The
Girls Are Golden Again!
Some may say the U.S. WNT was outplayed by Brazil, but those
are folks who look only at offensive statistics.
The one that counts is goals scored, and the U.S. women scored the game’s
only goal and held Brazil scoreless for the gold medal at the Olympics
in Bejing, China, before a crowd of 51,612.
The game was settled in overtime with Carli Lloyd striking
a far post shot that skimmed the wet turf six minutes into the first overtime
period.
Hope Solo, who did not play the last time the U.S. and
Brazil played in a game that really counted, the 2007 FIFA World Cup semifinals,
bailed out her teammates time and again. Brazil won 4-0 a year ago with
Solo on the bench and Briana Scurry in goal.
The championship was the third for the U.S. in four Olympics.
When the final whistled ended the game, the celebration began for the
American players who played five games in China without leading scorer
Abby Wambach, who has suffered a broken leg in a pre-Olympic
friendly against Brazil.
“The team is definitely on a high right now, believing we were
going to make a statement in the whole tournament,” said captain
Christie Rampone. “It didn’t start like we
wanted to, but we just kept digging and getting better each game. It was
a full team effort, and it was so special with everyone doing it together.”
The victory was a bit of redemption for the Americans, who went to the
World Cup as favorites last fall only to be humbled in the semifinals
by Brazil. And for no one was it sweeter than Solo, who was banished from
the World Cup bronze medal game after criticizing then-coach Greg
Ryan for not playing her against Brazil even though she’d
allowed only two goals in four World Cup starts, and had a shutout streak
of nearly 300 minutes going.
Several minutes after the game ended, Solo sprinted back out onto the
field, a gaudy imitation gold medal around her neck, a phone to her ear
and a bright smile on her face. She closed her eyes when the American
anthem began playing, and bounced proudly and gripped her medal when the
team posed for pictures afterward. A few fans in the crowd chanted, “We
want Hope! We want Hope!”
The gold medal victory was the first championship in a major tournament
for first-year coach Pia Sundhage, who replaced Ryan
last fall. The only time the U.S. has ever lost in an Olympic final ws
in 2000 to Norway.
“When I was 6 years old, I thought I was the only girl in the whole
world who played soccer. I wasn’t allowed to play because I was
a girl,” Sundhage said. “Back then, I could never imagine
to be a professional player or a professional coach. Now I’m sitting
with a great player, Christie Rampone, and looking at her gold medal.
I am so proud.”
For Brazil, the result was bitter disappointment. They have now lost
in three championship games of major tournaments, including the World
Cup last year to Germany.
“I have no idea why we can’t win a final,” said Marta,
Brazil’s best player and twice voted by FIFA as the World’s
Player of the Year, who sobbed when she got her silver medal, her lip
quivering. “It’s something I’m gonna keep asking myself
for a long time. You keep asking what you did wrong.”
“I’m more mad than sad,” Marta said. “Again
we had a chance to win the gold and again we let it slip away. It’s
hard to say why that keeps happening to us.”
Not only did the U.S. play without Wambach, who has 99 internatiional
goals, they also played without veteran defender and ?, both of whom suffered
knee injuries earlier this year.
The U.S. lost 2-0 to Norway in their first group game, giving up both
goals inside of the first four minutes. They completed group play with
shutouts over Japan and New Zealand, and advanced to the final with a
4-1 win over Japan in the semifinals. The U.S. had beaten Canada 2-1 in
overtime in the quarters.
World champion Germany defeated Japan 2-0 in the bronze medal game.
U.S.
Women Advance To Gold Medal Game
Angela Hucles scored twice and Lori
Chalupny and Heather O’Reilly added goals
as the U.S. advanced to the gold medal match of the 2008 Olympics with
a 4-2 come-from-behind victory against Japan at Beijing’s Workers’
Stadium on Monday.
Since women’s soccer was added to the Olympic program in 1996,
the U.S. is the only team that has advanced to all four Olympic Finals,
and for the second consecutive Olympics will play Brazil with the gold
medal on the line.
“It was not an easy match as I thought Japan played very well,
but we were able to come back from 1-0, and it’s due to the entire
team,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. “We’ve
been able to get goals from different players and tonight was no different.
I’m very proud of how the team performed tonight and now we can
look forward to our next match against Brazil.”
The gold medal match for women’s soccer will be played on Thursday,
Aug. 21, and shown live on USA Network and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel
at 9 a.m. ET. Fans can also follow online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.
The U.S. was playing Japan for the second time in 10 days after defeating
them 1-0 in Group G play in Qinhuangdao on Aug. 9. This time, it was Japan
that took a 1-0 lead. Looking dangerous from the start, the Japanese forced
Hope Solo to make a save on a header off a corner kick
in the fifth minute, and 11 minutes later got the first goal of the game
off a corner from the right side. The out-swinger was headed up in the
middle of the penalty area and bounced out to the right side for Yukari
Kinga, who drove a low ball back into the center. Shinobu Ohno
slipped in behind the U.S. defense, which was pulling forward, and was
all alone as she settled the ball and drove it under Solo.
But, the U.S. wasn’t without chances early. O’Reilly and
Chalupny, both catalysts on the first two U.S. goals, each broke through
into the area in the first 15 minutes. O’Reilly was muscled to the
ground without a call and Chalupny’s effort went wide.
Solo was again called to action in the 21st minute, diving to her left
to palm away a low shot from 19 yards off the foot of Yuki Nagasato.
It was Solo that started the play that created the first U.S. goal in
the 41st minute. A long goal kick from the U.S. ‘keeper bounced
once before a Japanese defender was forced to play a clearance wide right
in the path of O’Reilly. She sprinted to the end line past Kyoko
Yano and cut a low cross back to the top of the six yard box,
past a sliding Amy Rodriguez and under Lindsay Tarpley’s
foot to Hucles, who tapped it into the open goal with her left foot.
Right before halftime the U.S. took the lead for good as Chalupny finished
a play that started with some quality possession in the back and a great
pass into space from Rodriguez, who was dangerous running at the defense
for most of the game. Kate Markgraf started things forward,
playing the ball to Carli Lloyd in midfield. She found
Rodriguez checking back, and Rodriguez turned and played Chalupny free
up the left wing. The U.S. left back cut square into the penalty around
a defender and then got a sliver of space to hit a 17-yard rocket into
the roof of the net at the upper left corner.
In the second half, except for a stoppage time goal from Japan, it was
all USA as the defending gold medalists out-shot Japan 13-6 while adding
two more goals.
In the 70th minute, O’Reilly scored her second goal from distance
during the Olympics.
Ten minutes later, Hucles scored her second of the game and her team-leading
fourth of the Olympics on a shot from a tight angle in the left side of
the penalty box. Hucles touched a corner kick to for O’Reilly, who
promptly returned the ball. Hucles dribbled along the right edge of the
penalty area before sending a cross from just two yards off the endline
and one step inside the area that swerved toward the net and over Fukumoto.
The assist was O’Reilly’s second of the game and third of
the tournament.
Brazil advanced to the final with an impressive 4-1 victory against Germany,
including two goals by Cristiane who is running away with the Golden Boot
award with seven goals so far in the Olympics. Marta has also continued
to prove why she’s regarded as one of the world’s top players,
having scored four goals – tying her with Hucles as the second-leading
scorer in the tournament.
U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT
Match-up: USA vs. Japan
Competition: 2008 Beijing Olympics - Semifinal
Venue: Worker’s Stadium; Beijing, China
Date: August 18, 2008; Kickoff – 9 p.m. local / 9 a.m. ET
Attendance: 50,137
Weather: Clear – 77 degrees
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 2 4
JPN 1 1 2
JPN – Shinobu Ohno (Yukari Kinga) 16th minute.
USA – Angela Hucles (Heather O’Reilly) 41.
USA – Lori Chalupny (Amy Rodriguez) 44.
USA – Heather O’Reilly (Heather Mitts) 70.
USA – Angela Hucles (Heather O’Reilly) 80.
JPN – Eriko Arakawa (Yuki Nagasato) 94+.
Lineups:
USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts (14-Stephanie Cox, 86), 15-Kate Markgraf,
3-Christie Rampone – Capt., 17-Lori Chalupny; 9-Heather O’Reilly,
7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 5-Lindsay Tarpley (6-Natasha Kai, 67);
8-Amy Rodriguez (12-Lauren Cheney, 83), 16-Angela Hucles
Subs: 4-Rachel Buehler, 10-Aly Wagner, 13-Tobin Heath, 18-Nicole Barnhart
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage
JPN: 1-Miho Fukumoto; 2-Yukari Kinga, 3-Hiromi Ikeda, 4-Azusa Iwashimizu,
7-Kozue Ando (13-Ayumi Hara, 56), 14-Kyoko Yano (12-Karina Maruyama, 73);
8-Aya Miyama, 10-Homare Sawa, 15-Mizuho Sakaguchi; 11-Shinobu Ohno (9-Eriko
Arakawa, 71), 17-Yuki Nagasato
Subs: 18-Ayumi Kaihori, 16-Rumi Utsugi, 5-Miyuki Yanagita, 6-Tomoe Kato
Head Coach: Norio Sasaki
Statistical Summary: USA / JPN
Shots: 18 / 10
Shots on Goal: 10 / 6
Saves: 4 / 6
Corner Kicks: 7 / 4
Fouls: 12 / 5
Offside: 1 / 5
Misconduct Summary:
USA – Heather O’Reilly (caution) 39th minute.
USA – Heather Mitts (caution) 50.
U.S.
Women Move On To Olympic Semifinals
A dramatic diving header goal from Natasha Kai
in the 101st minute of overtime gave the U.S. Women’s Olympic Soccer
Team a 2-1 victory against Canada and a berth to the semifinals of the
2008 Olympic Games.
The U.S. will now face Japan in the semifinal match at Beijing Workers
Stadium on Monday, Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. ET live on MSNBC, Universal HD and
the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. Fans can also follow online via ussoccer.com’s
MatchTracker.
The USA defeated Japan just six days ago by a 1-0 score in Group G play.
It was the second game of the Olympics for both teams.
The U.S. had taken an early lead in the 12th minute on a goal from Angela
Hucles, but less than 10 minutes later, sheets of rain starting
falling, lightning cracked across the sky and thunder rolled through the
stadium. The match was halted and delayed one hour and 39 minutes due
to the lightning. The game picked up where it left off in the 21st minute,
but nine minutes later Canada leveled the score at 1-1 on a 23-yard blast
from captain Christine Sinclair. That score would stand
until the Kai’s game-winner in the 101st minute.
Rain continued to fall throughout the match, but the field at Shanghai
Stadium played extremely well and the U.S. team had the lion’s share
of possession the entire match, piling up an amazing 34 shots to Canada’s
eight.
The action was relatively quiet until Hucles scored her second goal of
the 2008 Olympics in the 12th minute. The play started in the back as
U.S. captain Christie Rampone played a long pass to Hucles near the midfield
stripe. The U.S. then played the ball through Heather O’Reilly,
Lindsay Tarpley and Carli Lloyd, who switched the ball from the
left to the right wing, finding Amy Rodriguez free just
outside the penalty area. Rodriguez dribbled toward the end line and crossed
to the far post for O’Reilly, who played a forceful header on goal
that goalkeeper Erin McCleod got her finger tips on.
Hucles was there at the back post to tap the ball in for her career-high
fifth goal of the year.
On the play, McLeod injured her right knee when she planted to make the
save, and after a few minutes she was replaced by veteran Karina
LeBlanc. Just after the substitution, the referee halted the
match due to lightning in the area and the players could not return to
the pitch for 84 minutes before getting 15 minutes to warm-up and the
match proceeded at 8 p.m. local time.
Canada’s equalizer came in the 30 minute after the U.S. failed
to control a throw-in in their defensive third. Canada’s Clare
Rustad tackled the ball away from Carli Lloyd and the ball squirted
into the path of Sinclair. The two-time Hermann Trophy winner from the
University of Portland hit a first-time rocket from outside the penalty
area that just eluded a full-stretch dive of U.S. goalkeeper Hope
Solo and ended up in the right corner of the net.
Following their goal, Canada dropped into a defensive shell that lasted
the entire rest of the match, playing with one forward and looking to
counter-attack. The USA’s crisp and patient possession produced
a bushel of goal scoring chances as the running of young forward Amy Rodriguez
caused all kinds of problems for the Canadians, but the USA could not
punch through until the 101st minute.
The U.S. also had good looks at the Canadian goal in the 65th minute,
when a Shannon Boxx header went just off-target, and
in the 72nd minute, when Hucles was again in alone and her attempt to
nutmeg the goalkeeper with a shot from close range was denied.
U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage began overtime by bringing
on Kai for O’Reilly and dropping Hucles back into the right midfield
slot. Eleven minutes later, the move paid off as Kai stuck her close-range
header past LaBlanc. The goal evolved as Rodriguez dropped a pass back
to Boxx on the left wing. Boxx hit a first time, left-footed cross that
curled directly into the path of Kai, who stayed onside to beat her flat-footed
marker to the ball four yards out, sending a bullet header under LeBlanc
and into the left corner.
Boxx, whose play in the center midfield with Lloyd was key in the USA’s
producing so many shots, earned her 100th cap in the match, becoming the
22nd female player in U.S. history to do so.
The match marked the final game on the Canadian bench for head coach
Even Pellerud, who earlier in the year announced he was
stepping down after the Olympics, and win over Canada was the USA’s
fourth of 2008 over their northern neighbors, three of which were one-goal
wins. The fifth meeting was a 1-1 tie in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying
final in which the U.S. won the title 6-5 in penalties.
In other semifinal action, Japan ousted the hosts with a 2-0 victory
in Qinhuangdao to earn a berth against the USA in the semifinal. On the
other side of the bracket, Brazil topped Norway, 2-1, and will face Germany,
which scored twice in overtime to defeat Sweden, 2-0, in the other semifinal,
which will be played in Shanghai.
U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT
Match-up: USA vs. Canada
Competition: 2008 Olympic Games
Venue: Shanghai Stadium; Shanghai, China
Date: August 15, 2008; Kickoff – 6 p.m. local / 6 a.m. ET
Attendance: 26,129
Weather: Humid, Rain, 84 degrees
Scoring Summary: 1 2 OT1 OT2 F
USA 1 0 1 0 2
CAN 1 0 0 0 1
USA – Angela Hucles (Heather O’Reilly) 12th minute.
CAN – Christine Sinclair (Clare Rustad) 30.
USA – Natasha Kai (Shannon Boxx) 101.
Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 17-Lori Chalupny, 15-Kate Markgraf, 2-Heather Mitts,
3-Christie Rampone-Capt.; 7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 9-Heather O’Reilly
(6-Natasha Kai, 91), 5-Lindsay Tarpley (13-Tobin Heath, 82); 16-Angela
Hucles, 8-Amy Rodriguez (12-Lauren Cheney, 109)
Subs: 18-Nicole Barnhart, 4-Rachel Buehler, 14-Stephanie Cox, 10-Aly Wagner
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage
CAN: 18-Erin McLeod (1-Karina LeBlanc, 19); 3-Emily Zurrer, 9-Candace
Chapman, 10-Martina Franko; 4-Clare Rustad, 6-Sophie Schmidt, 7-Rhian
Wilkinson, 8-Diana Matheson; 12-Christine Sinclair-Capt., 14-Melissa Tancredi
(17-Brittany Timko, 46, 16-Jonelle Filigno, 92+), 15-Kara Lang
Subs: 5-Robin Gayle, 11-Randee Hermus, 13-Amy Walsh, 2-Jodi-Ann Robinson
Head Coach: Even Pellerud
Statistical Summary: USA / CAN
Shots: 34 / 8
Shots on Goal: 17 / 7
Saves: 6 / 13
Corner Kicks: 7 / 1
Fouls: 15 / 18
Offside: 6 / 3
Misconduct Summary:
CAN – Martina Franko (caution) 70th minute.
CAN – Kara Lang (caution) 84.
USA – Lauren Cheney (caution) 111.
Officials
Referee: Jenny Palmqvist (SWE)
Asst. Referee: Helen Caro (SWE)
Asst. Referee: Hege Steinlund (NOR)
4th Official: Estela Alvarez (TOG)
Sierra Mist Woman of the Match: Shannon Boxx
2008 Olympic Women’s Soccer Quarterfinal Results - Aug. 15
Match-Up Venue
USA 2, Canada 1 Shanghai
Japan 2, China 0 Qinhuangdao
Brazil 2, Norway 1 Tianjin
Germany 2, Sweden 0 Shenyang
2008 Olympic Women’s Soccer Semifinal Match-Ups - Aug. 18
Match-Up Venue Kickoff
Brazil vs. Germany Shanghai Stadium 6 p.m. local / 6 a.m. ET
USA vs. Japan Beijing Workers Stadium 9 p.m. local / 9 a.m. ET
U.S.
Men Out Of Olympics
The U.S. Men’s Olympic Team fought bravely to overcome
being down a man for 87 minutes, but the heroics of goalkeeper Brad
Guzan and a last-minute frenzy to score the equalizer were not
enough as the U.S. fell 2-1 to Nigeria before 48,096 at the Beijing Workers'
Stadium. The loss knocked the U.S. out of the 2008 Olympic Games, while
Nigeria earned first place in Group B.
Goals from Chinedu Obasi and Victor Obinna
on either side of halftime gave the Nigerians a lead that proved too much
to overcome, despite a Sacha Kljestan penalty kick conversion
in the 88th minute and a flurry of U.S. chances in the waning moments,
including a header from substitute Charlie Davies that
agonizingly struck the crossbar. Guzan made several saves on the night,
some in spectacular fashion, to keep the U.S. in the match against a crafty
Nigerian attack.
“It’s disappointing, there’s no question about that,”
said U.S. coach Peter Nowak. “We played so hard
tonight, and we can’t express our feelings in the right way now.
Soccer can be a cruel game. I am very proud of the effort these players
put in. They left everything on the field and never gave up.”
The U.S. could have advanced despite the loss if the Netherlands failed
to beat Japan, but the current European U-21 champions benefitted from
a penalty kick in the 79th minute to win 1-0 and move on to the quarterfinals.
The U.S. started out confident and promising before suffering a major
setback in the third minute when defender Michael Orozco
was harshly shown a red card following a minor elbow to Solomon
Okoronko. Down to 10 men, the team shifted formation by moving
Robbie Rogers to left back and dropping striker Jozy
Altidore into left midfield.
Despite the setback, the U.S. remained composed and continued to play
organized defensively while looking for chances to advance. As the half
wore on, Nigeria assumed more of the possession and began to force the
U.S. to defend for long stretches.
The Nigerians nearly got on the board in the 31st minute when Chinedu
Obasi created space for himself in the box on the left side of goal. Picking
out the far post, Obasi drilled a low drive that forced Guzan into a spectacular
diving save.
After sustained pressure, Nigeria was finally able to break through the
U.S. defense in the 39th minute on a nice bit of individual flair. A ball
over the top put Victor Obinna alone against Michael
Parkhurst. The striker managed his way around his mark and slotted
a pass across the goal. With Guzan diving and Robbie Rogers
sliding to defend, team captain Promise Isaac found a
gap between the two and tapped home the first goal of the match.
As the U.S. sought to ride out the half, Nigeria nearly doubled the lead
on the last play of the opening stanza. A corner kick was cleared to the
top of the box, where Ebenezer Ajilore hit a low volley
towards goal. The effort was redirected by Isaac and appeared to be heading
towards the side netting, but an alert Danny Szetela
stood sentry at the near post and cleared the ball off the line.
The U.S. started out the second half appearing poised and prepared to
seek the equalizer. They had a golden chance in the 52nd minute when hustle
from Kljestan put the ball on the feet of Rogers on the left flank. He
delivered a high cross into the box, where Brian McBride
and his mark both challenged for a header that neither could quite reach.
The chance fell to Holden, but the opportunity caught him slightly off
guard and he was unable to direct a shot on goal.
While the U.S. continued to probe, disaster nearly struck in the 66th
minute. Victor Obinna collected the ball on the left side of the U.S.
penalty area and used some fancy footwork to create space for a cross.
His low driven effort deflected off Benny Feilhaber and
screamed towards goal, forcing an incredible reaction save from Guzan
to keep the U.S. hopes alive.
The U.S. chances for advancement took a major blow in the 72nd minute
when reports from Shenyang indicated that the Netherlands had scored against
Japan. The Dutch were the beneficiaries of a penalty kick awarded in the
73rd minute, the conversion meaning that the U.S. had no choice but to
press for a goal.
With the U.S. putting a massive effort into tying the game, Nigeria eventually
found the opportunity to double the lead in the 79th minute. A nice through
ball played Obinna into the penalty area once again on the left side of
goal. Parkhurst slid over to cover, and a nice cutback by Obinna earned
him time and space to shoot. With no pressure, he calmly curled a shot
to the far post past the helpless U.S. ‘keeper.
The substitution of Davies for Stuart Holden injected
new life and speed into the U.S. attack, setting up an exciting and excruciating
climax to the match. In the 87th minute, Rogers used a cut back off a
corner kick to deliver a curling drive towards goal that just skimmed
past the reach of two U.S. attackers. Moments later, the U.S. earned a
penalty when McBride cleverly chipped a ball into the box for an onrushing
Maurice Edu. The U.S. defender was tackled at the top
of the area on a reckless challenge from Nigeria goalkeeper Ambruse
Vanzekin, the referee immediately pointing to the spot. Kljestan
calmly converted the ensuing penalty, breathing added life into an already
amped U.S. attack.
In the final minute of regulation time, the U.S. earned a free kick 30
yards from goal on the left flank. Second-half substitute Dax
McCarty swerved a delivery into the crowded area, where Davies
twisted to head a powerful drive that caromed off the cross bar. A minute
later, Davies found himself one v. one 18 yards out, striking a low effort
that Vanzekin dove to collect.
With the U.S. in all-out attack mode, Nigeria had a great chance to net
their third of the game in the 93rd minute when a counter put Victor
Anichebe through on a sprint from midfield. Pressed high to help
the U.S. efforts, Guzan was forced into retreat mode but won a challenge
from Anichebe at the top of the box. Chasing down the rebound outside
the area, Guzan challenged for a 50-50 ball, with Obasi ending up with
the ball at his feet and a near open goal. The striker chose to try and
dribble past defenders, eventually putting a weak effort wide.
- U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT -
Match-up: USA vs. Nigeria
Competition: 2008 Olympics Games
Venue: Beijing Worker’s Stadium; Beijing, China
Date: August 13, 2008; Kickoff – 5:00 p.m. local / 5:00 a.m. ET
Attendance: 48,096
Weather: Cloudy, 85 degrees
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 1 1
NGA 1 1 2
NGA – Promise Isaac (Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi) 39th minute.
NGA – Victor Obinna (Ebenezer Ajilore) 79.
USA – Sacha Kljestan (penalty) 88.
Lineups:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 2-Marvell Wynne, 6-Maurice Edu, 15-Michael Parkhurst,
3-Michael Orozco; 14-Robbie Rogers, 7-Stuart Holden (9-Charlie Davies,
77), 16-Sacha Kljestan, 8-Danny Szetela (5-Dax McCarty, 69); 17-Brian
McBride, 12-Jozy Altidore (10-Benny Feilhaber, 46)
Subs: 1-Chris Seitz, 13-Patrick Ianni
Head Coach: Peter Nowak
NGA: 1-Ambruse Vanzekin; 2-Chibuzor Okonkwo, 5-Dele Adeleye, 15-Efe Ambrose;
6-Monday James, 8-Sani Kaita, 10-Promise Isaac (capt.) (16-Victor Anichebe,
72), 12-Ebenezer Ajilore (17-Emmanuel Ekpo, 85); 7-Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi,
9-Victor Obinna, 11-Solomon Okoronkwo (14-Peter Odemwingie, 68)
Subs: 18-Ikechukwu Ezenwa, 19-Oladapo Olufemi
Head Coach: Samson Siasia
Statistical Summary: USA / NGA
Shots: 8 / 20
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Saves: 4 / 2
Corner Kicks: 3 / 5
Fouls: 7 / 11
Offside: 0 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
USA – Michael Orozco (sent off) 3rd minute.
USA – Benny Feilhaber (caution) 60.
NGA – Ambruse Vanzekin (cauion) 87.
U.S.
Women Rock New Zealand,
Advance As Group Winner
The U.S. Women’s Natioinal Team was expected to beat
New Zealand in the final game of Olympic group play, but nobody expected
the victory to win the group.
Four different players scored, including a goal just 40 seconds into
the game from midfielder Heather O’Reilly as the
U.S. won 4-0.
The Americans went into the match knowing they needed a big win over
New Zealand as well as a Japan victory over Norway in order to win the
group, and that’s exactly how the evening’s events transpired.
Norway went into the game with Japan with two wins and had not been scored
upon. Japan put it to them, winning 5-1 which gave the U.S. the top spot
in the group with six points and a plus three goal differential. Norway
also had six points, but was a minus-1.
USA, Norway and Japan advance out of Group G. In the quarterfinal, the
U.S. will play long-time rival Canada, which finished in third place in
Group E. That match will take place at 6 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. ET on
Friday, Aug. 15 in Shanghai and will be broadcast live on USA Network.
“I think it’s fantastic that fact that we bounced back from
the first 15 minutes against Norway,” said U.S. coach Pia
Sundhage. “You look at the first 15 minutes of that game
to the last 15 minutes of this game and many things have happened. The
whole team, and myself, have gained confidence every minute we’ve
been together. The good part of this road is that we have experienced
both sides: losing and winning. That’s good going into the quarterfinals
where it’s now or never.”
The fortunes of the Group G teams flip-flopped during a short span in
the second half. The U.S. was up 2-0 at halftime through goals from O’Reilly
and Amy Rodriguez while Norway scored first in their
match but Japan equalized before the break. Japan went ahead in the 51st
minute, benefiting from an own goal, then made it 3-1 just one minute
later. That score line meant the U.S. needed just one more goal to win
the group – provided the Norway vs. Japan score stayed the same
-- and just minutes later Lindsay Tarpley got it. The
USA would add another goal four minutes after that while Japan piled two
more on Norway.
Amazingly, at the start of the day, the USA has a minus-1 goal differential
and Norway had a plus-three goal differential. At the end of the evening,
the USA was at plus-three and Norway was at minus-1.
The match marked the 200th international appearance for U.S. captain
Christie Rampone, who led the U.S. backline in limiting
the Kiwis to just three shots on goal. U.S. defender Rachel Buehler
earned her first Olympic start in the match, joining the backline in place
of Kate Markgraf, who was rested for the match.
O’Reilly’s record-setting goal – the fasted in Olympic
women’s soccer history -- broke the mark set, ironically, by Norway
against the USA in the first match of the group and it was a masterful
strike from the 23-year old midfielder. New Zealand goalkeeper Jenny
Bindon cleared a ball into midfield that Carli Lloyd
jumped up to win on a header. The ball fell onto the path of O’Reilly,
who took a few touches and saw the ‘keeper of her line. O’Reilly
let loose a dipping shot that sailed over Bindon from 30 yards and stuck
in the right corner of the net.
It was O’Reilly’s 20th international goal and her second
career score in Olympic competition after also scoring in the 2004 Olympic
semifinal.
Tarpley almost added another in the 15th minute, receiving the ball on
the left flank and beating Rhea Percival with a quick
cut inside. Tarpley carried the ball into the area and took a shot that
clattered off the left post with the New Zealand goalkeeper already beaten.
Rodriguez added the second goal for the U.S. in the 43rd minute running
under a long ball from Buehler, who had played it perfectly into space
behind the Kiwi defense. Rodriguez used her speed to out-race the back
line before cracking a left-footer that skipped into the far post past
Bindon and into the lower right corner. It was the first-ever Olympic
goal for Rodriguez and the sixth of her international career.
The third U.S. goal, which put the USA atop the group to stay, came in
the 57th minute after Hucles did well to put Rodriguez behind the New
Zealand backline with a slipped pass. Rodriguez faced Bindon one-on-one
in the area but the New Zealand ‘keeper did well to come off her
line and make a great reflex save. The rebound bounced into the middle
of the penalty box where O’Reilly was crashing. O’Reilly got
a toe on the ball, but the defense blocked it, sending it into the middle
of the area. Tarpley reacted quickest to this one and volleyed clinically
into the right corner of the net for her 28th career goal and 11th of
2008.
Just four minutes later, Hucles got a goal of her own when Lori
Chalupny ran the ball up the left flank, beat her defender to
the inside and blasted a shot from the top left corner of the area that
flew past an outstretched Bindon and pinged off the top right corner of
the goal. The bounce fell right to Hucles, who was able to pivot and loft
her shot towards the net. Bindon got two hands on it, but the pace was
such that she couldn’t hold it, and it fell through her hands and
into the net. It was Hucles’ first-ever Olympic goal and her fourth
of 2008.
The U.S. did well to control the tempo of the match, allowing New Zealand
only five total shots while taking 16 of their own. The best chance for
the Kiwis didn’t come until the first minute of stoppage time when
defender Anna Green carried the ball up the left flank and fired a long
blast that headed for the upper left corner. U.S. goalkeeper Hope
Solo was there to cover the angle, although the shot went wide
as it hit the side netting.
Friday’s match will mark the fifth time that the U.S. faces Canada
in 2008, and the fourth time in tournament play. The U.S. defeated Canada,
4-0, in the opening match of the Four Nations Tournament in January. Both
Canada and the U.S. qualified for the Olympics in March, facing each other
in the final of the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Championship in Ciudad
Juarez, with the U.S. earning the regional title, 6-5, in penalty kicks
after drawing, 1-1, in regulation. The two teams also met in a friendly
match in May in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. coming away with a 6-0
win. In the most recent meeting, the U.S. defeated Canada, 1-0, for the
Peace Queen Cup title in June.
This is the fourth time in as many Olympic women’s soccer tournaments
that the U.S. women have advanced out of first round play as the group
winner.
-- U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT --
Match-up: USA vs. New Zealand
Competition: 2008 Olympics
Venue: Shenyang Olympic Stadium; Shenyang, China
Date: August 12, 2008; Kickoff – 7:45 p.m. local / 7:45 a.m. ET
Attendance: 12,453
Weather: Hazy, Humid, 78 degrees
Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
USA 2 2 4
NZL 0 0 0
USA – Heather O’Reilly (Carli Lloyd) 27th minute.
USA – Amy Rodriguez (Rachel Buehler) 43.
USA – Lindsay Tarpley (unassisted) 56.
USA – Angela Hucles (Lori Chalupny) 60.
Lineups:
USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts (14-Stephanie Cox, 63), 4-Rachel Buehler,
3-Christie Rampone – Capt., 83, 17-Lori Chalupny; 9-Heather O’Reilly
(10-Aly Wagner, 76), 7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 5-Lindsay Tarpley;
16-Angela Hucles, 8-Amy Rodriguez (6-Natasha Kai, 56)
Subs not used: 1-Nicole Barnhart, 12-Lauren Cheney, 13-Tobin Heath, 15-Kate
Markgraf
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage
NZL: 1-Jenny Bindon; 2-Ria Percival, 5-Abby Erceg, 6-Rebbecca Smith,
17-Marlies Oostdam (14-Kristy Hill, 64); 4-Katie Hoyle (3-Anna Green,
64), 8-Hayley Moorwood, 11-Kristy Yallop; 7-Ali Riley, 9-Amber Heam, (13-Rebecca
Tegg, 74), 15-Emma Kete
Subs not used: 10-Emily McColl, 12-Merissa Smith, 7-Renee Leota, 18-Rachel
Howard
Head Coach: John Herdman
Statistical Summary:
USA / NZL
Shots: 16/5
Shots on Goal: 11/3
Saves: 3/5
Corner Kicks: 4/2
Fouls: 3/5
Offsides: 2/0
Misconduct Summary:
NZL – Marlies Oostdam (caution) 46th minute.
NZL – Amber Heam (caution) 55.
Officials:
Referee: Dagmar Damkova (CZE)
Asst. Referee: Irina Mirt (ROM)
Asst. Referee: Katarzyna Nadolska (POL)
4th Official: Huijun Niu (CHN)
Sierra Mist Woman of the Match: Shannon Boxx
2008 Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament Standings
Group G
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
USA 2 1 0 6 5 2 +3
NOR 2 1 0 6 4 5 -1
JPN 1 1 1 4 7 1 +3
NZL 0 2 1 1 2 7 -5
Aug. 6
Japan 2, New Zealand 2
Norway 2, USA 0
Aug. 9
USA 1, Japan 0
New Zealand 0, Norway 1
Aug. 12
Norway 1. Japan 5
USA 4, New Zealand, 0
Group E
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
CHN 2 0 1 7 5 2 +3
SWE 2 1 0 6 4 3 +1
CAN 1 1 1 4 4 4 0
ARG 0 3 0 0 1 5 -4
Aug. 6
Argentina 1, Canada 2
China 2, Sweden 1
Aug. 9
Sweden 1, Argentina 0
Canada 1, China 1
Aug. 12
China 2, Argentina 0
Sweden 2, Canada 1
Group F
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
BRA 2 0 1 7 5 2 +3
GER 2 0 1 7 2 0 +2
PRK 1 2 0 3 2 3 -1
NGA 0 3 0 0 0 5 -5
Aug. 6
Germany 0, Brazil 0
North Korea 1, Nigeria 0
Aug. 9
Nigeria 0, Germany 1
Brazil 2, North Korea 1
Aug. 12
North Korea 0, Germany 1
Nigeria 1, Brazil 3
Quarterfinals
Aug. 15
United States vs. Canada, 6 a.m. ET
Brazil vs. Norway, 6 a.m. ET
Sweden vs. Germany 9 a.m. ET
China vs. Japan, 9 a.m. ET
U.S.
Upset Snatched Away By Dutch
The U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer team was just minutes
away from clinching a spot in the knockout stage after two games, but
a late equalizer from the Netherlands shocked the U.S. for a 2-2 tie on
Sunday at the Tianjin Olympic Sports Center Stadium.
The Netherlands took command early on a goal by Liverpool’s Ryan
Babel, but the U.S. answered in the second half with a 64th minute
goal by Sacha Kljestan and took the lead when Jozy
Altidore struck in the 72nd.
However, in the third of three minutes of added time to the second half,
Netherlands substitute Gerald Sibon drove a low free
kick under the U.S. wall from 21 yards out to tie the game.
"It's tough," said U.S. head coach Peter Nowak.
"As I told the guys in the locker room, that's the way the game goes
sometimes. Not too many people gave us a chance tonight against the European
champions, but we were very close to beating them. We have unfinished
business. Going into the game with Nigeria, any result other than a loss,
and we will pass into the quarterfinals."
The U.S. needs a win or tie in their final match of Group B vs. Nigeria
or a loss by the Netherlands to Japan on Wed., Aug. 13 to advance to the
quarterfinals. The U.S. vs. Nigeria match will be show live at 5 p.m.
ET on USA Network, the Olympic Soccer Channel and ussoccer.com’s
MatchTracker.
The U.S. will be heading into the game against Nigeria without the services
of forward Freddy Adu and midfielder Michael
Bradley, who were both issued their second yellow cards of the
tournament. Adu earned his in the 78th minute for a challenge with Dutch
goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer in which the U.S. forward
stuck a foot in and hit the goalkeeper in the hand and forehead, while
Bradley was booked for wasting time on a restart in stoppage time.
Nowak started the same lineup as the first match, with Robbie
Rogers switching to the right and Stuart Holden switching
to the left.
The Netherlands got things going in the 16th minute. Jonathan
de Guzman caught up with a pass near the end line on the right
and chipped a touch cross to the top of the six yard box where Ryan Babel
headed it on goal. U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan dropped
to the ground to make the save, but the rebound fell right back to Babel,
who in the middle of three U.S. defenders who were late to converge, calmly
slotted a high shot into the back of the net.
The first U.S. chance of the match didn’t come until the 27th minute
after the U.S. shifted formations, moving Freddy Adu to right midfield,
Rogers moving back to the left and Holden sliding into the middle of the
field. Adu received the ball just into the U.S. half and then went on
a long dribbling run, twice faking a shot at the top of the 18-yard box
before getting space on the left side of the area and blasting a shot
high.
Adu again created a dangerous chance for the U.S. in the 35th minute
when he drew a foul just outside the penalty area. The U.S. set up with
three players over the ball, and Kljestan touched the ball for Michael
Bradley who drilled his low shot into a charging wall.
In the 40th minute, the U.S. forced Vermeer into action for the first
time as a great build up out of the back resulted in the best chance of
the match to this point for the U.S. Michael Parkhurst started things,
playing out of pressure to Bradley who made a great turn. He played it
right for Adu who redirected the ball into Marvell Wynne’s path
on the overlap. Wynne dribbled up the right wing and crossed in front
of the back line to Brian McBride, who put a bouncing pass into the path
of Holden who first-timed a laser onto goal that Vermeer punched wide.
Robbie Rogers hit the rebound low toward the near post, but that effort
was also saved.
The Dutch came out of halftime with a chance on a free kick from deep
on their right wing. Real Madrid’s Roy Drenthe
curled the free kick to outside of the far post where Hedwiges
Maduro got away from Bradley for a free header that went wide
into side netting.
The U.S. responded with a scoring chance of their own three minutes later.
A foul 40 yards from goal gave the U.S. a free kick that Holden lofted
into the area to McBride, who rose to flick a header that Vermeer tipped
over his crossbar.
The U.S. leveled the score and took the momentum in the 64th minute on
Kljestan’s goal. He started the play with space on the right side
at midfield. He brought the ball inside playing a quick one-two with Holden
and then a one-two with Adu, getting the ball back just outside of the
area. Kljestan cut with the ball into the middle, kept possession after
a challenge from a defender, and blasted a right-footed shot into the
back of the net as Vermeer got a touch on the ball.
The second U.S. goal was opportunistic, coming during a scramble in front
of the Dutch goal in the 72nd minute. The ball bounced out to Bradley,
who got a touch playing it forward with his back to goal. Two Netherlands
defenders were unable to clear, and the ball fell wide left to Michael
Orzoco. Orozco took a settling touch and drove a low cross that
deflected slightly off Calvin Jong-a-Pin as Altidore
crashed and put it in the center of the net off his leg.
The U.S. advantage led the Netherlands to go right to the bench, bringing
in forwards Roy Makaay and Sibon in the 75th minute.
The U.S. was successful fending off the Dutch attack for much of the
remainder of the match, with Guzan keeping command of his area and the
U.S. back line winning most of the air battles.
The U.S. had a chance to put the game away in the 89th minute, with Holden
still having enough gas in the tank for a half-field run which resulted
in a shot wide. Kljestan made the run along with Holden and was open in
front of goal, but Holden couldn’t find him.
The Netherlands, one of the tournament favorites after winning the UEFA
Under-21 Championship, earned one final opportunity after Holden fouled
Sibon just outside of the penalty area, earning a yellow card. Sibon stepped
up and drove the free kick under the U.S. wall that jumped in unison and
past Guzan to stun the U.S.
In the other Group B match, Nigeria topped Japan 2-1. Going into the
final day, the U.S. is on top of the group on a tiebreaker with four points.
Nigeria also has four points, while the Netherlands is in third place
with two points, and Japan is last with no points.
U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT
Match-up: USA vs. Netherlands
Competition: 2008 Olympics
Venue: Tiajin Olympic Center Stadium; Tianjin, China
Date: August 10, 2008; Kickoff – 7:45 p.m. local / 7:45 a.m. ET
Attendance: 45,016
Weather: 82 degrees, humid
Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
USA 0 2 2
NED 1 1 2
NED – Ryan Babel 16th minute.
USA - Sacha Kljestan (Freddy Adu) 64.
USA - Jozy Altidore (Michael Orozco) 72.
NED - Gerald Sibon 93+.
Lineups:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 2-Marvell Wynne, 6-Maurice Edu, 15-Michael Parkhurst,
3-Michael Orozco; 7-Stuart Holden, 4-Michael Bradley, 16-Sacha Kljestan,
14-Robbie Rogers (12-Jozy Altidore, 65); 11-Freddy Adu (Benny Feilhaber,
80), 17-Brian McBride – Capt.
Subs Not Used: 1-Chris Seitz, 5-Dax McCarty, 8-Danny Szetela, 9-Charlie
Davies,13-Patrick Ianni
Head Coach: Peter Nowak
NED: 18-Kenneth Vermeer, 2-Gianni Zuiverloon, 3-Dirk Marcellis (Roy Makaay,
75), 4-Kew Jaliens, 7-Jonathan de Guzman, 8-Urby Emanuelson, 12-Hedwiges
Maduro, 15-Royston Drenthe (Gerald Sibon, 75), 17-Otman Bakkal, 11-Ryan
Babel, 16-Roy Beerens (Calvin Jong-a-Pin, 69)
Subs Not Used: 1-Piet Velthuizen, 5-Erik Pieters, 6-Kees Luijckx, 14-Evander
Sno
Head Coach: Foppe De Haan
Statistical Summary: USA / NED
Shots: 12 / 9
Shots on Goal: 8 / 4
Saves: 2 / 6
Corner Kicks: 2 / 2
Fouls: 11 / 14
Offside: 2 / 2
Misconduct Summary:
USA – Maurice Edu (caution) 54th minute.
NED - Marcellis Dirk (caution) 60.
USA - Freddy Adu (caution) 78.
USA - Michael Bradley (caution) 91+.
USA - Stuart Holden (caution) 93+.
Officials
Referee: Michael Hester (NZL)
Assistant Referee: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Assistant Referee: Michael Joseph (VAN)
Fourth Official: Khalil Al Ghamdi (KSA)
Sierra Mist Man of the Match: Sacha Kljestan
2008 Olympic Men’s Soccer Tournament Standings
Group A
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
ARG 2 0 0 6 3 1 +2
CIV 1 1 0 3 5 4 +1
AUS 0 1 1 1 1 2 -1
SRB 0 1 1 1 1 2 -1
Aug. 7
Australia 1, Serbia 1
Ivory Coast 1, Argentina 2
Aug. 10
Argentina 1, Australia 0
Serbia 2, Ivory Coast 4
Aug. 13
Ivory Coast vs. Australia, 7:45 a.m. ET
Argentina vs. Serbia, 7:45 a.m. ET
Group B
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
USA 1 0 1 4 3 2 +1
NGA 1 0 1 4 2 1 +1
NED 0 0 2 2 2 2 0
JPN 0 2 0 0 1 3 -2
Aug. 7
Japan 0, USA 1
Netherlands 0, Nigeria 0
Aug. 10
Nigeria 2, Japan 1
USA 2, Netherlands 2
Aug. 13
Netherlands vs. Japan, 7:45 a.m. ET
Nigeria vs. USA, 7:45 a.m. ET
Group C
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
BRA 2 0 0 6 6 0 +6
BEL 1 1 0 3 2 1 +1
CHN 0 1 1 1 1 3 -2
NZL 0 1 1 1 1 6 -5
Aug. 7
Brazil 1, Belgium 0
China 1, New Zealand 1
Aug. 10
New Zeland 0, Brazil 5
Belgium 2, China 0
Aug. 13
China vs. Brazil, 7:45 a.m. ET
New Zealand vs. Belgium 7:45 a.m. ET
Group D
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
ITA 2 0 0 6 6 0 +6
CMR 1 0 1 4 2 1 +1
KOR 0 1 1 1 1 4 -3
HON 0 2 0 0 0 4 -4
Aug. 7
Honduras 0, Italy 3
South Korea 1, Cameroon 1
Aug. 10
Cameroon 1, Honduras 0
Italy 3, South Korea 0
Aug. 13
South Korea vs. Honduras, 7:45 a.m. ET
Cameroon vs. Italy, 7:45 a.m. ET
U.S.
Women Edge Japan 1-0
The United States Women's Olympic Team rode a Carli
Lloyd goal and a solid defensive effort to a 1-0 victory against
Japan in the second match of Group G action at the 2008 Olympic Games.
With the shutout win, the U.S. secured three points as they seek a place
in the knockout phase, moving into second place in Group G behind leaders
Norway. The top two finishers in each of the three groups advance to the
second round along with two best third-place finishers based on points.
Norway prevented an upset by edging New Zealand 1-0 to go 2-0-0 with
six points.
"I am very happy about our performance today against a very technical,
talented Japan team," said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage.
"Besides a great goal by Carli Lloyd, I am very happy about our tactics
with a fast player up top, Amy Rodriguez, and the way
Heather O'Reilly played on the right side. But the bottom
line is that the team won today."
The U.S. will close out group action against New Zealand on Tuesday, Aug.
12, in Shenyang. Kickoff is set for 7:45 a.m. ET, and the match will be
broadcast live on MSNBC and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. Fans can also
follow along live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.
The U.S. set a frenetic pace to open the contest, looking much more composed
at the outset than in their opening match of the 2008 Games against Norway.
The combination of tight organization and quick ball movement kept the
Japanese under pressure from the opening whistle. The U.S. outshot Japan
18-9 on the night, while Hope Solo earned her first Olympic
clean sheet in her second start.
The goal came in the 27th minute as the result of hustle from the U.S.
team. Tarpley fought for possession near the midfield stripe and played
a through ball to Stephanie Cox, who had overlapped from
the left back position. Cox raced to the endline and hit a left-footed
cross towards the top of the box. The ball bounced past a defender and
found Lloyd at the top of the box. Lloyd stepped up and unleashed a wicked
half volley that sailed above Fukumoto and rippled the
back of the net. The goal was Lloyd’s 18th in her international
career and her first in Olympic play.
The second half began a bit more measured for the U.S. as Japan came
out pressing for the equalizer. The U.S. did well to absorb the early
pressure and shortly snatched the momentum.
The U.S. looked in control through the middle phase of the half, denying
Japan a good look at goal while patiently seeking out counter-attacking
opportunities in search of an insurance goal. They had a golden chance
to double the lead in the 80th minute when O’Reilly delivered a
penetrating pass to Rodriguez near the top right corner of the area. She
fought off her defender and earned a clear look at goal. With the ‘keeper
off her line, she let go a curling shot destined for the far post, but
the ball bent agonizingly wide.
Rampone earned her 199th international cap in the victory.
U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT
Match-up: USA vs. Japan
Competition: 2008 Olympics
Venue: Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium; Qinhuangdao, China
Date: August 9, 2008; Kickoff – 5:00 p.m. local / 5:00 a.m. ET
Attendance: 16,912
Weather: Hazy, Humid, 78 degrees
Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
USA 1 0 1
JPN 0 0 0
USA – Carli Lloyd (Stephanie Cox) 27th minute
Lineups:
USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts, 15-Kate Markgraf, 3-Christie Rampone
– Capt.,14-Stephanie Cox (4-Rachel Buehler, 83); 9-Heather O’Reilly,
7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 5-Lindsay Tarpley (13-Tobin Heath, 73);
16-Angela Hucles, 8-Amy Rodriguez (6-Natasha Kai, 86)
Subs not used: 1-Nicole Barnhart,10-Aly Wagner, 12-Lauren Cheney, 17-Lori
Chalupny
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage
JPN: 1-Miho Fukumoto; 2-Yukari Kinga, 3-Hiromi Ikeda (9-Eriko Arakawa,
82) 4-Azusa Iwashimizu, 7-Kozue Ando (12-Karina Maruyama, 62); 5-Miyuki
Yanagita, 8-Aya Miyama, 10-Homare Sawa, 15-Mizuho Sakaguchi (13-Ayumi
Hara, 65); 17-Yuki Nagasato, 11-Shinobu Ohno.
Subs not used: 6-Tomoe Kato,14-Kyoko Yano, 16-Rumi Utsugi, 18-Ayumi Kaihori
Head Coach: Norio Sasaki
Statistical Summary: USA / JPN
Shots: 18/9
Shots on Goal: 6/4
Saves: 4/5
Corner Kicks: 9/4
Fouls: 7/6
Offside: 5/2
Misconduct Summary:
JPN – Homare Sawa (caution) 74th minute
Officials:
Referee: Pannipar Kamnueng (THA)
Asst. Referee: Widiya Shamsuri (MAS)
Asst. Referee: Ja Daw Kaw (MYA)
4th Official: Christine Beck(GER)
Sierra Mist Woman of the Match: Carli Lloyd
2008 Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament Standings
Group G
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
NOR 2 0 0 6 3 0 +3
USA 1 1 0 3 1 2 -1
NZL 0 1 1 1 2 3 -1
JPN 0 1 1 1 2 3 -1
Aug. 6
Japan 2, New Zealand 2
Norway 2, USA 0
Aug. 9
USA 1, Japan 0
New Zealand 0, Norway 1
Aug. 12
Norway vs. Japan, 7:45 a.m. ET
USA vs. New Zealand, 7:45 a.m. ET
Group E
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
CAN 1 0 1 4 3 2 +1
CHN 1 0 1 4 3 2 +1
SWE 1 1 0 3 2 2 0
ARG 0 2 0 0 1 3 -2
Aug. 6
Argentina 1, Canada 2
China 2, Sweden 1
Aug. 9
Sweden 1, Argentina 0
Canada 1, China 1
Aug. 12
China vs. Argentina, 7:45 a.m. ET
Sweden vs. Canada, 7:45 a.m. ET
Group F
Team W L T Pts GF GA GD
BRA 1 0 1 4 2 1 +1
GER 1 0 1 4 1 0 +1
PRK 1 1 0 3 2 2 0
NGA 0 2 0 0 0 2 -2
Aug. 6
Germany 0, Brazil 0
North Korea 1, Nigeria 0
Aug. 9
Nigeria 0, Germany 1
Brazil 2, North Korea 1
Aug. 12
North Korea vs. Germany, 5 a.m. ET
Nigeria vs. Brazil, 5 a.m. ET
U.S.
Men Open With 1-0 Win Over Japan
Former Clemson standout Stuart Holden made
the difference for the United States on the opening day of the Men's Olympic
Tournament. A Marvell Wynne pass hit a Japan defender
and fell for Holden and the game's only goal in the 47th minute.
The U.S. win, coupled with a 0-0 draw between the Netherlands and Nigeria,
left the American’s at the top of the group with three points.
“Marvell, the speedster, made a great run down the right and whipped
in a fast-paced ball, which they didn’t clear very well," Holden
said. "It felt like an eternity as the ball was rolling out to the
top of the box. I just wanted to get it on frame because there were a
bunch of people in front of me. I hit it left-footed and it crawled over
the line. I think it’s the first goal I’ve scored that hasn’t
touched the back of the net. It’s obviously a great feeling when
the ball goes in and to score in the Olympics is unbelievable.”
In a game that the US won't remember for style points, Japan's inability
to finish and Brad Guzan's athletic goalkeeping kept
the US even in the first half. The United States picked up their game
in the second, holding Japan to only a few chances.
"My boys put up quite a fight tonight," US coach Peter
Nowak said. "I’m very proud of them because the first
game is never easy. You never know how it’s going to be. You prepare
yourselves for two weeks, play games, then you try to find the right recipe.
“It wasn’t a perfect game for us, but in this case it was
important to present ourselves the way we did tonight and get the three
points for our mentality, our confidence. As a coach, my first Olympic
win – there’s nothing better than that.”
Japan had a late appeal for a penalty turned down, and 74th minute substitute
Jozy Altidore gave the U.S. a push in the attack. Michael
Bradley, Freddy Adu, and Guzan were shown yellow cards.
The way the U.S. scored was important as it was only the second scored
on the run of play going back to the CONCACAF qualifiers. The other four
goals in the qualifiers were scored on free kicks.
The U.S. was also coming off three straight shutouts. They had lost 1-0
to Honduras in the regional final, and dropped a 1-0 game to Cameroon
after a 0-0 tie with the Ivory Coast in the ING Cup in Hong Kong last
week.
"We’re not worried about what’s happened in the past,"
Guzan said. "We are worried about this team and that’s an important
factor. What’s happened before is in the past and we’re focused
on this team and this tournament. With the attitude we have on this team
and the talented players here, we’re going to open a lot of eyes.
“A lot of people were criticizing us for the ING Cup, but we knew
we were using those games to prepare ourselves for these. I think that
showed tonight. We came into this game and worked hard. We took our chances
when we had them and we got out of here with three points."
The United States plays Holland on Sunday, August 10th at 7:45am on USA
Network.
Norway
Upsets U.S. WNT 2-0
Norway turned two U.S. mistakes into goals in the first
four minutes of their Olympic opener and make that standup for a 2-0 victory
that left the Americans fourth in the four-team group.
The U.S. entered the game as the gold-medal favorites and ranked #1 in
the world. One would have thought that described Norway, which clearly
outplayed the U.S. women.
Laursen Kaurin outjumped and outmuscled U.S. defender
Lori Chalupny to head the ball over charging goalkeeper
Hope Solo and into an open net in the second minute for
the first goal.
Two minutes later, Melissa Wiik intercepted a back pass
from Kate Markgraff, and they outran captain Christie
Rampone and fired a far post shot into goal for a 2-0 lead.
"We are satisfied," Norway coach Bjarne Berntsen
said. "We are very grateful for the tremendous start we had in this
game."
"After the great start, I think we played a very, very good defensive
game, and there were very few big chances for the United States."
The loss was only the second ever for the U.S. women in Olympic competition.
The other was 3-2 to Norway in the 2000 gold medal game.
The U.S. took a 20-0-1 record in 2008 into the game. It marked the first
loss under new U.S. WNT coach Pia Sundhege.
While both goals came at a point in the game where 86 minutes remained,
the U.S. played the first half indecisive and with little purpose. Balls
were played long and over the top from the middle of the field, and shots,
when taken, came from long range, mostly outside of Norway’s penalty
box.
The U.S., which was said to have a new philosophy of possession soccer,
gave the ball away repeatedly and launched “hopeful” balls
up top, which seldom found either of the two forwards, Angela
Hucles or Natasha Kai.
It was as if they were playing balls long to Abby Wambach,
but Wambach was not on the field as she is missing this Olympics with
a broken leg.
The loss does not eliminate the U.S., but leaves them needing to win
the remaining group games against Japan and New Zealand, which tied 2-2
on Wednesday. The top two finishers in each of the three groups will advance
to the knockout round, along with the two best third-place teams.
Should the U.S. not win the group, their opponent in the quarterfinals
could be one of the top teams in the tournament, likely either Germany
or Brazil, which drew 0-0 in their opener. That would make their quest
to defend the gold medal they won in Athens, Greece four years ago more
difficult.
One thing that appeared to be lacking, especially once Norway took the
lead, was the leadership from any one player, or players, who will willing
to exert her personality on the team and on the game.
While disappointed in the result, Sundhega was positive about the U.S.
chances in the next two games, which are against teams to which the U.S.
has never lost.
"My glass is always half full, so for us it's a new experience to
lose a game," Sundhege said.
"I'm happy that it's the first game and not the last, so we still
have two more games to go, and we'll take out this part -- the second
half -- for when we play against Japan and New Zealand.
All
U.S. Olympic Games Televised
NBC has confirmed that all of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Olympic
Soccer Teams’ group play matches will be broadcast live on the NBC
family of networks.
The action gets underway on Wed., Aug. 6, as the U.S. Women face Norway
in their opening game. The game will be televised live on MSNBC, Universal
HD and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET, and features
a 15-minute pregame show with kickoff slated for 7:45 a.m. ET.
The U.S. Men will open the 2008 Olympics on Thurs., Aug. 7 vs. Japan
in a match that will kick off live at 5 a.m. ET on MSNBC, Universal HD
and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. MSNBC and Universal HD will air a
brief pregame show beginning at 4:55 a.m. ET.
The complete broadcast schedule for group matches is listed below. Broadcast
details for the knockout round of the tournament will posted at ussoccer.com
once confirmed with NBC if the U.S. teams advance. In addition to the
television coverage, all games will be streamed live at nbcolympics.com.
Throughout the tournament, ussoccer.com <http://www.ussoccer.com/>
will provide exclusive, comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Soccer Teams
with news, notes, stories, quotes, photo galleries and podcasts. Studio
90, U.S. Soccer’s popular web video show, will provide regular updates
with news, interviews and more. The U.S. Men’s and Women’s
Olympic Team blogs provide a behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. teams
never before seen at the Olympics.
U.S. Women's Olympic Soccer Team TV Schedule
Aug. 6 vs. Norway Venue: Qinhuangdao Kickoff: 7:45 a.m. ET
Channel Broadcast Start Time
MSNBC 7:30 a.m. ET
Universal HD 7:30 a.m. ET (Replay at 8 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET)
NBC Olympic Soccer Channel 7:30 a.m. ET
Aug. 9 vs. Japan Venue: Qinhuangdao Kickoff: 5 a.m. ET
Channel Broadcast Start Time
USA Network 5 a.m. ET
NBC Olympic Soccer Channel 5 a.m. ET
Aug. 12 vs. New Zealand Venue: Shengyang Kickoff: 7:45 a.m. ET
Channel Broadcast Start Time
MSNBC 7:30 a.m. ET
NBC Olympic Soccer Channel 7:30 a.m. ET
U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team TV Schedule
Aug. 7 vs. Japan Venue: Tianjin Kickoff: 5 a.m. ET
Channel Broadcast Start Time
MSNBC 4:55 a.m. ET
Universal HD 4:55 a.m. ET
NBC Olympic Soccer Channel 5 a.m. ET
Aug. 10 vs. Netherlands Venue: Tianjin Kickoff: 7:45 a.m. ET
Channel Broadcast Start Time
USA Network 7:30 a.m. ET
NBC Olympic Soccer Channel 7:30 a.m. ET
Aug. 13 vs. Nigeria Venue: Beijing (Workers’) Kickoff: 5 a.m. ET
Channel Broadcast Start Time
USA Network 5 a.m. ET
NBC Olympic Soccer Channel 5 a.m. ET
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