The U.S. Women’s National Team appears ready to take to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics, and Jill Ellis’ group proved that on Friday night.
Holding Costa Rica to a single shot over 90 minutes, the United States dominated the match and won 4-0 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. The friendly concludes the U.S.’ pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the Olympic Games.
Winger Mallory Pugh scored her third career national team goal in the match. The 18-year-old smashed the ball into the net at the near post in the 22nd minute. Crystal Dunn’s far post tap-in in the 15th minute padded Pugh’s tally. Carli Lloyd added one just before halftime off an uncontested header at the end of a cross from Becky Sauerbrunn.
Still controlling nearly all of the possession in the second half, the US quieted down a little as the match went on. Christen Press scored the only goal of the second half by firing a shot from 20 yards into the bottom right of the goal in the 79th minute.
The US rested key players Becky Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo and Meghan Klingenberg by taking them off at halftime. Whitney Engen, Alyssa Naeher and Ali Krieger came in for them. Alex Morgan, who only recorded one shot, left the match in the 63rd minute for Press.
The women’s national team opens the 2016 Olympics with an Aug. 3 match against New Zealand.
This team is better than the WC winning team. As always, I think their biggest threat is a well organized defense that is bunkered in that relies on stealing a set piece goal and or playing for PKs.
As always, not a given and complacency is an enemy for favorites
Long just looks lost. Not a ton of chemistry with the rest of the team.
It’s not Rapinoe that she’s playing for right now though. It’s Morgan Brian, who this team will desperately need to get healthy if they wanna be on the front foot in this tourney.
I thought the USWNT began to look in Olympic Gold shape in the CR match. The weakest link
IMHO, is Allie Long. On the positive side, she has a good shot (when she can get it away) and
she provides some size to a line-up having C.D., M.Kl., and M.P. in it. HOWEVER, She lacks quickness, hangs on the ball too long, and has far too many giveaways. Putting Megan Rapinoe
back in there in her place will relieve a lot of anxieties I now have about the starting line-up in
the Costa Rica match. The U. S. back line continues to be solid and if it holds, will be the reason
for Olympic Gold.
How does Dunn’s goal pad Pugh’ tally if Dunn scored the opening match winning goal?? Shouldn’t that be the other way around…
Perhaps her assist tally? Believe Pugh leads the team this year.