Posted on January 27, 2012
By Michael Lewis
TropiGol.com Editor
VANCOUVER — Prior to the CONCACAF women’s Olympic soccer qualifying tournament, the U.S. women’s National Team wanted to send a message to the rest of the world that the team meant business.
Message sent — for the most part.
The Americans accomplished what they needed to do as they qualified for a fifth consecutive Olympic tournament with a 3-0 win over a determined Costa Rica side at BC Place on Friday night.
But they also sent another message, one that was rather unintended, which reminded their foes in London that their defense is still the team’s Achilles Heel, and can be exploited, especially when under pressure. Despite mistakes, many unforced errors and sometimes a comedy of errors, the U.S. was saved by goalkeeper Hope Solo, who came through under pressure in the first half, despite playing with an ailing right quadriceps.
“We celebrated. It was the first time we celebrated [at the tournament],” Solo said. “It was a sigh of relief. We gave hugs to everybody. You could tell it was all right. We are London bound. It was time to relax a little. We have a final match and it’s going to be a great game. And we’re going to London.”
The first half reminded fans and observers of this team of the waning minutes against Japan at the Women’s World Cup final when the Americans twice squandered two leads — once late in regulation, the other with three minutes left in extratime.
Solo certainly had a deja vu feeling.
“Going in at halftime in a one-nil game, it wasn’t very comfortable for us,” she said. “There could be a penalty kick at any moment. We can give up the ball. Anything can still happen. I had an actual flashback to the Japan game in the final of the [Women's] World Cup when we thought we had it. We thought it was our game to win, but we were proved differently.”
Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd and second-half Alex Morgan scored for the Americans, who had rolled over their previous three opponents in the competition by a ridiculous 31-0 margin.
However, the Costa Ricans, who had just taken a 5-1 pasting by Canada in its final group stage match on Monday, had something to say about that. The Central Americans had look like the team that had lost all seven of its previous encounters to the U.S. and had failed to score a goal.
The U.S. was the obvious favorites. Entering the match, the U.S. not only had won each of the seven previous encounters against the Costa Ricans, the team had not allowed a goal while scoring 34.
“It’s a great feeling, no matter what the score line is,” U.S. striker Abby Wambach said.
The Costa Ricans played their hearts out. They put up a brave fight, closely marking the Americans and forcing their foes into defensive errors.
“I think everybody can feel the immense, not pressure, but how big that game was,” wambach said. “The first half, we score a goal. But there were moments when Costa Rica was outplaying us. It just shows you how exactly it was important it was to all of us. Nobody wanted to make that mistake and luckily we didn’t. Kept a clean sheet.”
There were times it seemed the Costa Ricans were destined to dirty that sheet. Close marking and pressure on the ball forced the U.S. to make some dubious decisions — passing and otherwise — with the ball. That allowed the Central American side to make life miserable for the U.S., especially its back four of captain Kelley O’Hara, Christie Rampone, Amy Lepeilbet and Rachel Buehler.
In a surprise move, the Costa Ricans started Erika Miranda in goal over Julieth Arias, who had a tough game against Canada.
If any of the spectators at the stadium were expecting a Christian vs. the lions scenario as what essentially transpired in the U.S.’s first three games, they were dead wrong.
The Americans looked a bit tight and out of sync in the early going as they could not get many shots at the Ticas net. Their best opportunity early on came in the seventh minute when Lauren Cheney fired a shot that Arias caught and dropped but recovered in time before a U.S. player could swoop in and score.
The U.S. finally broke through in the 16th minute as Lauren Cheney sent a corner kick to the far post that Shannon Boxx headed toward the net. Miranda managed to knock it away from danger, but Heath, standing on the right side of the penalty area, managed to head it home for a 1-0 lead. It was Heath’s second goal of the tournament.
The Americans started playing with fire in the 20th minute when Rachel Buehler gave away a ball to Fernanda Barrantes, who forced goalkeeper Hope Solo to make her first save of the night.
The comedy of errors continued in the back as poor decisions and passing and some loose play let to Solo diving to stop an onrushing Raquel Rodriguez on the left side of the penalty area three minutes later.
Solo, who was given the green light to play late in the afternoon after recovering from an aggravated quadriceps injury, denied an onrushing onrushing Raquel Rodriguez in the 25th minute.
“That is Hope Solo,” U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said. “No other country has Hope Solo. That was an important save.”
Two minutes later, Carol Sanchez slammed a 40-yard rocket that hit the crossbar and bounded away.
“That is a little bit of a momentum shifter,” Wambach said. “They were excited and loud. They were very energetic on the field. They were excited. Credit to them for that.”
Lloyd gave the U.S. some breathing room in the 72nd minute. Wambach took a shot that Arias slapped at could not stop from heading toward the goal. Daniela Cruz cleared the ball off the line. The Ticas, however, could not clear the ball out of the penalty area as it came to Lloyd at the top of the 18 and she fired away for a 2-0 advantage.
Morgan added a third tally in the 89th minute, beating Arias from the near left side as this time Cruz could not clear the ball off the line.
Costa Rica coach Karla Aleman heaped nothing but praise on her players.
“For Costa Rica it has been a great honor of playing against the best team in the world, at the moment,” she said. “These kind of experiences are the ones that we need for Costa Rica to get better and grow.
“I’m not upset with my players. I’m very proud of them. They did a great job. I wish I could have had a chance with the National Team T-shirt and wearing it.”
Photo: Tobin Heath scored the first goal for the U.S. Scott Bales/YCJ
Categories: Costa Rica, North America, Olympic Qualifying, U.S.A., Women
Tags: 2012 London Olympics, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying tournament, Hope Solo, Tobin Heath
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