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USWNT knocks off France with stoppage-time goal from Morgan

Photo by Jerome Miron/ USA Today Sports
Photo by Jerome Miron/ USA Today Sports

The U.S. Women’s National Team waited until the last possible moment to lock up a victory against France on Sunday.

Facing off in each team’s second match of the SheBelieves Cup, the USWNT slipped past France, 1-0, with a stoppage-time winner from Alex Morgan in Nashville on Sunday. The USWNT picks up its second consecutive 1-0 decision after previously knocking off England on March 3. The result takes the USWNT to the top of the tournament’s standings with six points through two games.

Morgan’s winner came on an assist from 17-year-old forward Mallory Pugh. After claiming the ball in the midfield, Pugh slid a weighted pass into the path of a sprinting Morgan. The Orlando Pride forward took several touches before firing a shot with her favored left foot for the game-winning finish.

On the other end of the field, Hope Solo made several saves that preserved the USWNT shutout. Her best efforts came in the 14th and 15th minutes, with the first of her stops coming on a shot from Louisa Necib. On the ensuing corner kick, Solo made a double save on Marie-Laure Delie and Eugenie Le Sommer.

The USWNT will return for their third and final game of the SheBelieves Cup in a clash with Germany in Boca Raton, Florida, on Wednesday.

Here is Morgan’s game-winning goal:

Comments

  1. Oh, there are plenty of people starting to bang the “Carli is struggling/should be benched” drum, especially on the Tweet machine. I think people have forgotten she’s soon-to-be 34 with plenty of miles on those legs, and were just expecting a continuation of her WC play.

    And don’t get me wrong, I still think Morgan is a viable option, just not always the lock-tight best option.

    Reply
  2. I think that recently Alex has been playing at a World Class Level. Carly Lloyd is the one who
    has been shaky of late, missing a ton of opportunities close in, while scoring goals on PKs (last
    2 shaky) and a GK error. Against France she almost had an OG and then on the same play put the ball on the foot of a French forward 5 yards in front of the goal, but was saved by Hope’s quick hands, or else the U. S. string of shut-outs would have ended. So far, I haven’t heard about
    Carli being overrated. Every goal I have seen Alex score lately has been world class, and those run-ons are not easy to score against a World Class defensive unit.

    Reply
  3. “I have also seen her show technical ability, especially while running at defenders.”

    Eh, dink the ball out wide (to the left) and trying to turn and burn the defender may constitute “running at defenders” or “technical ability,” but as is stated above, I think this team has other, perhaps better, options, especially vs. certain opponents.

    She has her value, but looking back I think she got a bit overhyped scoring a ton of goals early on while playing alongside people who were good at taking the attention away from her and letting her do “her thing.”

    Not sure the team is quite built that way anymore. But we shall see.

    Reply
    • Well, I have seen her play often enough that I can’t cite the game or the specific moves, but it was a lot more than what you use as a phony example. I have seen her at full speed, in the middle of the defense, fake out defenders and go around them. It stuck in my mind because I used to have your opinion and she showed me a lot more than that and impressed me with her skill. Maybe you haven’t seen her play enough. And talking about skill, did you see the play in the England game where Saurbraun was kind of trapped against the sideline and chipped a pass over the opponent’s head and ran onto it and dribbled up field? I have never seen a woman defender show that kind of skill. I have been watching the women play since the early 90’s and the level of skill is light years ahead of what it used to be and that includes Morgan.

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  4. Alex Morgan’s inconsistency was mainly due to injuries, it seems to me. She has great speed and can get behind a defense (which is how she scored that goal against France, by outrunning the defenders) and is a very good finisher. I have also seen her show technical ability, especially while running at defenders. Any other women’s team in the world would like to have her.

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  5. The reason I don’t think she’s a lock starter, is because I think her skill set is more conducive to route 1 soccer than anything else. I think both Press and Dunn (while different players themselves) bring more to the table when it comes to build-up and making moves on defenders in tight spaces. AM was great running off of Abby…but Abby’s not around anymore, and they seem to be trying at least to get away from that style of play.

    Morgan is a bit of a one-trick pony as she is very weak with one foot and relies heavily on service of others to set her up. That’s fine, when she’s finishing, which has been somewhat erratic over the last two years.

    Yesterday, was a great example. Brilliant pass from Pugh (again, this girl!) springs Morgan and she did well to finish. She’s been flubbing more of these than usual lately.

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  6. How well any forward does is contingent on their supporting cast. Put Alex with a front line
    of Pugh & Dunn, and a mid-field of Rapino, Lloyd, and Brian, combined with the steel- curtain
    back line (AKA The Dream Team), and see how many goals she will score!!!

    Reply
  7. I believe it’s more to do with her inconsistency. She looked tired early in the second half, but then resolved to pick it up mid-late, fighting for possession and hustling after loose balls. If she starts putting together complete games, with her skill and speed, I think you’ll hear the calls for other players subside.

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  8. I’m not an avid viewer of the women nat’s, but I routinely see people calling for her displacement in the starting line-up since returning. I also keep seeing her score goals.

    Something doesn’t add up. Back-up quarterback syndrome?

    Reply
    • We see it all the time, especially here. It is “What have you done for me lately?” Morgan was hurt a lot last year and is still probably getting back into rhythm, but some fans seem to think that if someone goes through a fallow period it means that all of a sudden they are washed up. I think the classic example was when Dempsey moved to MLS, was hurt right off and didn’t play well in the remaining couple of months in the season. All kinds of people were writing him off and some saying he shouldn’t even be on the team going to Brazil. These are people who can be charitably called ignorant idiots. One thing about the women’s team is that we have such depth that if someone like Morgan is out, there is a player with near equal ability to replace her and then people forget everything Morgan has done in the past.

      Reply
      • she has been very inconsistent and not scoring, which is a forwards job. I don’t th I k people wanted her permanently replaced but would like to see other forwards play because this team is so deep. Everyone on this site does it, your not exempt from it and it’s normal to want to see the incumbent sat down when their not producing, but it also doesn’t mean they should sit forever, we know the skill set AM has, sheis still the best ST on this team and getting a goal last night will hopefully put her in a good way

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