U.S. Women Vs. Canada, 2nd Half Live Blog

Four halftime subs for the U.S.: Mitts for LePeilbet, O'Reilly for Heath, Lloyd for Boxx and Sauerbrunn for Rampone.

51st minute-Scary stuff for the U.S. and their fans as Morgan goes down with a knee injury. She gets subbed out but walks off on her own so hopefully it's not too bad. She sits on the bench with ice around her knee. Rodriguez came in for Morgan.

57th minute-Christie Sinclair finds Melissa Tancredi with a pretty through ball with the outside of her foot. Tancredi blasts it off the crossbar and past Solo (1-1).

60th minute-Rodriguez lays a nice pass across the goal mouth but Wambach just misses it.

61st minute-Wambach fights off multiple defenders and pulls it back for Rodriguez who shoots wide from outside the box.

70th minute-the U.S. has its second corner of the half (6th of the game) but nothing.

72nd minute-Jesus, Wambach went for a header and ran into the post with her back. Might want to take her out now Pia, wonder if she knows this game means nothing?

75th minute-Sydney Leroux subs in for O'Hara and the U.S. switches to a 3-4-3, I like it.

This proves how valuable Morgan is to the U.S., they haven't been nearly the same team since she departed. Granted, a bunch of other players were also subbed out. The U.S. only has one shutout in its last eight matches which is surprising. Their defense is the biggest issue heading into the 2012 London Olympics.

84th minute-Cheney shoots over from long range. Kyle Martino calls it a "great effort." Not sure I'd term a shot that isn't on net "great."

85th minute-Of course after I bashed her on Twitter, Rodriguez scores what will probably stand up as the game-winner. Rapinoe crossed it into traffic, Wambach deflected it and tried a backheel but Rodriguez was there for the rebound. Canada wanted an offside call but you can't be offside on a rebound ladies. Sorry. 25th international goal for A-Rod.

87th minute-Leroux gets taken down on a long pass. She has game-breaking speed, she's the only player on the U.S. Olympic team that wasn't on the 2011 World Cup team. A star in the making.

89th minute-Another U.S. corner kick (7-0).

4 minutes of added time. The Mormons are getting their money's worth today, haha seven minutes combined of added time in a friendly. Unheard of.

91st minute-Leroux is a beast, she fought off a defender then almost scored. Nice save by McCloud for a U.S. corner. If only the U.S. produced half as many world-class defenders as they do forwards and attacking players. Haha it's so uneven at this point.

Final: U.S. 2, Canada 1
Some shaky moments there but Rodriguez saved what would have been a lame way to be sent off to the Olympics. Fair result for the U.S.; they dominated in the first half, Canada woke up in the second half but the U.S. made enough plays to get it done. Onto London! Let's hope Morgan is alright, their first match is July 25 vs. France.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Women Vs. Canada, 1st Half Live Blog

Sandy, Utah gets the honor of seeing the U.S. women's national team compete in their last match before they head to London for the 2012 Olympics in a few weeks.

Haha in four years, the U.S. women are 81-6-10 for Pia Sundhage. Decent record. This is a rematch of the 2008 World Cup quarterfinals. The U.S. is 42-3-5 against Canada all-time and they beat them 4-0 in January. Canada hasn't beaten the U.S. in 11 years.

U.S. starters: Solo; LePeilbet, Rampone (c), Buehler, O’Hara; Rapinoe, Boxx, Cheney, Heath; Morgan, Wambach

Canada has the same jerseys as their men's national team, the blank basic shirt with a maple leaf. Must have taken a while to come up with that design.

5th minute-first U.S. corner by Rapinoe misses Wambach's head but it was touched out by Canada for another corner.

7th minute-Wambach steps on a Canadian player's foot then lands on her back. Haha not what you want to happen.

8th minute-Cheney wins a free kick outside the Canada 18-yard box. Rapinoe hit a perfect ball to Wambach, who has a diving header go inches wide (20 goals in last 22 games for her). That was a great chance, it would have been a beautiful goal.

10th minute-Wambach went down in the box but it rightfully wasn't a penalty, not much contact there.

14th minute-Great run by Rapinoe who kept the ball in down the sideline then fed Morgan but it was knocked out for another U.S. corner.

15th minute-Haha Rapinoe swung a corner in and a Canadian defender (Carmelina Moscato) deflected it in for a U.S. goal (1-0 U.S.). It would have been an easy save, terrible mistake by Canada.

21st minute-U.S. is getting tons of pressure, Rapinoe nutmegged a defender on the line but they couldn't get a good shot on goal.

27th minute-Canada's goalkeeper McCloud has made a couple nice grabs out of mid-air.

28th minute-Rapinoe wins a questionable free kick on the right side beyond the box.

29th minute-Sesselman goes down after O'Hara booted her in the thigh, picking up a yellow. Serves her right, traitor. Haha she's from Wisconsin, went to Purdue but became a Canadian in 2010 (her father is from Canada).

31st minute-Rampone gets taken out with a late tackle so Boxx retaliates with a dirty slide tackle. She received a yellow card.

36th minute-4th U.S. corner, time to cash in. Rapinoe almost scores again, she danced past a few players and Canada nearly put another cross in their own net.

39th minute-Solo just played a back pass, it's the only action she's had all half. Canada doesn't have any shots or pressure, possession is probably 80%-20% for the U.S.

40th minute-Rapinoe draws another free kick, Canada can't see to figure out the cutback move she makes every time. Wow, McCloud whiffed on the punch attempt but Wambach was too far past the post and wasn't able to put it on goal.

44th minute-Nice shot by O'Hara, low and hard but smothered by McCloud. I like that type of confidence, the U.S. should take more shots from distance.

3 minutes of extra time.

47th minute-Solo makes an unreal save after a shot was deflected and she had to go from one end of the goal to another. She's still the best goalkeeper in the world.

48th minute-Morgan nearly makes it 2-0 with a sweet move that got 2 Canadian defenders out of the way but her shot was cleared off the line by another defender.

Halftime: U.S. 1, Canada 0

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Gareth Bale Signs A 4-Year Extension With Tottenham

Great news for Tottenham and English Premier League fans today as Welsh midfielder Gareth Bale signed a four-year extension to stay at White Hart Lane until 2016.

The 22-year-old (who turns 23 in July) had been rumored to be coveted by Barcelona but in the end, he stayed loyal to the club he's played at for the last five years of his life.

"I've been here for five years now and I've enjoyed every minute. The fans have been great to me and I'd love to re-pay them and do the very best for them. The club is progressing and I want to be a part of that, so it was great to get the deal done.

"I love the club and the fans and I want to play my part in trying to get us back into the Champions League - where we belong. We've a good, young squad and we need to work together to get back on the biggest stage again.

"Everyone gets along and we've got the potential to challenge right at the top of the Premier League. It's exciting times at the club and I'm enjoying it. I don't see any reason to leave.

"I just know I'm improving, I know I'm getting better and my aim is to be as good as I can be. I'm still young, 22, still learning and this is the right place for me to keep progressing as a player. This is the perfect place to do that. Last season I was getting double and treble-marked on the wing, so I was able to come inside and score a few goals in more central areas. Now it's a case of mixing it all up and putting my whole game together.

"Hopefully I'll score more goals next season. I did quite well with my assists last season but I'd like to improve that as well. I'm looking at my all-round game, trying new things and trying to be the best player I can be."

Last season, he had nine goals and 10 assists in 36 Premier League games for Tottenham. He added two goals and four assists in five FA Cup games along with a goal in one Europa game.

He's easily one of my favorite players to watch since he's nothing short of electric when he goes bombing down usually the left side (since he's left footed). I have no problem with La Liga or Barcelona but I'm happy that he'll stay in the EPL since that's the European league that I follow and have the most knowledge about.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Men Vs. Mexico In Mexico City On August 15

We already knew that the U.S. men were playing Mexico on August 15 but the plot thickened the other day when it was announced the site: Mexico City.

It's the first time the two rivals have faced each other in an exhibition in Mexico for almost 28 years. Don't ask me how that's remotely possible.

No worries, the U.S. has never won in Mexico dating back to 1934. Mexico is 23-0-1 against the United States on its home turf. Mexico won 2-1 in 2005 and 2-1 in 2009 during World Cup qualifying. Overall, the U.S. is 15-32-12 against Mexico.

The last time the U.S. played a friendly (an oxymoron) in Mexico, they lost 2-1 on October 17, 1984.

Needless to say this will be a great test for Jurgen Klinsmann's team before they start up World Cup qualifying again in September. They won't find a tougher environment than Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and like it or not, Mexico is one of the top teams in the world these days. I don't usually advocate ties but if the U.S. could gain a draw in Mexico, it would be a very impressive result since they've struggled there in such monumental fashion.

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 Pick Up Impressive 3-1 Win In Sweden

There is a little less than one month left before the 2012 Olympics begin in London and the U.S. women appear to be in the right form.

They beat Sweden 3-1 this afternoon in Halmstad, Sweden. It was an important victory for the top-ranked women's team (who improved to 12-1-1 in 2012) as they beat the No. 4 team in the world on their home turf, a squad that they could very well see in London.

Abby Wambach scored an unbelievable goal in the 8th minute. She caught the Swedish goalkeeper too far off her line and beat her with a dipping shot that was from 35 yards away. It was Wambach's 136th of her career. She's only 22 behind the all-time U.S. leader-Mia Hamm.

Alex Morgan showed that she can score goals in many ways as she simply outworked a Swedish defender in the 22nd minute for her team-leading 15th of the year. She used her body to shield away the defender then coolly slotted it home.

Sweden's star striker Lotta Schelin scored on a pretty strike of her own in the 35th minute. She took advantage of a U.S. defender that slipped and ran onto the ball that had been one-touched into space. With U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo coming out of the net, Schelin chipped it in with the outside of her right foot.

The U.S. nearly added to its lead in the dying seconds of the first half as Megan Rapinoe found Morgan in front with a cross but Morgan uncharacteristically hit it over. In the beginning of the second half, Heather Mitts headed the ball off the crossbar.

Substitute Tobin Heath was the unlikely goal-scorer in the 56th minute for the Americans as she headed in Wambach's cross for a 3-1 lead.

The U.S. women meet their biggest threat-No. 3 Japan-on Monday morning (7 a.m. on Universalsports.com; 10 a.m. tape delayed on Universal Sports Network) in Sweden.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

U.S. Men Settle For 1-1 Tie In Guatemala

The best thing to come out of tonight is that I didn't waste $30 on the U.S. men's World Cup qualifying match in Guatemala that was only shown Stateside on Pay Per View. I probably could have found a free version online but I was too lazy and content with simply watching Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Looks like I didn't miss much as the U.S. tied Guatemala 1-1 in Guatemala City.

Clint Dempsey scored in the 40th minute after a great move helped him elude two defenders then beat the goalkeeper. Fabian Johnson had the assist on Dempsey's second in two games. It was also his 28th this season between U.S. and Fulham; 27th international goal, three behind Brian McBride for third place in U.S. history.

Substitute Jozy Altidore appeared to score in the 78th minute but it was called back for a controversial foul.

Chicago Fire midfielder Marco Pappa took advantage of a free kick in the 84th minute as Guatemala (ranked 85th) tied the U.S. (28th) on a wonderful strike that completely fooled American goalkeeper Tim Howard.

On Twitter, all the U.S. soccer honks and former players said it was an acceptable result since it's so hard to win on the road, blah blah but I guess they forgot this was a team that had never made the World Cup. Oh and the United States has an 18-match unbeaten streak dating back to 1988 against said squad.

I guess this was more impressive than Friday's uneven 3-1 victory against Antigua and Barbuda since that was in Tampa Bay but at the same time, it's hard to say a tie is ever better than a two-goal win.

After two games, the U.S. is in first-place out of four teams in its qualifying group. They have four points (+2 goal differential), Jamaica has four points (worse goal differential), Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda both have one point each.

The U.S. men's next World Cup qualifier is Friday, September 7 in Jamaica. That will most likely determine who comes in first place of the group if either gets the three points. After five games (2 World Cup qualifiers) in 2.5 weeks, the best thing for the players is to get some rest. They have to be exhausted (at least that's how they played) after all the training and travelling, which happened right after the club seasons ended.



Tweet


Follow @RichSlate