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 The
U.S. Women's National Team put together an almost perfect first
half, scoring three goals on its first four shots before 30
minutes were gone and went on to defeat Denmark, 4-0. With the
win, the USA gained the full nine points from its three
first-round games to finish atop Group B and earn a spot in the
Algarve Cup championship game on Tuesday, March 15, against
Germany.
Two goals by
U.S. captain Kristine Lilly book-ended scores by forwards Abby
Wambach and Christie Welsh as the U.S. team roared into the
title game.
It will be
the sixth Algarve Cup final for the USA, which has won the last
two Algarve Cup tournaments and three overall. The clash between
the top two teams in the FIFA Women's World Rankings kicks off
at 8:15pm local / 3:15 p.m. ET at the beautiful 30,000-seat
Stadium Algarve which opened at the end of 2003 for last
summer's European Championships. The match will be broadcast
live throughout Europe on EuroSport, but U.S.-based fans can
follow the game live online with ussoccer.com's MatchTracker
presented by Philips Electonics.
It will be
the first meeting between the two teams since the historic
semifinal match at the 2004 Olympics. While Germany has brought
essentially the same team to Portugal, the U.S. will likely put
out a squad with at least five different starters from that
match in Heraklio, Greece, last August.
In the final
Group B match for both the USA and Denmark, the American women
dominated in every facet of the game and did not allow Denmark a
shot until the 84th minute, an effort that flew far over the
goal. The USA impressively earned its third straight shutout of
the tournament, the first time in 10 Algarve Cups that the U.S.
has not allowed a goal in first round play. Up next they face a
huge test against the in-form Germans, who scored eight goals
and allowed just one against Sweden, Norway and China in Group A
play.
The Danes,
who had tied and beaten the USA during the "Fan Celebration
Tour" last November, fell victim to the USA's pressuring team
defense as the Americans earned seven corner kicks in the first
15 minutes.
After playing
the first two Algarve Cup matches on small, bumpy fields, the
U.S. team was enthused to play on a full-sized field with a
smooth surface, and it showed in the quality possession
throughout the game. While the Denmark attackers pressured the
U.S. back line well, the Americans consistently found space
behind the Danish defense and the first goal came on such a
play.
It originated
on the left sideline as Welsh played Wambach through just six
minutes into the game. Wambach dribbled hard into the attacking
third and played a perfect early ball on the ground to the far
post for the crashing Lilly, who pounded the ball into the net
from two yards out.
The
second goal came in the 15th minute and originated from a corner
kick. Midfielder Aly Wagner drove the ball to the near post,
where it was blocked, but defender Cat Reddick battled to keep
ball alive and played it back out to Wagner on right side. She
drove another cross into the middle that Danish goalkeeper Tine
Cederkvist mishandled, batting the ball up in the air. Wambach
was first to the falling ball, heading it straight out of the
air and past Cederkvist into the left corner of the net from 10
yards out. It was her 47th career international goal in 58 caps
and second of the tournament.
Denmark
created some danger in the first half off crossed balls that
produced a few scrambles in front the U.S. net, but U.S.
goalkeeper Hope Solo or her defense managed to get a piece of
every one.
The third
goal came off a U.S. counter-attack from a Danish corner kick as
Lilly raced down the left side and played a world-class
weak-side ball over the top of the defense to the streaking
Welsh. She out-ran her defender and with Cederkvist stranded in
the middle of the penalty box, lifted the ball over her and into
the net from just outside the penalty area. It was Welsh's
fourth goal of the tournament and 17th of her career.
The USA could
have had several more goals in the first half as two probable
penalty kicks were not called. Both fouls were on Wambach, who
was tripped up from behind chasing a long ball on one sequence
and was sandwiched to the ground between two retreating Danish
defenders on another.
Needing an
almost impossible four goals in the second half to make the
final as a tie would have put the USA through, Denmark came out
of the break with some renewed enthusiasm, but that was quickly
squelched by Lilly who scored directly off a corner kick in the
58th minute. Her driven left-footed in-swinging service from the
right side rocketed over the pack of players, and perhaps aided
by a stiff wind, stuck into the side netting at the left corner
for a spectacular goal.
The two goals
on the day brought Lilly's international total to 103, just two
behind former teammate Michelle Akers and Italian legend
Carolina Morace. Mia Hamm is the world record holder with 158
goals while another Italian player, Elisabetta Vignotto, sits
second on the all-time list with 107.
Lilly's
strike effectively killed any motivation the Danes might have
had and U.S. interim head coach Greg Ryan then emptied his
bench, giving first career caps to 20-year-old midfielder Jill
Oakes and 18-year-old defender Stephanie Lopez. Ryan used all
six allowed subs for the second match in a row as the young U.S.
team continues to gain experience. Eighteen-year-old forward Amy
Rodriguez earned her second career cap.
Solo didn't
have to make a save in earning her second shutout of the
tournament, but did well on several crossed balls. She also came
off her line quickly to defuse a dangerous chance in just the
third minute, sliding at the feet of Merete Pedersen to gobble
up the ball.
In Group A,
Germany had already clinched their spot in the title game, but
it didn't stop them from earning the full nine points with a 2-0
victory over China. In the other Group A match, Sweden tied
arch-rival Norway, 1-1, but still took second in the group.
In Group C,
England took it to Mexico with a 5-0 victory while Northern
Ireland edged host Portugal, 2-1.
In the
placement matches, France will meet Sweden for third place, a
match that will be held at Stadium Algarve before the
USA-Germany championship game. Denmark will meet Norway for
fifth place and England will face China for seventh. Finland
will take on Mexico for ninth place while Portugal and Northern
Ireland will play again, this time for 11th place.
About the National Soccer Hall
of Fame and Museum
 Located in
Oneonta, NY, the National Soccer Hall of Fame opened a 30,000
square foot, state-of-the-art museum in 1999. The Hall of Fame
tells the story of soccer in
America through artifacts, photographs, and video clips. The new
Hall features an extensive interactive, youth oriented Kicks
Zone where visitors have fun kicking,
heading and playing computer trivia stations and video
soccer games. The VideoWall portrays some of the greatest
moments and the greatest goals in history as well as live soccer
action with World Cup, MLS, and U.S. Soccer matches. Unique and
rare artifacts on exhibit range from the world’s oldest soccer
ball to the FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy won by the USA in
1999,
Pelé's and Mia Hamm’s uniforms, Kristine Lilly’s golden
shoes, NASL championship rings, the original MLS championship
trophy, MLS gallery - it’s all at the National Soccer Hall of
Fame. In addition to the interactive Museum, the National Soccer
Hall of Fame complex boasts the
Kicks
Zone Store,
a research library, four world-class soccer fields and
office/meeting facilities. The Hall plans to add a stadium, an
indoor soccer arena and housing facilities in the future.
The mission of
the National Soccer Hall of Fame is to celebrate the history,
honor the heroes, inspire the youth and preserve the legacy of
soccer in the United States.
The National
Soccer Hall of Fame is open every day of the year, except
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Admission is $9.00 for
adults, $8.00 for students, $6.50 for children 6 or older and
senior citizens. Children 5 and under are free.
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