MANCHESTER, England - For the first 53 minutes of the Olympic semifinal match, there wasn't anything too unusual. Well, the United States women's national soccer team was trailing Canada, so that was unusual, but aside from the underdog leading, it was pretty typical for an international soccer game. Canada was up 1-0 after a magnificent individual effort from Christine Sinclair, but then there was the traditional medley of great chances and near misses that are so common in good soccer games.
When Megan Rapinoe set up a corner kick for the United States early in the second half, the Americans had to be ruing all their missed chances, wondering what it would take to get one into Canada's net. It looked like another blown chance when Rapinoe sent the corner kick to the front post, where no teammates were waiting. But after a chaotic moment, where the ball, two Canadian defenders, and goalkeeper Erin McLeod converged on the near post, the ball somehow squeaked in.
At first glance, it looked like the Canadians deflected the ball in themselves, an own goal. That was fine, of course - they all counted the same. But after seeing the replay, the truth was revealed: Rapinoe had bent the ball in herself. Not only was it a fantastic goal, but it was a vital one, tying the game at 1-1.
But Sinclair wasn't impressed. Instead, she accepted the challenge. She scored her second of the game, knocking home a header off a corner kick, just 13 minutes after Rapinoe's goal, giving Canada the lead back. Then it was Rapinoe's turn again. Three minutes after Sinclair's goal, Rapinoe had the ball at the edge of the box, a good position for a cross. But she had no interest in that, instead drilling a shot off the post and into the net to tie the game again.
Again, Sinclair responded, scoring three minutes later on another header off a corner kick to finish the hat trick. Canada had its third lead of the match, and people who had been paying attention turned to the Americans to see how they would respond.
It wasn't the Americans who responded, but match referee Christina Pedersen, who awarded the Americans an indirect free kick in the penalty area after McLeod took too much time to release the ball. While the call was technically correct - she held the ball for more than 10 seconds when the rule allows for only 6 - it's one that's rarely called. For it to be called at this stage was almost unthinkable. On the ensuing free kick, Canada was called for a hand ball, which lead to Abby Wambach tying the game from the penalty spot.
At this point, Pedersen's interesting call overshadowed what had been a manic 26 minutes. In the period from Rapinoe's corner kick to Wambach's goal, five goals had been scored, some of them truly spectacular, and those 26 minutes were some of the best played on any soccer field that year. However, after the excitement of Wambach's goal, nobody could get the fourth goal. Wambach had two golden opportunities, sending one cross just wide and knocking another off the cross bar, but they were not to be.
With all 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes of extra time, used up, the clock was running down to its final minute before a penalty shootout would determine who would advance to the gold medal game. It seemed too bad - a game this hectic, this great didn't deserve to be decided by the randomness of penalties. But it looked like that's how it was going to end until Wambach sent a pass out wide toward Heather O'Reilly. O'Reilly chased it down, sent it into the box - right to the head of Alex Morgan, who, while falling down, knocked it in just under the crossbar.
And after scoring that goal, the goal that won perhaps the greatest women's soccer game ever played, Morgan didn't jump up and down. Instead, she just put her hands on her head, almost in shock. She couldn't believe she had scored. Nobody could believe what had happened. It was a truly brilliant ending to a brilliant game.
Showing posts with label Abby Wambach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abby Wambach. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Pride of '99
DRESDEN, Germany - Abby Wambach had just finished her freshman year in college when Mia Hamm played for the 1999 U.S. Women's Soccer team. At the time, Hamm was seen as the untouchable soccer star, without question the best female player in history. How would Wambach have felt, then, if she had been told that 12 years later, the only person between her and the all-time scoring record for women's soccer would be Hamm?
Megan Rapinoe had just turned 14 when Kristine Lilly made the save of the 1999 Women's World Cup. Lilly wasn't a goalkeeper, of course, but she was standing against the far post on that Chinese corner kick in extra time, in perfect position to head away the ball that would have defeated the Americans. What would Rapinoe had thought, then, if she had been told that exactly 12 years to the day, she would launch a perfectly placed 50-yard cross onto the head of Wambach to produce the most dramatic goal in her team's history?
Hope Solo was 17 years old when Briana Scurry leapt off the line and saved China's third penalty-kick attempt during the 1999 shootout, the save of a lifetime, the save that won the World Cup. Twelve years later, to the day, Solo leapt off the line to save a penalty kick late in the second half, only to be told she had moved early and that it would have to be taken again. Did Solo think back to Scurry's save in 1999, when she had most certainly moved early, only to have it not be called? No, more likely she was channeling Scurry when she stopped Brazil's third penalty kick of the shootout, the save that guaranteed the comeback would be complete.
Ali Krieger was just about to turn 15 when Brandi Chastain showed the world her bra. It's very likely she was watching, enthralled, inspired, hoping she would get a similar chance. Could she have ever known that 12 years later, to the day, she would be in the same position? That she would bury the game-clinching penalty kick for the United States in a World Cup? This time, though, Krieger didn't take off her shirt. The game was far too important to be overshadowed like that.
The game the U.S. women won earlier today in Dresden was one of the greatest in the team's history, the only one that could rival the 1999 World Cup final in terms of drama. They were holding a 1-0 lead but were getting generally outplayed when, in the 65th minute, Rachel Buehler got sent off on a questionable foul. Solo saved the resulting penalty kick, but the referee inexplicably awarded a second try, which Brazil converted. Tie game.
Their lead gone and freshly down a player, the U.S. lit into Brazil. Whether they were inspired by the women of '99 or by the men of '10, or whether they were just pissed, something changed. For the rest of the game, it looked like Brazil was the team playing with 10 players instead of the United States.
But still, despite the advantage of play, the U.S. was still helpless against the mastery of Brazil's Marta, whose goal in the second minute of extra time seemed to seal the deal. But then Krieger made a steal in her own box and passed it ahead. Two passes later, the ball was on Rapinoe's foot, and she launched the picture-perfect cross toward a hard-charging Wambach. Brazil keeper Andreia tried to punch it away, but the ball missed her hand by inches, instead finding the head of Wambach, who promptly buried it in the 122nd minute.
From there, it was obvious who was going to win. It was also obvious that this was one of the most important wins in Women's soccer history. That it came on the same day as their singular defining moment was just extra poetic. The 1999 World Cup final will probably remain the greatest moment in U.S. women's sports history for a very long time. Depending on how they finish this tournament, the 2011 team may have just provided moment No. 2.
Megan Rapinoe had just turned 14 when Kristine Lilly made the save of the 1999 Women's World Cup. Lilly wasn't a goalkeeper, of course, but she was standing against the far post on that Chinese corner kick in extra time, in perfect position to head away the ball that would have defeated the Americans. What would Rapinoe had thought, then, if she had been told that exactly 12 years to the day, she would launch a perfectly placed 50-yard cross onto the head of Wambach to produce the most dramatic goal in her team's history?
Hope Solo was 17 years old when Briana Scurry leapt off the line and saved China's third penalty-kick attempt during the 1999 shootout, the save of a lifetime, the save that won the World Cup. Twelve years later, to the day, Solo leapt off the line to save a penalty kick late in the second half, only to be told she had moved early and that it would have to be taken again. Did Solo think back to Scurry's save in 1999, when she had most certainly moved early, only to have it not be called? No, more likely she was channeling Scurry when she stopped Brazil's third penalty kick of the shootout, the save that guaranteed the comeback would be complete.
Ali Krieger was just about to turn 15 when Brandi Chastain showed the world her bra. It's very likely she was watching, enthralled, inspired, hoping she would get a similar chance. Could she have ever known that 12 years later, to the day, she would be in the same position? That she would bury the game-clinching penalty kick for the United States in a World Cup? This time, though, Krieger didn't take off her shirt. The game was far too important to be overshadowed like that.
The game the U.S. women won earlier today in Dresden was one of the greatest in the team's history, the only one that could rival the 1999 World Cup final in terms of drama. They were holding a 1-0 lead but were getting generally outplayed when, in the 65th minute, Rachel Buehler got sent off on a questionable foul. Solo saved the resulting penalty kick, but the referee inexplicably awarded a second try, which Brazil converted. Tie game.
Their lead gone and freshly down a player, the U.S. lit into Brazil. Whether they were inspired by the women of '99 or by the men of '10, or whether they were just pissed, something changed. For the rest of the game, it looked like Brazil was the team playing with 10 players instead of the United States.
But still, despite the advantage of play, the U.S. was still helpless against the mastery of Brazil's Marta, whose goal in the second minute of extra time seemed to seal the deal. But then Krieger made a steal in her own box and passed it ahead. Two passes later, the ball was on Rapinoe's foot, and she launched the picture-perfect cross toward a hard-charging Wambach. Brazil keeper Andreia tried to punch it away, but the ball missed her hand by inches, instead finding the head of Wambach, who promptly buried it in the 122nd minute.
From there, it was obvious who was going to win. It was also obvious that this was one of the most important wins in Women's soccer history. That it came on the same day as their singular defining moment was just extra poetic. The 1999 World Cup final will probably remain the greatest moment in U.S. women's sports history for a very long time. Depending on how they finish this tournament, the 2011 team may have just provided moment No. 2.
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