USWNT Icon Carli Lloyd Will Get The Farewell Tour This Fall That She So Richly Deserves

 

    As the saying goes, "Father Time is undefeated." While that may be true especially in the career of a professional athlete, at least USWNT legend Carli Lloyd fought the good fight so much longer than nearly anyone else in women's soccer history. Today, the 39-year-old midfielder/forward announced that she will play in four soon-to-be announced USWNT exhibitions this fall and she will return to play for her local club Gotham FC in the NWSL for the rest of their season and then that's it, she's done for good. When you stack her accolades up with any other USWNT legend, her resume is as good as anybody else's. The crazy part too is that she was considered past her prime and out of the picture for the national team in her early-30s only to burst back onto the scene and play the best soccer of her life for years after that. 

    The Delran Township, New Jersey native was never a big-time prospect in her earlier years, instead she played four years (2001-04) at Rutgers University in her home state before making her debut with the senior national team the next year. From there, she went on to make an astounding 312 appearances (2nd most in USWNT & world soccer history), she won two World Cups (2015 & 2019) and two Olympic Gold Medals (2008 & 2012), she scored 128 goals (4th most in USWNT history) and she won a pair of FIFA Women's Player of the Year Awards in back-to-back years (2015 & 2016). Her signature moment for most people is probably the hat trick that she scored in the first 16 minutes of the 2015 World Cup final vs. Japan including an absurd shot from midfield over the hapless Japanese goalkeeper. 

    Of all the great American women's soccer players, Lloyd has never been the one with the flashiest moves on the field nor the biggest personality off the field but that's not the point. For me, one of the true signs of greatness is the consistency from game to game and year to year and that is Carli. Even though the USWNT couldn't become the first team (men's or women's) to follow a World Cup title with a Gold Medal in the following Olympics, settling for the bronze in Japan earlier this month, she is still one of the top players on the team. It's one thing for a goalie to play at a high level late into their 30s or even early 40s but for a field player it's nearly unheard of. It was such a bizarre Olympics with no fans in the stands (due to Covid-19) but one of the enduring images of the entire proceedings had to be Lloyd running sprints on the empty field after they had been upset by Canada in the semifinals. On the surface to a regular person, that likely seems insane but I think it sums up Lloyd so well. She never accepted mediocrity from herself and her internal will to succeed is what ultimately resulted in her being one of the best women's soccer players of all-time.

Tweet

Follow @RichSlate 

U.S. Women Dominate Japan 5-2 In Canada For Their Record 3rd World Cup Title Overall

Even the biggest U.S. honk would have to admit that in their wildest Budweiser-fueled drunken 4th of July dreams, they probably never imagined the 2015 Women's World Cup Final unfolding quite like it did on Sunday at Vancouver's BC Place. What most expected to be a tight match turned into a unbelievable blowout in the span of 16 minutes: Carli Lloyd scored the fastest hat trick in Women's World Cup history and first in a Final as the U.S. jumped out to a 4-0 lead and cruised to a 5-2 victory over shell-shocked Japan. With the win, the U.S. finally took home its third World Cup title (the most of any country) and their first since 1999.

Japan was completely exposed on set pieces as Lloyd scored her first two goals (in the 3rd and 5th minutes) by knocking in a short corner kick from Megan Rapinoe then also following up a loose ball in the box after Julie Johnston had headed a free kick into a dangerous spot by the Japanese goal. Just as a viewer, this all happened so fast that it was almost overwhelming so you can imagine how the Japanese (the defending World Cup champs) were feeling as the match was taken away from them so early. A poor header by one of Japan's defenders led to the third U.S. goal as Lauren Holiday was there to volley it in the 14th minute.

Lloyd's first goal was great and Holiday's was also memorable (her first of this tournament) but the signature moment of this one-sided Final that will be replayed for eternity was Lloyd's audacious chip from midfield that gave her the hat trick in the 16th minute (3rd ever for a U.S. woman at the World Cup). Only someone as super confident as her would dream of trying something so outrageous and while Japan's goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori was slightly out of position, it was a perfect hit by the U.S. captain who not surprisingly won the Golden Ball for the best player in the tournament (6 goals, 1 assist; goals in 4 straight matches).

It took way too long for them to get in gear but Japan showed for a few brief moments why they got here in the first place and figured to pose such a threat to the U.S. Yuki Ogimi cut it to 4-1 in the 28th minute after she was wide open in the box after an assist from Nahomi Kawasumi. Hope Solo (who won the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper in the tournament) had no chance to stop the shot that went into the corner of the net.

To keep the audience watching (and I bet it was a record rating), the announcers had to pretend that Japan potentially could rally. Haha yeah OK guys. I will admit that it got just a little interesting in the 52nd minute when Johnston's header went past Solo for an own goal. However, two minutes later Tobin Heath put it away for good with her first career World Cup goal (beautifully assisted by Morgan Brian). Look out for those two in the next few World Cups, they are going to be leaders of the team in the near future.

Both Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone were substitutes late in the game, a nice touch by head coach Jill Ellis since both were playing in their final World Cup contest. About the only thing that didn't go perfectly for the U.S. was that Wambach didn't score a goal but we'll forgive her for that after all that she's done over the years in Red, White and Blue.

The cliche of getting better every game actually applied to this team as they saved their best performances for their toughest opponents: Germany and Japan. They had struggled so much to score for most of the month in Canada but then the floodgates opened today and Japan had absolutely no chance to stop it. I think that Fox Sports 1 and Fox did a very solid job of covering this tournament and hopefully the momentum that the sport has gained will continue with the NWSL (where most of these women play) and of course in future World Cups.

The Americans had been knocking on the door for so long and I'm thrilled for them knowing all the hard work that they've put in over the years. Most importantly, they created their own legacy and now they never have to be endlessly criticized for not being the 1999 squad. Nope, this moment sealed their legacy forever. PS while the 1999 team had the greatest impact, this edition had the toughest journey since the field had expanded to 24 teams for the first time and they came out of the hardest group so there.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Women Capture Their 3rd Straight Gold Medal With A Thrilling 2-1 Win Vs. Japan

Very rarely in sports do big games (Super Bowl, College Football Bowls, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals) live up to their outsized expectations. We were lucky enough to witness an instant classic this afternoon as the U.S. women's national soccer team (6-0-0) beat Japan (3-1-2) 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to capture the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

This result was fitting redemption for the U.S. since they lost to Japan in penalty kicks last July in the 2011 World Cup Final.

Carli Lloyd provided both goals for the Americans who built a 1-0 halftime lead and then a 2-0 advantage in the second half before holding on for dear life as Japan turned up the heat, culminating in a goal by Yuki Ogimi in the 63rd minute.

In most cases, Lloyd would be the clear cut choice for player of the match however she has to share that honor with U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo (4 saves), who had to be at her absolute best to ensure that the U.S. won their third straight gold and fourth in five Olympics all-time.

Known more for her work-rate in the midfield and not her finishing touch, Lloyd stepped up with the best game of her life. She put the U.S. ahead 1-0 in the eighth minute (3rd of the tournament, 39th of her career) after a cross from Alex Morgan (tournament-high 5 assists) that curled away from Japan's goalkeeper Miko Fukumoto. In live action, I thought Abby Wambach one-touched it with her foot but it turned out that Lloyd ran onto it and headed it in. High marks for Morgan's pass too as she was able to put it in the right spot for her teammates.

The U.S. almost made it 2-0 when Megan Rapinoe nearly connected with Wambach for a through ball but it was a few feet too long. Japan suddenly woke up as U.S. defender Christie Rampone cleared a shot off the goal-line then Solo made her first A+ stop. Soon after that, she dove to rob Japan on a header that deflected off the crossbar and over the net.

Tobin Heath was lucky to get away with what easily could have been a handball in the box, leading to a Japan penalty kick. I'll say that it was more obvious than the call against Canada in the semifinals but that's how it goes sometimes in soccer (no conspiracy theories please).

Japan was fortunate not to trail 2-0 in the first half as one of their defenders headed the ball off their own post. They kept buzzing and hit the crossbar with the third superb chance of the first half for them. Shinobu Ohno had one last agonizingly close shot for Japan as her shot from the top of the box whistled wide by mere inches.

Up 1-0 at the half, the U.S. realized that they would need more to hold off the Japanese who are such a tough matchup for them. Lloyd answered the bell again, in the 58th minute, as she finished off a great individual effort by placing her shot in the opposite side netting from outside the box. Truly a remarkable shot that no goalkeeper could ever dream to stop.

Japan would not be deterred though and Rampone cleared another shot off the line but this time, Ogimi was there to clean it up in the 63rd minute. Game on. The U.S. didn't look like a team with a lead as Rachel Buehler went forward and should have done better on a one-timer off a cross. Still, what do you expect from a defender?

Wambach didn't have her normal stellar offensive game but her effort was there. That was her tracking back on a free kick and heading out the ball for a Japan corner kick. The same could be said for Morgan: it wasn't her best day but it turns out the U.S. had more depth than anyone could have imagined. Whether it was nerves or fatigue, Morgan uncharacteristically wasted a few shots in ways you don't normally see from her.

Lloyd had a chance to end it and cap off a hat trick but her blast went over in the 83rd minute. That was followed by Solo making a game-saving stop after Rampone coughed up the ball in her own end. Outside of the assist, Morgan's best play was her hustle late in the match which earned a corner for the U.S.-wasting precious time for Japan.

The final whistle sounded and the U.S. coaches led by Pia Sundhage and players went crazy. They all seemed to receive American flags which they draped themselves and then ran around the historic stadium. It was a remarkable win and the best moment for this proud group which had come so close to a World Cup title last summer against this same formidable opponent.

Before we speculate, who will be out of the mix soon (Heather Mitts already said this was her last game for the U.S.), let's enjoy what will be one of the signature moments of the London Olympics for the United States. This team is outstanding, very talented but with great chemistry that allows them to put their egos aside and achieve special results like this. Overall, they are so much fun to root for since they play the game the right way and seem to enjoy doing it in the process. Once again, the U.S. women are back on top in soccer worldwide.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Alex Morgan Scores In 122nd Minute As U.S. Women Defeat Canada 4-3; Face Japan For Gold

I'm not sure what it is about them but the U.S. women's national team seems to love drama, in a good way of course. There have never been penalty kicks in the Olympics (for a women's game) but the U.S. (5-0-0) and Canada (2-2-1) looked set for that ultimate crapshoot as they were tied 3-3 this afternoon at Old Trafford (home of Manchester United) in the semifinals.

A moment of brilliance from substitute Heather O'Reilly (who entered in the 101st minute) and Alex Morgan saved the Americans from the format that haunted them last summer (see: 2011 Women's World Cup Final vs. Japan). The U.S. survived 4-3 and move on to the Gold Medal game on Thursday afternoon (2:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports) at Wembley Stadium and a rematch vs. Japan. It is the fifth straight Olympics Final for the Red, White and Blue and they are the two-time defending champions.

In the 122nd minute, O'Reilly whipped a cross into the box and Morgan-who's not tall or particularly deadly in the air-was still able to rise up over her defender and head it over Canada's goalkeeper Erin McLeod. It was an incredible strike in literally the last seconds that was eerily reminiscent of Abby Wambach's goal vs. Brazil last summer in the World Cup quarterfinals.

By far their most dangerous player for the U.S. was midfielder Megan Rapinoe, who had a pair of goals in the second half. Wambach scored on a penalty kick that followed a handball by Canada on a shot by Rapinoe. Wherever she was on the field, she made things happen and that included being a wizard on the ball.

Canada probably deserved better as Christine Sinclair scored a hat trick (1st against the U.S. in 11 years) but her team managed to blow a halftime lead of 1-0, not to mention 2-1 and 3-2 advantages in the second half. The first 45 minutes weren't particularly thrilling but the second half plus extra time made this truly one of the craziest soccer matches (men's or women's, any level) that I've ever witnessed.

The U.S. defense which couldn't mark Sinclair all day had a collectively terrible performance yet they still found a win to get by Canada. Her first goal was the result of a wonderful buildup from her teammates. Marie-Eve Nault's through ball hit Melissa Tancredi who found Sinclair. She twisted Kelley O'Hara around before finishing past Hope Solo in the 22nd minute.

It was the first time Canada had led the U.S. since 2003. That goal didn't really wake up the U.S. until halftime although Morgan had a header go just wide in the 32nd minute off a free kick. Wambach tried a diving header in the 38th minute but that too skipped wide.

Rapinoe-a college teammate of Sinclair at the University of Portland (Oregon)-tied it in the 54th minute on a play that is extremely rare in soccer outside of the youth level. She bent a corner kick past McLeod, a Canadian defender had a slight touch on it but the ball had already crossed the line by then. Little did we know that would start a flurry of five goals in 26 minutes.

Sinclair went to work and answered with a header of her own off a cross in the 67th minute. Canada was up 2-1 for all of three minutes as Rapinoe scored an absolute highlight reel goal (her 3rd of the tournament) in the 70th minute. She was at the top of the box and her right-footed shot hit the far post and bounced into the other side. Unreal.

The U.S. could never figure out a way to stop Sinclair as she got her hat trick in the 73rd minute, off another header but this time from a corner kick. The good news was that the Americans had one more improbable rally left in their cleats.

After a bizarre six second call on McLeod, the refs topped that with a shaky penalty on a handball that appeared to hit a prone arm or hand that was against a Canadian's body. Whatever the case, Wambach stepped up and calmly tied it up in the 80th minute (her 143rd international goal, ironically tying Sinclair).

Both squads had great chances to end it in regulation but Wambach missed a tap-in following a pass from Morgan. Solo stepped up with her biggest save of the Olympics as she stuffed Canada after a terrible giveaway by the frazzled U.S. backline.

Sydney Leroux entered in the 76th minute and she had two decent chances. Her header went over at the end of regulation and in the first overtime, she was first to a 50-50 ball but sent it high of the mark.

The U.S. had never lost in the Olympic semifinals and were 5-1 in Olympic extra-time games. O'Reilly's hustle (thanks to her fresh legs) basically made something out of nothing and I'm not sure how Morgan had that much energy to score her first goal since the opening match vs. France. It was a play that we will be seeing for a long time, particularly if the U.S. captures the Gold Medal.

Japan held on for a 2-1 win vs. France in the first semifinal this afternoon. They were up 2-0 and were able to withstand some serious pressure from the French in the late going. The great thing about this match on Thursday is that it pits without question the top two women's teams in the world. The crazy part is that they have so much recent history which has helped mold this into the best rivalry in the game.

Japan beat the U.S. 1-0 on March 5 in Portugal; the U.S. tied them 1-1 in Japan on April Fool's Day and most impressively, they rolled 4-1 against the Japanese on June 18 in Sweden. I think that final result is an anomaly and I can basically guarantee that the Gold Medal match will be a one-goal game. These teams are so evenly matched, let's just hope that it doesn't go to penalty kicks since Japan would have the mental edge there after they beat the U.S. in them last July.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Step Right Up Folks, Plenty Of Room On The U.S. Women's Bandwagon Before The Olympics Start

It was only a friendly, so I won't start writing love letters and planning the parade route just yet but still you can't be anything but really impressed with the U.S. women's 4-1 thrashing of Japan at the Volvo Winners Cup this morning in Halmstad, Sweden. Pia Sundhage's squad improved to 13-1-1 in 2012.

Not only had Japan beaten the U.S. in the 2011 World Cup Final but they were also riding a three-game win streak over the Americans. That is basically unheard of save for a run by Norway in the late 1990s and early 2000s (they beat the U.S. four times in a row).

The main reason that the U.S. will be favored to win gold medals in the 2012 London Olympics is because their two strikers-Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach-are playing on another level. It sounds weird to say since Morgan is at the beginning of what looks like a spectacular career for her country while Wambach probably should be slowing down but for whatever reason, they are both crushing it right now.

Morgan scored twice (6th time in 2012 that she's had multiple goals), giving her a team-leading 17 goals in 2012 and 27 in just 41 career CAPs. Wambach inched closer to Mia Hamm with the 137th and 138th goals of her highly-decorated U.S. career. She's only 20 goals behind Mia.

The U.S. didn't wait long to jump on top as Tobin Heath found Morgan in the 3rd minute with a through ball and the former Cal Bear did the rest as she roofed the left-footed shot into the far upper corner. It was a beautiful goal as you'll see in the above video (courtesy of ussoccer.com).

Wambach also got off to a fast start as she tallied her first strike in the 10th minute after a cross from Megan Rapinoe. Wambach was right in front of Japan's goal so all she had to do was redirect it.

Japan's offense could never really find a rhythm-they had seven corner kicks but only two shots on goal all game-but their one goal was highlight reel worthy. Aya Miyama crossed the ball to Yuki Nagasato in the 28th minute and she connected with a diving header past U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo.

Morgan and Wambach each had wonderful chances to bag their second goals of the game in the 30th minute. Morgan's shot was deflected by Japan's goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori and it went off the post. Wambach was there to side-volley the rebound but she hit it right into Kaihori's stomach.

No worries though as Morgan was able to earn her second in the 61st minute. It was basically the opposite of her first goal as she carried it alone down the right side then hit a shot with her right foot that was on the ground and into the lower left corner.

Solo was lucky to have a shot go off the crossbar but she also made a great diving save to keep the U.S. safely in front.

Wambach's goal in the 92nd minute (not sure why she was still in there?) wasn't pretty but it showed the workrate of a superstar that is never lazy. Heather O'Reilly crossed it and Wambach was able to partially head/shoulder it despite the fact that it bounced off the ground first.

After coming home from Sweden, the U.S. women will get some time off before they face Canada on June 30 in Sandy, Utah (2 p.m., NBC). That match serves as a proper send off for the Americans in front of their home fans before they head to London to get ready for the Olympics. We all remember what a great ride they took us on last summer with the thrilling run to the World Cup Final; with the U.S. men home for the Olympics, there really is no logical excuse not to go all in on this extremely likable group as they go for a three-peat of Gold at the Olympics.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Women Will Meet Sweden And Japan In June

It seems like every other month, the U.S. women's national team faces Japan and that's a good thing since the 2011 World Cup champions have quickly morphed into their biggest rival over the past calendar year.

It was announced today by U.S soccer that those teams will renew acquaintances in June while the U.S. will also meet Sweden in the aptly titled Swedish Invitational. The U.S. plays head coach Pia Sundhage's homeland on June 16 in Halmstad, Sweden. They follow that up by playing Japan on June 20 in Goteborg, Sweden.

Both matches will serve as more than just juicy friendlies. The U.S. women will be defending their Olympic gold medal at the London Games beginning in late July. You won't find much better preparation for those matches than by meeting Sweden (on their home turf) and Japan, unquestionably the top women's team in the world at the moment. Plus, Japan is the only team that should be favored over the U.S. women at any time now. Sweden isn't the superpower they once were in women's soccer but there still one of the top European countries.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Women Salvage A Tie Against Their Toughest Rival-Japan-In Kirin Challenge Cup

Well the U.S. women's national team have more than met their match in Japan. The U.S. is 0-2-1 in its last three contests against the 2011 Women's World Cup winners.

At least yesterday in the first game of the Kirin Challenge Cup in Sendai, Japan, the U.S. was able to tie Japan, 1-1. That sure beats a loss, especially because the U.S. rallied in the second half from a 1-0 deficit.

Japan went up 1-0 in the 32nd minute thanks to a defensive breakdown by the U.S. and a nice passing sequence by the hosts. Yukari Kinga got a chipped through ball and her first shot was saved by U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo. However, Kinga was able to get to the rebound before a few American defenders and she made it 1-0.

Alex Morgan scored her sixth goal in eight games (12th in 2012 and 10th since she became a starter vs. Canada in January) to tie it at 1 in the 73rd minute. It was controversial since at first, the refs called it off but then in true bush league fashion they ruled it was good seconds later. Weird stuff but they made the right call which is what matters.

Carli Lloyd had the ball taken away from her-so it wasn't a pass-plus it went off a Japan defender to Morgan. Finally, Morgan wasn't offside anyways.

The U.S. women will get a crack at their other biggest rival tomorrow as they face Brazil at 7 a.m. EST on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com in Chiba, Japan in another Kirin Challenge Cup game. Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com's matchtracker and on their Twitter account: @ussoccer_wnt

Yesterday was the first draw of 2012 for the Americans who are 9-1-1. Both the loss and tie have come against Japan. The USA has now failed to beat Japan in three consecutive games, a rare feat for a U.S. opponent, but one Japan accomplished in three consecutive meetings with the USA between 2000-2004 when the teams tied three times.

The meeting on Tuesday with Brazil will be the first between the teams since the historic quarterfinal at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in which Abby Wambach scored the latest goal in World Cup history to tie the score and the Americans went on to win in a dramatic penalty kick shootout.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Women Hold Off Norway 2-1 At 2012 Algrave Cup

The U.S. women won their second straight match at the 2012 Algrave Cup in Portugal, once again over a European foe as they beat Norway 2-1 earlier today.

After a scoreless first half, superstar striker Abby Wambach made it 1-0 in the 51st minute with her 133rd career goal for the U.S. Her shot from 15 yards out went off the post and in (something which I swear happens every game for the U.S. women). The lovely Heather Mitts (a former teammate of Wambach's at the University of Florida) had the assist.

While we take Wambach's incredible talents for granted, 21-year-old Sydney Leroux is quickly establishing herself at the international level. She scored what turned out to be the game-winner in the 81st minute. Amy Rodriguez crossed it to Leroux and the former Stanford star headed it in.

Norway ruined Hope Solo's shutout as they scored in the 93rd minute. It was so late in the game that the U.S. didn't even have a chance to kick off following the goal before the match ended.

Up next, the U.S. meets Japan for the first time since the 2011 World Cup final last summer. Japan beat Denmark 2-0 today as well but the U.S. has a better goal differential (+6) so all they have to do is beat or tie Japan (+3) to win the group and advance to the championship game.

No doubt Pia Sundhage's squad will be looking for some measure of revenge after they lost in such heartbreaking fashion (disastrous penalty kicks) to Japan last time around.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Women Will Play Japan & Brazil In April Tournament, In Japan

What a day for U.S. soccer. On the heels of the U.S. men's date with Brazil being officially announced this afternoon, I just found out that the U.S. women will face not only Japan but also Brazil in a three day span in April.

For Pia Sundhage's team, it's all part of the Women's Kirin Challenge Cup which will take place in Japan. The U.S. will get tasty rematches from the 2011 World Cup against the team they lost to in the final (Japan) in penalty kicks and the team they beat in the quarterfinals (Brazil) that featured one of the best endings I've ever seen in a soccer game.

The U.S. women will play Japan on April 1 at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai and Brazil on April 3 at Fukuda Denshi Arena in Chiba.

For the U.S. soccer press release:
In the newly created three-nation tournament, named the Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup, Japan will also face Brazil April 5 at Homes Stadium in Kobe. The three-team competition features three of the top four teams in the current FIFA Women’s World Rankings.

“This trip is fantastic,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. “Playing two of the world’s best teams almost back-to-back will be a tremendous challenge for our entire roster. Obviously, we are very familiar with both Japan and Brazil, and we have the ultimate respect for their coaches, their players and the technical and tactical abilities of both teams. There are no better games to prepare you for Olympic competition than facing this caliber of teams away from home.”

The match in Sendai will be the second meeting between the two Women’s World Cup finalists since that tournament, as the teams will also meet on March 5 during group play at the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

Sendai, located on the east coast of northern Japan, suffered catastrophic damage from the magnitude 9.0 offshore earthquake on March 11, 2011 (just nine days after the USA had played Japan in the 2011 Algarve Cup), which triggered a massive, destructive tsunami. Yurtec Stadium, which was built in 1997 and seats 20,000, was damaged in the earthquake and tsunami.

Chiba, which is a large suburb of Tokyo, is located near the east coast of central Japan. Fukuda Denshi Arena, which was completed in 2005, seats 18,500.

Of course, the USA’s most recent meeting with Brazil was one for the ages. The USA weathered a controversial ejection and played more than an hour of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal with 10 players before dramatically tying the score in the 122nd minute on Abby Wambach’s now famous header goal, the latest ever scored in a World Cup.

The U.S. women will play New Zealand next Saturday (Feb. 11) at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas. That game will be streamed live on ussoccer.com at 4 EST. That's the start of a busy couple weeks for Sundhage and Co. as they'll head to Portugal for the annual Algrave Cup. The U.S. will play Denmark (Feb. 29), Norway (March 2) and Japan (March 5) in Group B play.

So yeah, get ready to see plenty of the U.S. men and women's national teams as the weather starts to get better and spring is in the air which means one thing to me: time for some high level soccer for both of our squads.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

2011 World Cup Final: U.S. Women Fall In Penalty Kicks to Japan, 3-1

The 2011 U.S. women's soccer team did not complete their final and most important task: winning the World Cup in Germany this summer but it's a given that they gained a whole new generation of fans (male and female) stateside with their incredible tournament run.

Their loss to Japan in penalty kicks (3-1) was stunning but it shouldn't overshadow a very likable team filled with many new faces and characters that performed very well after stumbling in qualifying for this tournament. I love soccer so I'm obviously bias but I always appreciate the game at its highest level no matter what that entails (high school, soccer, pro, men's, women's). Yes the field is smaller (16 teams vs. 32 teams) but the U.S. women have already won two World Cups while the U.S. men will probably never come close to that in my lifetime. Therefore, you have to appreciate when any U.S. team can excel this much in the world's most popular sport.

I'm sure they were beyond sick of being compared to teams of the past but now Hope Solo, Abby Wambach (first American with a goal in four straight World Cup games), Alex Morgan, Lauren Cheney, Megan Rapinoe and Co. are household names that will hopefully spur more development for soccer in the United States. In the summer, we always look for diversions beyond baseball and this Women's World Cup was a particularly memorable one featuring numerous exciting games topped by an improbable comeback by the U.S. over Brazil in the quarterfinals (2-1) and then a 3-1 victory against France in the semifinals.

A 12-year drought since the U.S.' last World Cup trophy (the seminal moment in 1999: the penalty kicks win over China at the Rose Bowl) appeared to be over today as Pia Sundhage's squad took a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute with an exquisite goal by Morgan. Japan answered quickly as a terrible giveaway in the back led to a goal by Yuki Nagasoto in the 80th minute.

As the game headed to extra time, Japan seemed to have all the momentum but the U.S. responded with a goal in the 104th minute as Abby Wambach (her 14th all-time for the U.S. in the World Cup) headed in a perfect cross from Morgan. Yet once again, Japan wasn't rattled as Homare Sawa (winner of the Golden Boot-best player and Golden Ball-most goals (5)) tied it with a redirection off a Japanese corner kick in the 117th minute-the latest goal ever in a Women's World Cup Final.

From there, the U.S.' first three shooters (Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath) all had their shots saved or missed while Japan hit two of its first three. That put the United States behind the eight ball and it was basically a foregone conclusion they were done as Japan clinched it 3-1. Debating the merits of penalty kicks to decide a World Cup game is an argument for another day. I'm not a fan of them either (like most people) but that's what has been done forever so don't expect draconian FIFA to change it up anytime soon.

Let's also not forget that the United States absolutely dominated in the first half, particularly the first 30 minutes or so but they couldn't cash in any of their great chances. Unfortunately as it usually does, that came back to haunt them as the contest tightened up in the second half and extra time.

Maybe because I saw all the games from start to finish or the players are mostly around my age bracket but I felt a special connection with this group. Twitter and social media made them much more accessible than before and you could get a taste of the whole experience just by reading what they had to say in their downtime abroad.

Where does the U.S. team go from here? The next World Cup isn't for another four years but in between, they'll have the Olympics (which use to be the biggest international competition for soccer) in 2013 and then qualifying for 2015. This is a mostly young team that should return the nucleus of its team (Solo, Heather O'Reilly, Wambach, Cheney, Rapinoe) for another shot at that elusive third World Cup title.

I'd be remiss if I didn't say congratulations to Japan as well. It clearly wasn't the result that any American wanted but if any country deserved it, Japan fits the bill. After the earthquake and tsunami in Japan earlier this year, it is only fitting that an Asian country won its first Women's World Cup.

Follow @RichSlate


Tweet

The toast of Asia: Japan

Quietly Japan had one of the best performances of the 2010 World Cup that you didn't hear a word about, unless you were in Asia. They survived a tough Group E and were the runner-up behind Netherlands. The Blue Samurai made history by winning their first World Cup game outside of Asia. Losing in penalty kicks is always heartbreaking but this is an up and coming national team with a lot to be happy about.

They proved that an Asian team can get out of the group play stage, even when the World Cup isn't held in their backyard. The Japanese played an attacking style and it's too bad that was neutralized so much in the last match against Paraguay. They were also the best at free kicks and restarts since they scored two free kick goals vs. Denmark in the winner take all third match.

Japan

Best moment: The two sweet free kick goals vs. Denmark couldn't have come at a better time as they needed to beat the Danes to get through.

Worst moment: When Komano's penalty kick hit the crossbar and stayed out vs. Paraguay. That turned out to be fatal since Paraguay hit all five of their PKs.

Best result: Beating Denmark 3-1 was great but I'll go with knocking off Cameroon 1-0 in the first match. A sign of what was to come from both teams in the 2010 World Cup.

Worst result: Losing 5-3 in penalty kicks to Paraguay. That's one that will sting for a long, long time. No two ways about it, they could have won that game although they likely would be beaten handily by Spain or Portugal.

Final tally: 2 wins, 2 losses. 4 goals scored, 2 goals conceded.

Best player: As much as anyone so far in the 2010 World Cup, Japan's Keisuke Honda earned a big pay day. He plays for CSKA Moscow right now but don't be surprised to see him get a transfer to a bigger European club soon. He just turned 24 so his best playing days are probably ahead of him.

Worst player: Life isn't fair as Japanese defender Yuichi Komano could tell you at this moment. 20 minutes ago, he was an anonymous player who had never scored in 53 caps. Now, he'll be the goat for the next four years. It's a cruel world, sorry Yuichi.

The cruelest way to go out, Cardozo sends Japan packing

Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo hit the game-winner to the lower left hand side, giving Paraguay the 5-3 win over Japan in penalty kicks.

It's the first time that Paraguay has made the quarterfinals and they'll get the winner of Spain-Portugal on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. so they'll obviously be huge underdogs.

Of the eight teams in the quarterfinals, four of them are from South America (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay).

It was a snoozefest of a match but that was more than covered up by the unforgettable finish. Nothing like PKs, especially in the World Cup. You have to feel bad for Japan, especially Komano.

Honda is the ice man

They had to score to live another round of penalty kicks and who else would Japan want than Honda? He calmly hit a slow shot to the left, fooling Villar who had already dove to the right.

4-2 Paraguay

Nelson Valdez blasts it high and down the middle for the commanding 4-2 lead. If Japan misses the next its over; or if Paraguay scores their next one.

And we have our Baggio moment

Japanese defender Yuichi Komano beat Villar hit to the left but it hit the crossbar and stayed out so it remains 3-2 Paraguay.

3-2 Paraguay

Sunderland's newest signing Cristian Riveros puts it in coolly to the lower right hand side.

2-2

Japan tied it up with Makoto Hasebe hitting it upper ninety to the left where Villar guessed.

2-1 Paraguay

Kawashima guesses right but Lucas Barrios scores to the low right.

Japan ties it up

Honda confidently hits it to the right and Villar guessed the wrong way.

1-1.

Paraguay shoots first, scores

Edgar Barreto goes first for Paraguay and scores hard and low to the right.

1-0 Paraguay