A US women's soccer defender scored her first international goal with a wild 40-yard strike on her birthday

• USWNT defender Alana Cook scored her first international goal Tuesday against Ireland.
• The star center-back netted a strike from 40 yards out to beat the goalie in ridiculous fashion.

Alana Cook celebrated her 26th birthday in epic fashion.

The US Women's National Team center-back scored a ridiculous, long-range goal to put the Stars and Stripes on the board against Ireland in a friendly Tuesday night. The 43rd-minute strike — which Cook launched from closer to midfield than to the 18-yard box — marked the OL Reign star's first-ever international goal and wound up securing the USWNT's win in St. Louis.

The birthday girl's breakthrough came mere minutes before halftime in a matchup. The USWNT had earned a corner kick and, after striker Sophia Smith opted for a short give-and-go pass with midfielder Ashley Sanchez, one of Ireland's players stepped up to intercept and clear the ball out of the 18-yard box.

Cook calmly collected the ball towards the left flank of the field and took one touch towards the goal. Then she wound up and unleashed an arching ball that, at first, could have easily been mistaken for a pass.

Instead, the ball carried. Ireland keeper Courtney Brosnan, who had pushed up off the goal line, left her feet in an attempt to punch the shot out of the air. But she was too late; the ball ricocheted off her glove and dribbled into the back of the net.

Check out the incredible birthday banger:

And the slo-mo, which is even better:

The goal put Cook in extremely rare company as one of only three USWNT players to ever score on her birthday. She joined team legends Mia Hamm and Alex Morgan — both known goal-scorers — on a very short list that, until Tuesday, did not include a defender.

Cook is one of several players competing for the final spots on the USWNT's 23-player roster for this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Should she make the team, Cook will look to help FIFA's top-ranked national team win its unprecedented third-consecutive World Cup.