first match to Portugal was just the team's third under Hayes.

“I think it's exciting to see the future of this team,” Cooper said. “Obviously our first game didn't go as we wanted to, but to be able to have multiple players change our starting lineup and still be able to raise the level and get a win out of that, and then continue that momentum into this last game, that really speaks to the future of this team and what Emma has done here.”

New Zealand lost both of its friendly games during the international window, both to Mexico.

The match was played at CPKC stadium, the first purpose-built women's soccer stadium in the world, which is home to the NWSL's Kansas City Current. Cooper plays for the Current.

Before the game the New Zealand squad honored former captain Ali Riley, who has retired from professional soccer. Riley played 163 matches for the team.

The United States has played without many of the stars that won the gold medal at the Olympics. Trinity Rodman has a right MCL injury, while Wilson and Mallory Swanson are on maternity leave.

The United States went into the match with a 19-1-1 record against New Zealand. The two teams last met ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup, with the U.S. winning both in Auckland.

The United States plays its final matches of the year against Italy on Nov. 28 in Orlando, Florida, and on Dec. 1 in Fort Lauderdale.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

United States forward Emma Sears (19) advances the ball during the second half of a women's international friendly soccer match against New Zealand, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A ball kicked by United States forward Catarina MacArio (20) gets past New Zealand defender Mackenzie Barry, center left, and goalkeeper Victoria Esson, center right, to score a goal during the first half of a women's international friendly soccer match, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

United States forward Catarina MacArio kicks the ball during the first half of a women's international friendly soccer match against New Zealand, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

United States forward Emma Sears, center left, celebrates with forward Michelle Cooper, center right, after scoring a goal during the first half of a women's international friendly soccer match against New Zealand, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

United States midfielder Rose Lavelle (16) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the first half of a women's international friendly soccer match against New Zealand, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

LYON, France (AP) — Several hundreds joined a march organized by far-right groups on Saturday after a nationalist activist died from a beating in Lyon in an incident that highlighted a climate of deep political tensions ahead of next year's presidential vote.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for calm ahead of the tribute to Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old who died of brain injuries in a hospital last week. The demonstrations took place under heavy police scrutiny.

“This is a moment of remembrance and respect for this young compatriot who was killed, for his family and loved ones. That must come first. And then it is a moment of firmness and responsibility,” Macron said.

Seven people have been handed preliminary charges. The Lyon public prosecutor’s office requested that each of them be charged with intentional homicide, aggravated violence and criminal conspiracy. Six of the accused were charged on all three counts. The seventh was charged with complicity in intentional homicide, aggravated violence and criminal conspiracy.

Deranque was attacked during a fight that erupted between far-left and far-right supporters on the margins of a student meeting where a far-left lawmaker, Rima Hassan, was a keynote speaker.

Macron said he will hold a meeting with ministers next week to carry out a comprehensive review of all violent activist groups that have links to political parties. He hinted that some groups could be dismantled.

“In the Republic, no violence is legitimate,” he said. “There is no place for militias, wherever they come from. We must be absolutely uncompromising.”

The main tribute to Deranque took place in Lyon, where clashes between far-right activists and far-left groups have become frequent. Their fighting often takes the form of organized street battles in the city, sometimes involving groups of several dozen people.

Lyon’s far-left-leaning militant groups are more recent and were created in reaction to the many far-right groups that have been present for several decades. The city is seen by intelligence services as the cradle of far-right activism in France.

Deranque’s parents also called for calm and did not take part in the tribute, which was not banned by French authorities.

Deranque’s death triggered a storm of recriminations, mostly blaming the far-left France Unbowed party and its leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Among the suspects is the parliamentary aide of a France Unbowed lawmaker who set up the anti-fascist group The Young Guard.

There was a minute’s silence before the start of the march. Some demonstrators held white tulips and displayed stickers bearing the slogan: “Quentin, killed by Mélenchon’s militia.”

Many men dressed in black, some with their faces partially covered, joined the march. Christian Petiteau, 70, who traveled from the neighboring Isère region, said Deranque was “cowardly murdered” and that he came to honor his memory.

France Unbowed’s opponents accuse it of fomenting violence and tensions with its combative far-left politics. Mélenchon has condemned the violence and insisted that his party bore no blame for the tragedy.

Mélenchon stood for the presidency in 2012, 2017 and 2022, but failed to advance to the decisive runoff round. He is preparing for another expected run next year, when Macron’s second and last term ends.

France is holding municipal elections next month and right-wing political forces have been using the incident to demonize France Unbowed. Far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella has called for a common front against Mélenchon's party.

Criticism also came from prominent figures on the left, including former French President François Hollande. He said the mainstream left, including his Socialist Party, must not team up again with Mélenchon’s party for the upcoming elections, as they did in the past.

French President Emmanuel Macron talks to a farmer as he visits the International Agriculture Fair during the opening day in Paris, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, Pool)

A woman holds a placard reading "Justice for Quentin" as she pays tribute to far-right student, Quentin Deranque, 23, who died in Lyon from a street beating during clashes between far-left and far-right militants, in Lille, northern France, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

France's President Emmanuel Macron attends the opening of the International Agriculture Fair in Paris, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, Pool)