OT: Soccer - USWNT Beats Sweden 4-0; U-20 WNT Beats Panama 6-0
The lovely, the talented Alex Morgan got her first international career hat trick (4', 33', 72') en route to a 4-0 win over Sweden to take 3rd place in the Algarve Cup. Abby Wambach got her 134th international goal (36') on a header off a free kick. Nicole Barnhart made 7 saves to keep a clean sheet.
In April the USWNT will be in Japan, playing Japan on the 1st and Brazil on the 3rd.
About 1' into the highlight video (linked here, will embed below), see how far Alex runs to challenge for the ball, sent up the right side by Heather O'Reilly. The LCB gets to it first, but falls as Alex gets there. The RCB, who couldn't keep up with Alex from the center of the field, is again beaten as Alex gets to the loose ball and bends a 20-yd shot into the far side of goal.
Germany beat Japan 4-3 to win the Algarve Cup. They scored at 20' and 22'. Japan got on the scoreboard at 35' and equalized at 55'. Germany scored on a PK at 88', but Japan equalized at 90' (!). Germany won in the 92'. Highlight video link.
The U-20 WNT started slowly, but eventually scored 6 goals again. Goals were from Micaela Capelle (28'), Vanessa DiBernardo (45'), Julie Johnston (53'), two from Maya Hayes (59', 78'), and Samantha Mewis (69'). Having won Group B, next up is Mexico in the semis, F 3/9 @ 5PM ET on concacaf.com.
Highlight video link. Man, that Panama goalie is a sieve. If we hadn't started out slowly, we probably would have had a lot more than six.
Sweden highlights.
Sweden reactions.
Panama highlights.
Panama reactions.
I tune in regularly to watch the women and their highlights... I enjoy their style of play and usually their physical edge allows them to play at such a dominant level, it can rival the onesided affairs that some of the best mens teams find themselves in.
My only hold back is the issue at goalie. The womens game has so many goals, not from speed of play or skill, but because of goal play. They arent as long or athletic and too many goals trickle in... Which frustrates US fans because Solo is more athletic than the average, but still succombs to the same issue when it matters most.
That Wambach header would have been gobbled at the six yard box by any male goalie...
Maybe you should speak for yourself and not "US fans." IMO Solo is one of the best women goalies in the world, if not the best. She may not have the length and athleticism to get to extremely well-placed shots, but what woman does? She'll get to far more shots than other women. And she does have the ability to get to air balls that her shorter counterparts don't.
I find it far more frustrating to see goals against when a defender panics and tries to clear the ball up the middle from the 6-yd box, or after poor marking on a corner.