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Olympic Soccer: USA vs. New Zealand (Match Day Commentary)

 USACrest   New Zealand Crest

The U.S. women's national team's quest to get back to the Olympic gold medal game for the fifth straight time continues in at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England, as the Americans take on New Zealand in a quarterfinal knockout game (9:30 a.m., NBC Sports Network, NBCOlympics.com).

The U.S. women breezed through the group stage, going 3-0-0 for the first time in five Olympics led by the strikeforce of Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan. Pia Sundhage has made one change to her lineup from the team that beat North Korea on Tuesday, slotting Tobin Heath on the right wing in place of Heather O'Reilly. Heath also started the tournament opener against France.

SBI will be providing live commentary on today's match so please feel free to follow along with the action here. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):

 

Comments

  1. Keepers are taught to collapse with their arms in front of their face so as not to expose themselves to possible injury. It appeared that she made no attempt to go down on the ball and protect herself. It looked more like she was trying to take the player out.

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  2. that’s what I saw too. it was a red card, come on…yet no call made.

    I thought the Argentine official had a stinker today both ways…consistently missed calls both ways

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  3. Agree that Sydney brought the energy. Loved the expression on her face after she scored. It was that crazy passion that is so supreme – “What did i just do?? Did I just score an Olympic goal???!!!”

    Morgan’s collision with the keeper was rough. It’s hard to call a foul when the contact is initiated by the defender’s face. I sincerely hope that keeper is ok because the replay made it look like a brutal knee to head knock.

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  4. sure was wide open, fun to watch these kinds of matches though I’d rather just see the USA clinically put NZ away. Leroux’s goal…she was a force in her minutes out there

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  5. Talk about a wide open, fast paced game. US playing more direct than they have against the possession style teams.

    Rachel Buehler might be the most improved player on the team. Still waiting to see her go against a top team tho.

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  6. I think that to call Wambach’s kick to the head of the NZ keeper “inadvertent” is being kind. She dragged that foot low and could have easily cleared the keeper. Chick is just mean.

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  7. Some will definitely go wherever a big contract calls to them. I’m guessing that half will stay in US for the WPSL Elite or the WPSL/W-League joint venture. The money in the US won’t be big, but it may be a better situation for some to stay, especially if they still get paid by USSF.

    BTW, the leagues elsewhere are “semi-pro” too. The foreign players & top locals get paid, but lots are getting by on a “regular job”. Most of the leagues have a few top teams, but then lots of less-than-quality sides.

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  8. so what happens to most of the team after the Olympics? will they play semo-pro soccer in the USA or try France/Sweden/Germany?

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