The U.S. Women Survived Penalty Kicks Against The Netherlands To Reach The Olympic Semis

 

    With the huge time difference meaning that most games are happening live in the middle of the night back in America, it's been hard to get into the Tokyo Olympics however leave it to the USWNT to make it way more interesting and exciting. This morning (our time), they outlasted the Netherlands 4-2 in penalty kicks to reach the Olympic semifinals for the sixth time in their last seven chances. It sounds odd saying it since she allowed two goals in regulation but the USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was the player of the match as she stopped what would have been a go-ahead penalty kick late in regulation then she topped that with two more saves in the shootout. Midfielder Samantha Mewis-my Massachusetts Olympic hero-and forward Lynn Williams each had a goal and an assist for the U.S. who advance to face Canada on Monday (4 am, USA Network) in the semifinals. 

    It's been a little over two years since these same countries faced off in the 2019 World Cup Final which you'll remember was captured 2-0 by the U.S. in Lyon, France. The Netherlands must be wondering what they have to do to beat the U.S. (who improved to 8-1-1 all-time against the Dutch as this match was recorded as a tie) who have looked vulnerable in this tournament with a shocking 3-0 loss to Sweden in the opener along with a scoreless draw with Australia to close out the group stage. If we know anything about this team though, they typically perform their best when the stakes are the highest. The Netherlands led 1-0 in the 18th minute as their excellent forward Vivianne Miedema-the leading goal-scorer in these Olympic Games-made the Americans pay for a failed clearance out of the box. It didn't take long for the U.S. to respond as Williams served a low cross that Mewis dove to head into the net for his first career Olympic goal in the 28th minute. 

    Things started rolling for the U.S. as they took a 2-1 lead just three minutes later when Mewis won a header in the box following a U.S. corner and Williams was able to volley in her first Olympic goal as well. The USWNT took that 2-1 lead into halftime but the Dutch (specifically Miedema) would not go home quietly as she tied it in 54th minute with a long-range blast from beyond the arc for her 10th goal of the tournament which is an amazing number in only four matches. U.S. defender Kelly O'Hara almost made a fatal mistake as her harsh foul in the box led to a penalty kick for the Netherlands in the 80th minute that would have put them ahead 3-2. Luckily, Naeher was up to the task to rescue her teammate and save the shot by another lethal Dutch forward Lieke Martens.   

    It is hard to explain why but the U.S. has had a crazy amount of goals called back (nine total including four today!) due to being called offside in these Olympics. There is VAR and I'm sure the American coaches have been hammering this point over and over but ultimately it's up to the players to adjust to it and find ways not to have that happen so often. To make them feel better, the Netherlands had a header goal called offside in the first period of extra time while American forwards Christen Press and Alex Morgan (who oddly enough both came off the bench in the second half) each had a goal called back for the same reason in the second period of extra time. Good grief, enough of that!

    Naeher immediately made a statement in the shootout since the Netherlands went first and she dove to her right to save Miedema's shot. All four U.S. shooters (Rose Lavelle, Morgan, Press and Megan Rapinoe) scored and after Naeher made another huge stop on Aniek Nouwen, Rapinoe was fittingly there to blast home the game-winner. The USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski improved to 23-1-3 in his first 27 matches in charge and I'm not saying it would have (or should have) happened but if his team had lost this game, there would have been serious discussions about him getting fired after the USWNT went out in the quarterfinals in the Olympics (which happened to the last head coach Jill Ellis in 2016 vs. Sweden in PKs) for the second time in a row. Instead, they will be favored to beat Canada (remember their epic 4-3 semifinal win vs. the Canadians in the 2012 Olympics?) and get to the Final where they would meet either Sweden or Australia.

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After Shaky 1st Half, U.S. Women Settle Down For 3-1 Win vs. Australia In 2015 World Cup Opener

They'll never admit it but the U.S. women's national team is facing plenty of pressure to deliver their first World Cup title since 1999. Tonight, in their 2015 World Cup opener at Winnipeg Stadium, they started slowly but found themselves in the second half of a 3-1 win over Australia. By virtue of Sweden's unexpected 3-3 draw with Nigeria which preceded this match, the U.S. is on top of Group D with three points.

In the first half, the U.S. did not look like one of the top teams in the world. In fact, if not for goalkeeper Hope Solo, who made two spectacular saves, they could have been down at least a goal or two. Instead they took an early 1-0 lead in the 12th minute on a fortuitous deflection. Megan Rapinoe had the confidence to take a shot from outside the box and she was rewarded as it bounced off a defender past Australian goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri.

The Matildas are ranked 10th in the world for a reason though, they are a quality side and not a pushover like some of the shameful results in the first few days of the tournament (10-0, 6-0 etc). They leveled things in the 27th minute as Lisa De Vanna hammered a shot into the corner that even Solo couldn't reach. The first half ended 1-1 and that seemed about right. Neither team made any changes at halftime but the U.S. clearly was a different side in the final 45+ minutes. They had way more possession which helped to slowly wear down Australia.

Midfielder Christen Press was playing in her first World Cup match and she immediately became a nationwide hero by scoring the game-winning goal in the 61st minute for a 2-1 U.S. advantage. Truth be told, ex-Canadian Sydney Leroux did most of the heavy lifting by beating her defender down the flank with her speed then passing it back to the top of the box where Press was able to one-time it in.

For good measure, Rapinoe scored a wonderful goal in the 78th minute (from Carli Lloyd) that basically sealed it. Australia gave her too much time and space to operate so she made them pay with a quick burst and hard, left-footed shot into the side netting. It was the first time an American woman had scored twice in a World Cup game since 2007.

The U.S. gets the pleasure of staying in lovely Winnipeg for the entire week as they will meet Sweden on Friday night (8, Fox) for what should be a must-see match vs. their former head coach Pia Sundhage. The fact that Sweden only gained one point in their opener means that they could really use three against the United States if they want to advance to the knockout stage. There has always been a nice rivalry between these two countries so this should be the latest chapter.

Hopefully the U.S. can come out much faster and I wouldn't be surprised to see midfielder Tobin Heath (who came on as a substitute in the 68th minute) start vs. Sweden. Alex Morgan is working her way back from an injury so she only appeared for the final 14 minutes. Abby Wambach had a rather poor performance by her lofty standards-missing multiple golden opportunities that she typically buries in the net-but she's not coming out of the starting lineup anytime soon and neither should Leroux.

In terms of cards for the U.S., midfielder Lauren Holiday and Rapinoe each picked one up in an eight-minute span of the second half. Holiday's was way more justified but they count just the same. Needless to say, they don't need Rapinoe (or to a lesser extent Holiday) to miss a match due to a suspension (2 yellow cards). Onto Sweden!

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For Tom Sermanni's Debut, U.S. Women Will Play Two Games Against Scotland In February

I'm not sure if it's just a happy coincidence or that they planned it that way but for Tom Sermanni's first two games as the U.S. women's national team's head coach, he'll face the county of his birth: Scotland. You know that the U.S. will probably take on Australia (his previous team) at some point in the next year too if I had to guess.

They also represent the first matches of 2013 for the U.S. as they'll meet Scotland on Saturday, February 9 at EverBank Field (home of the Jaguars) in Jacksonville, Florida followed by Wednesday, February 13 at LP Field (home of the Titans) in Nashville, Tennessee. It will be the fourth time overall that the U.S. women have played in Tennessee and first time since 2004 (Canada). The game in Jacksonville begins at 5 p.m. and the broadcasting information for both matches will come out at a later time.

The U.S. has only faced Scotland once before, an 8-2 win by the Americans in September 2002 that included a hat trick by Abby Wambach (first of her career) and Mia Hamm (last of her career). Speaking of Wambach and Hamm, Abby is only six goals shy of Mia's record for most goals in the history of international soccer (158).

You can expect a similar scoreline this time around since the U.S. is the top team in the world while Scotland couldn't qualify for the 2012 European Championships-they fell to Spain in a two-game playoff. The Americans finished 28-1-3 in a wildly successful 2012 that included a gold medal at the London Olympics and simultaneously revenge against Japan who had beaten them at the 2011 World Cup.

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U.S. Women's National Team Names Tom Sermanni Its New Head Coach

After much deliberation and a search that reportedly included 30 male and female candidates, U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announced today that they had hired Tom Sermanni to be the seventh head coach of the U.S. women's national team.

Sermanni is 58, he's Scottish but he's been the head coach of Australia's women's national team for 11 years (including 3 World Cup appearances) total and most recently since 2004. He will officially start work on January 1, 2013 meaning that U.S. Soccer Women's Development Director Jill Ellis (who was the temporary head coach for the Germany matches earlier this month) will also be in charge for the last five matches of the Fan Tribute Tour. The U.S. meets Ireland in Portland, Oregon (Nov. 28) and in Glendale, Arizona (Dec. 1) then Sermanni will observe the last three matches of the calendar year which should be announced in the near future.

The biggest differences between him and Pia Sundhage-the women he replaced-is that he's a man. It's a new dynamic but one that shouldn't be that strange since many women's national teams are coached by men. The fact that he's a foreigner when I was hoping that they'd hire an American likely won't be much of an issue either. There won't be the same language barrier that there was with Pia except for the regional dialect he picked up in Scotland and Australia.

If we're being real, the only way we'll judge Sermanni is how he does in World Cups. Sundhage had a nice run including back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics but her team lost in penalty kicks in the only World Cup she appeared in (2011 vs. Japan). The U.S. women are the No. 1 team in the world and as such, they have higher expectations than anybody else. Australia is always competitive which is impressive given their location but clearly, this is a huge step up for Tom. He won't be judged on wins and losses, since you could probably put almost anyone on the bench and they'd rack up gaudy win totals. This is all about what he does in the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Judging by the instant reactions of some national team members on Twitter this afternoon, they seem enthusiastic about a fresh start.
"Really pumped about @TomSermanni being the new uswnt head coach!!! Welcome. #movingforward"-Abby Wambach (@abbywambach)
"Congrats to Tom Sermanni on being named our new #USWNT Head Coach!"-Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13)
I think by the end of Sundhage's reign, they were tired of the constant questions and speculation about when she was leaving to go home to Sweden. Now they've got a guy that is committed and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. This is a dream job if you're a women's soccer coach. Over time, we will figure out his style and tendencies but for now, it's an open book for the U.S. women's national team as they head into 2013 and beyond.

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U.S. Women Send Pia Sundhage Off To Sweden With An Easy 6-2 Win Vs. Australia

Pia Sundhage's last match as head coach of the U.S. women's national team was certainly memorable as they rolled to a 6-2 win over Australia this evening at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. It was the 14th straight win for the top women's side in the world.

Australia, who had lost to the U.S. 2-1 on Sunday in California, was actually up 2-1 in the first half but that lasted all of nine minutes as Alex Morgan scored her first of two goals right before halftime (43rd minute). From there, the Americans blitzed the Australians with four goals in the second half.

Now, Sundhage leaves for Sweden (her native country) with a four-year deal set to begin on December 1. It will be fascinating to see who the U.S. chooses as its next head coach. It's hard to argue with Sundhage's success since she took over in November 2007: 91-6-10 with two gold medals (2012, 2008), three Algarve Cups and runner-up in the 2011 World Cup.

The U.S.' next two matches are a month away against Germany: October 20 in Bridgeview, Illinois and October 23 in East Hartford, Connecticut. During this game, former national team member and ESPN2 commentator Julie Foudy speculated that the U.S. wanted to name a coach by Halloween but it is possible they won't have one in place by the Germany matches. In that case, an assistant would temporary hold the position.

Five different goal-scorers helped the U.S. improve to 22-0-2 all-time against Australia. In 2012, they are 23-1-1 (only loss to Japan) and they've outscored their opponents 100-17.

Morgan led the U.S. with two goals and two assists, Megan Rapinoe had two assists while Heather O'Reilly, Abby Wambach, Shannon Boxx and Sydney Leroux all scored goals. Heather Mitts and Kelley O'Hara rounded out the scoring with assists.

O'Reilly opened the scoring with a deflected goal in the 25th minute. Morgan broke down the left flank but then passed it back to the top of the box. O'Reilly came from out of the picture and hit a low hard shot that nicked off an Australian defender.

Two defensive breakdowns in rapid succession gave Australia the brief 2-1 lead. Lisa de Vanna scored her second goal against the U.S. in as many games with a pretty toe poke past Hope Solo in the 32nd minute. Two minutes later, Sarah Walsh-who was playing her last match for Australia-found herself in alone on Solo and she deposited it into the net.

Morgan went to work in the 43rd minute with a top-notch goal, her 33rd in 51 international matches. O'Hara had the assist as Morgan placed the shot in the far corner with her preferred left foot. It was a big goal in terms of momentum since the U.S. nearly trailed at halftime. Instead, that must have pumped them up because they never looked back in the second half and Australia could do nothing to stop them.

Wambach was the recipient of a crazy bounce after she stuck her foot out and got a touch on Morgan's shot in the 53rd minute. It took a huge deflection and ended up in the goal. After that, the U.S. scored on three headers in a span of 19 minutes with each one more spectacular than the last.

Morgan bagged her second strike in the 63rd minute when she won a 50-50 cross from Mitts. It's easy to forget that Morgan is only 23-years-old. I'm having a hard time finding any holes in her game, she seems to do everything well: shoot, distribute, win headers, run off the ball. It is scary to think she'll most likely get even better the next few years.

Substitute Shannon Boxx got in on the action with a powerful header off Rapinoe's corner kick in the 69th minute. Leroux was the second sub to score a goal as she also connected on a cross from Rapinoe in the 82nd minute. What made Leroux's my favorite is that she dove toward the ground to head the ball rather than wait for it to come to her feet. At 22, the youngest player on the team, her skills are remarkable and she is definitely the most exciting prospect on the national team.

All that's left to do is wish Sundhage all the best and thank her for all her hard work over the years with the U.S. team. Good luck in Sweden Pia, haha except when you face the U.S.

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U.S. Women VS. Germany, Coming Stateside (Chicago, Hartford) In October

Fresh off their third straight gold medal (and fourth overall) earlier this month at the Olympics, the U.S. women's national team is set for a tour of the U.S. which actually begins this weekend.

They play Costa Rica on Saturday, September 1 in Rochester, NY (Abby Wambach's hometown) at Sahlen's Stadium. Then they meet Australia on September 16 in Carson, CA at Home Depot Center and September 19 in Commerce City, CO at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Even better than those friendlies, today it was announced that Pia Sundhage's team (No. 1 in the world) will meet the No. 2 team-Germany-on Saturday, October 20 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL and Tuesday, October at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT for a pair of juicy exhibitions.

From the ussoccer.com press release
The U.S. and Germany are two of the most successful women’s soccer nations in history and have met three times in the FIFA Women’s World Cup with the USA owning a 2-1-0 record in those games. The most recent meeting in a major tournament came in the semifinal of the 2004 Athens Olympics as, the U.S. defeated Germany 2-1 after extra time and then went on to the championship game where a victory against Brazil started the USA’s run of three straight Olympic gold medals.

The most recent friendly match between Germany and the U.S. was played just more than two years ago with the USA earning a 4-0 win on May 22, 2010, in Cleveland, Ohio. The U.S. Women’s National Team has faced Germany 25 times, compiling a record of 17-4-4 in a series that dates back to a 4-2 win on May 30, 1991, in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

The U.S. women have plenty of history at both of these venues and not surprisingly, they have experienced a boatload of success. Both locations happen to be hotbeds for soccer so expect sold-out crowds to take in the action.

Toyota Park, located less than 15 miles from downtown Chicago, is home to Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire and will host the fourth stop on the U.S. WNT Fan Tribute Tour celebrating the team’s third straight gold medal and fourth overall following a 2-1 victory against Japan on Aug. 9 in front of more than 80,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium to close out the 2012 London Olympics.

The Chicago area is no stranger to hosting friendlies between the two countries. The U.S. has an undefeated record against Germany in games played in Chicago, winning 4-2 on June 28, 1998, and a 4-1 victory on Sept. 9, 2001. Both of those matches were at Soldier Field.

The U.S. WNT has played three times at Toyota Park, with the most recent being a 1-0 triumph against Italy on Nov. 27, 2010, in the second leg of a 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying playoff match that earned the USA a berth in the tournament. The U.S. also defeated China PR 4-1 on Aug. 27, 2006, and earned a 2-0 win against Ireland on Sept. 20, 2008, in two international friendlies at the stadium.

Rentschler Field, the 40,000-seat home to the University of Connecticut football team, also has hosted several U.S. Women’s National Team matches. The USA has a 3-0-0 record at the facility, last playing in East Hartford on July 17, 2010 in a 3-0 win against Sweden. In other matches at the stadium, the U.S. defeated China PR 3-1 on Aug. 1, 2004 and beat Norway 1-0 on July 14, 2007.

This team gave us so many memories this summer at the London Olympics, while these games certainly don't have the same lofty stakes, it is always fun to watch them compete no matter what the circumstances. If you love soccer in America, it doesn't get much better than these special women.

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Good day mate: Australia names new coach

If you've ever heard of German Holger Osieck, raise your hand. If you knew Australia was getting a new coach, raise your hand. Nobody?

Well that's why I'm here, Osieck was named Australia's coach today.

A former assistant to German legend Franz Beckenbauer, Osieck was officially announced as the new Socceroos boss by FFA chairman Frank Lowy on Wednesday.

The 61-year-old is a surprise choice, with the FFA having initially set its sights on South Africa coach Carlos Parreira and Cameroon boss Paul Le Guen as Pim Verbeek's successor.

Osieck enjoyed a modest playing career in Germany before coaching stints with Fenerbahce in Turkey and Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan's J-League.

He was an assistant to Beckenbauer when Germany won the 1990 World Cup and spent four years as Canada's national coach, guiding the team to success in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000.

Socceroos were doomed by German beatdown

Nobody expected much from Australia entering the 2010 World Cup but they almost advanced to the round-of-16. They tied for second place with Ghana, both had four points but the goal differential (-3) for the Socceroos meant they couldn't get through.

It's too bad because based on their last two games (tie vs. Ghana and win over Serbia), Australia was playing some of the better soccer of any team in the tournament.

Australia

Best moment: When Brett Holman scored the second goal vs. Serbia and it looked possible that somehow, someway they might make up a four-goal differential in one half.

Worst moment: Getting their teeth kicked in by Germany in their fatal first match, 4-0.

Best result: The win over Serbia was meaningful since even though Australia didn't go on, they ensured that Serbia missed out on the knockout phase too.

Worst result: The Germany loss which put them behind the eight ball right away.

Final tally: 1 win, 1 tie, 1 loss. 3 goals scored, 6 goals allowed.

Best player: Holman, who led his team with two goals.

Worst player: Tim Cahill, the best player in Australian history needed to do more. He was red carded out of the Germany match and didn't score until the last game. I love the guy but this wasn't his finest hour overall.

Germany and Ghana move on

The lack of goals in the first half of Germany-Ghana and Serbia-Australia was more than made up with a pair of crazy second halfs, particularly in Serbia-Australia.

When it was all said and done, Germany finished on top of Group D with a 1-0 win over Ghana and Australia beat Serbia 2-1, meaning they were both eliminated and Ghana hangs on for second place in Group D.

This sets up two juicy matchups in the round-of-16: U.S. vs. Ghana on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on ABC and England vs. Germany on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Cahill gets away with handball in box

It was the right move to not call it but Cahill got away with a handball in his own defensive zone during a Serbian scramble following a corner kick.

It clearly hit his hand but he wasn't facing it so it wasn't intentional. It could have been called but for once in this tournament, the referee made a good decision.

Pantelic cuts it to 2-1 Australia

Serbian forward Marko Pantelic (who came on as a substitute), made it 2-1 Australia after Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer dropped the rebound right at his feet.

2-1 Australia in the 87th minute, Serbia needs one more goal to finish second and move on to face the U.S.

Germany leads 1-0 in the 88th minute.

Australian forward Tim Kennedy just had a great chance but he pushed it wide.

Wilkshire out with groin injury, Garcia in

Australia is going for it all here, subbing out an injured Wilkshire for Richard Garcia, a midfielder.

2-0 Australia in the 83th minute.

1-0 Germany in the 83rd minute.

Holman gets Socceroos one step closer to ridiculous comeback

At halftime, Australia needed a win and a four-goal swing to advance to the knockout stage. That seemed impossible but they're halfway there thanks to a 30-yard rope from midfielder Brett Holman, who scored his second international goal.

Australia needs one more goal and one from the Germans to leapfrog Ghana. Serbia is clearly stunned and on the ropes.

2-0 Australia in the 78th minute and 1-0 Germany in the 77th minute.

Crazy stuff in Group D!

Cahill punches in

Did you really think Tim Cahill, Australia's best player and Everton stud, would exit the 2010 World Cup without any highlights?

He just headed one home in the 69th minute.

Ozil gives Germans 1-0 lead

Finally a goal as German forward Mesut Ozil hits a screamer off a volley from outside the box. His left-footed shot was a thing of beauty, 1-0 Germany in the 60th minute.

Ghana almost tied it off the kick-off, forward Prince Tagoe's header was deflected out by a German defender.

Now Germany would win Group D (and play England) while Ghana hangs on to second place. If Serbia scores a goal, they'll move ahead of Ghana.

0-0 Australia-Serbia in the 65th minute.

Midfielder Sulley Mantari came on for Tagoe. Serbian midfielder Zoran Tosic came on for Krasic.

Ghana corner kick after a pretty back heel pass and shot deflected out.

2 yellow cards for Australia in 2 minutes

In the 49th minute, Australian defender Michael Beauchamp received a yellow and in the next minute, his teammate and defensive partner Luke Wilkshire also picked up a yellow card for his troubles.

0-0 Germany-Ghana in the 58th minute.

0-0 Australia-Serbia in the 55th minute.

Second half is underway

Still no score in either game. Germany-Ghana is in the 55th minute and Serbia-Australia is in the 55th minute.

If these games end like this, the U.S. would get Germany (gulp) and England would play Ghana.

Halftime and nobody has scored yet

Both games went into halftime, knotted at 0-0 and you have to believe that will change soon.

Germany and Ghana have had too many chances and it sounds like Serbia is dominating Australia so they're likely to get one at some point.

Halftime stats:

Australia Serbia
4(0) Shots (on Goal) 7(3)
9 Fouls 4
2 Corner Kicks 2
0 Offsides 3
42% Time of Possession 58%
0 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
3 Saves 1

Ghana Germany
9(1) Shots (on Goal) 7(3)
5 Fouls 3
1 Corner Kicks 5
1 Offsides 1
37% Time of Possession 63%
1 Yellow Cards 1
0 Red Cards 0
3 Saves 1

Ayew booked for tackle that could have gone either way

Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew received a yellow card for a slide tackle from behind on Cacau. It looked like he got mostly ball but since it was from the back (which you'll almost always get called on) and the fact that he went bananas after the stoppage, picking up the ball and walking away, he deserved it. You can't show up a referee like that.

0-0 Ghana and Germany in the 43rd minute.

0-0 Serbia and Australia in the 42nd minute. Serbian midfielder Milos Krasic scored in the 37th minute but it didn't count since he was ruled offside.

Thomas Muller just booked with a yellow card for a challenge that wasn't as bad as the Ghana player made it look.

Great stat for Germany

They've made it out of the first round of the World Cup in 16 of the last 17 tournaments. 1938 was the last time they didn't advance and who could forget that terrible squad?

0-0 Germany-Ghana in the 37th minute. Truthfully, Ghana is having the run of play right now. They are flowing better and getting more chances. This of course can change with one sweet German counterattack.

0-0 Australia-Serbia in the 38th minute.

We want a goal, something before halftime!