|
 Using both
grit and guile, and an excellent finish from forward Christie
Welsh, the U.S. Women's National Team earned a quality 1-0 win
over France to open the 2005 Algarve Cup.
The match
marked several firsts as it was the USA's first match of 2005,
the first game since the retirement of three legends in Mia
Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett, and first match under interim
head coach Greg Ryan.
On
a frustratingly bumpy pitch and in gusting winds, the young U.S.
team battled for 90 minutes and did extremely well to shutout a
talented French team preparing for the 2005 European
Championships and keep their star forward Marinette Pichon off
the scoreboard.
In a much
different match than the USA's 5-1 victory over France last year
to open the Algarve Cup, the chances for both teams were few.
The USA did not take its first shot until the 17th minute when
forward Abby Wambach slid to meet a cross on the ground from
Lindsay Tarpley, but the ball spun harmlessly into the hands of
French goalkeeper Celine Deville.
Attacking
midfielder Aly Wagner looked dangerous in the 20th minute as she
received a quickly taken free kick and spun towards goal before
unleashing a torrid drive just over the crossbar. Seconds later
it would be the duo of Wagner and Welsh, who ironically are both
playing club soccer for Olympique Lyonnais in France, that would
combine on the winner.
The goal sequence saw Wagner collect a short pass from Wambach near the
left corner of the penalty area and chip a pass into the middle
of the box. It deflected off a French defender and Welsh did
well to reach the bouncing ball first, hitting a spinning half
volley with her left foot into the lower left corner from 12
yards out. It was Welsh's 14th career goal in 24 career matches.
The goal
would prove to be enough as stifling U.S. team defense held the
French without a shot in the first half, and just three after
the break, two of which sailed straight into the hands of U.S.
goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart and one that flew high over the net.
Central
defenders Kate Markgraf and Cat Reddick were phenomenal in
winning head balls, especially when facing a stiff wind and
booming punts from Deville in the first half.
Content to
launch mostly ineffective long balls at the USA in the first
half, France picked up their possession game in the second half
and Sandrine Soubeyrand fired her side's first shot just two
minutes after the break. France also managed to get off a
couple of crosses from the flanks, but nothing too troubling for
the 23-year-old Barnhart, who earned a shutout in her first
match in goal for the full Women's National Team.
Twenty-one-year old Lori Chalupny played all 90 minutes at left
back for the U.S., her first start in the defense at any level,
and looked extremely comfortable, tackling hard all game and
getting forward into the attack on several occasions. Heather
Mitts was also nails at right back, once leveling her former
WUSA teammate Pichon on a crunching tackle.
After seeing
France start to gain some momentum, the USA switched from a
4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 formation 15 minutes into the second half, as
Kristine Lilly dropped to left midfield and Tarpley pushed out
wide right. The USA then took back control of the match, earning
five of its eight corner kicks in the second half. It was in
the 77th minute off a corner that the Americans had perhaps
their best chance of the second half as Lilly, who extended her
mind-boggling world record for caps to 292, skidded the cross
into the middle. The ball somehow slipped through to Wambach who
fired a hard shot, only to see it skip of the leg of French
defender at the six-yard line and loop just over the crossbar.
In the waning
seconds of the game, substitute Heather O'Reilly, who provided
an attacking spark off the bench after entering the game in the
64th minute, lifted a ball over the French defense for the
sprinting Wambach. The U.S. forward beat Deville to the ball,
nodding it by the French 'keeper with her head, but it bounced
just outside the left post.
The U.S. team
will face Finland on Friday, March 11, in its next Group B match
(1:45 p.m. local / 8:45 a.m. ET on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker)
needing to make up two goals on Denmark, which scored three
unanswered goals to defeat Finland, 4-1, and sits atop the group
with the USA in second place.
In Group A
which features four of the top six ranked teams in the world,
Norway got off to a great start with a 2-1 win over China and
Germany continued their mastery of Sweden, also winning, 2-1. In
Group C, England routed Northern Ireland, 4-0, and Mexico came
from a goal down to defeat host Portugal, 2-1.
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.
|
