OT: Soccer - USWNT vs Australia Game 2
In Pia Sundhage's final game as US coach, the WNT gave her a fine farewell with a 6-2 victory over the Matildas.
Alex Morgan was great, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists. In the 25' she chased down an errant clearance to the left of goal. Her cross went all the way across the box to the top right, where Heather O'Reilly got to it, and her low shot deflected off a defender's foot an into goal. The team went over to the sideline and strummed air guitars in reference to the signed guitar they had given to their coach.
The game suddenly changed several minutes later when speedy Lisa de Vanna ran onto a nice entry pass and poked the ball past Hope Solo for the equalizer in 32', then Aussie captain Sarah Walsh, in her last game, got the go-ahead goal in 34' when Kelley O'Hara missed a clearance attempt.
A few minutes before the half, Tobin Heath started a nice series of passes by putting one through the legs of a Matilda to Alex Morgan, who touched it wide to Kelley O'Hara, who cut it back to Alex, who took a couple of touches and put it in the far side of the net in 43'. It was good to go into halftime 2-2.
The second half was all US. In 53' a weak clearance deflected off another Matilda at the top of the box where Alex Morgan pounced on in, shooting low. It deflected off of Abby Wambach's foot high into the air, bouncing inside 6-yard line with a lot of topspin and into goal.
Alex got her 2nd goal of the night (34th international) in 63' when Heather Mitts crossed from the right corner, and Alex, not very closely marked in front of goal, headed it in.
In the next minute she settled a high long ball outside of the box, but her shot hit the left post.
Megan Rapinoe assisted on the last two goals, first on a corner headed in by Shannon Boxx in 69', then in 82' on a free kick headed in by Sydney Leroux.
Highlights video
Reactions video
There are a couple of friendlies scheduled with Germany on 10/20 (Bridgeview, IL, time TBD) and 10/23 (E Hartford, CT @ 7:30 PM ET), and the announcers talked about possibly a couple more TBD. No definitive timetable on hiring a new coach, but maybe by the end of October
The sideline reporter said she talked to some players about what they were looking for in a new coach, and they said someone who will earn their respect quickly. The announcers interpreted that as someone who will "crack the whip" when necessary.
September 20th, 2012 at 8:45 PM ^
Are there any rumors out there on the candidates for the job?
September 20th, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^
See my post from previous thread. I don't know if there's a leading candidate yet, but you'd think U-20 (and UVa) coach Steve Swanson has a leg up with a world cup win.
From the SI.com on this game, Hope Solo is quoted as having heard they're down to double digits, but doesn't know who.
September 20th, 2012 at 8:55 PM ^
I'm afraid of the decision whenever Sunil Gulati is involved.
September 21st, 2012 at 2:34 AM ^
The voices in Hope solo's head told her that.
September 20th, 2012 at 11:15 PM ^
Alex Morgan -
the Denard of womens football
September 20th, 2012 at 11:54 PM ^
I rated this post as insightful and it labels it as trolling. Mgoblog just trolled me...
September 20th, 2012 at 11:59 PM ^
There is an idiot on mgoboard that wastes his time down voting all soccer posts.
September 21st, 2012 at 2:33 AM ^
There are a lot of idiots here that down vote just because they can.