WPS's newest entry in Western New York is an expansion team in name only. The Flash bear little resemblance to what most would picture when thinking expansion. The fact that they have no fewer than seven players from last year's championship team, FC Gold Pride, is enough evidence to see that.
Gold Pride's two top goalscorers and three quarters of their back line have moved nearly 3000 miles east to play for the Flash. And you can add to that the number one overall draft choice and several national team players from around the globe that were signed as free agents. This expansion team could very well be the favorites to win it all.
Let's start with forwards. Five-time FIFA Player of the Year Marta and Canadian all-time leading scorer Christine Sinclair scored a combined 29 goals last year in the regular season, more than three other teams. Marta has no peers when it comes to scoring goals and she just might be the fastest player in the league as well.
If that weren't enough, the Flash selected Alex Morgan with the first overall pick in the draft. Morgan has already made quite a splash with the USWNT, scoring a game-tying goal against China and a game-winning goal in a key game against Italy. The Flash also signed Gemma Davison of England, who has played club soccer for both Arsenal and in the W-League on this side of the pond.
The midfield starts with Caroline Seger formerly of the Independence and a member of the Swedish National Team. Yael Averbuch, a USWNT player, comes over from Sky Blue and Becky Edwards is yet another former Gold Pride starter. The Flash have four other midfielders with WPS experience...Brittany Bock, Kelly Parker, Beverly Goebel, and McCall Zerboni. They also picked up Notre Dame midfielder Rose Augustin in the draft.
Defensively, Candace Chapman, Ali Riley, and Kandace Wilson come over from Gold Pride. Riley earned Rookie of the Year honors last season. WNY also signed Whitney Engen, who played nearly every minute of every match for the Chicago Red Stars last season. They also brought in Gina Lewandowski, an American who has spent the last four seasons playing for FFC Frankfurt in the Frauen-Bundesliga. Another defender is Alex Sahlen, a member of the 2010 W-League champion Buffalo Flash, who also just happens to be the president of the club.
The goalkeeping duties will probably go to Ashlyn Harris, who posted four shutouts down the stretch for the Washington Freedom last year. Brittany Cameron, who has been a backup keeper for both the 2009 and 2010 league champions, is also in the mix.
There is no reason to think that this team won't compete for the league title. The talent is certainly there. Like some of the other teams, they will have to navigate around the World Cup schedule, in which several of their players will be participating. Most likely, they will be around come playoff time.
March 30, 2011
March 29, 2011
Can New Faces Lead Sky Blue Back to the Top?
To be fair, there wasn't that much difference between the 2009 and 2010 regular seasons for Sky Blue FC. In 2009, Sky Blue finished in fourth place, squeaking into a playoff position by a single point. In 2010, SBFC finished a mere three points out of the final playoff spot, settling for fifth place. The point totals weren't that different and neither team was exactly a scoring juggernaut.
The major difference, of course, was that 2009 ended in a championship, while 2010 finished in disappointment. The success at the end of 2009 breeded expectations that were perhaps too high for last year's team. Certainly bitten by the injury bug, Sky Blue just simply wasn't able to produce a Cinderella story in 2010.
The 2011 season brings a new head coach (how many is that now?), a new general manager, and a significant number of roster changes. Gone are several name players from the past two campaigns including captain Christie Rampone, Meghan Schnur, Keeley Dowling, Yael Averbuch, Rosana, Kacey White, and Tasha Kai. Only five players return who started as many as seven matches last season. So new SBFC coach, Jim Gabarra, presumably enters the 2011 season with a team molded to his style of play.
The only three players returning from the midfield forward are their 2010 goals leader, Laura Kalmari, their 2010 assists leader, Heather O'Reilly, and reserve Kiersten Dallstream. The newcomers, however, are quite talented.
Let's start with Therese Sjögran, a remarkable player who has spent nearly 15 years with the Swedish National Team. Sky Blue completed a loan agreement with her Swedish club, Ldb FC Malmö, which will enable WPS audiences to see her talent on a more regular basis.
Sjögran will be joined in the middle with attacking mid Allie Long, who came over from Washington, and Tobin Heath, a USWNT playmaker that missed most of the 2010 season with an injury. Those three will join USWNT veteran O'Reilly to form what should be a solid midfield. Sky Blue also picked up two other former Beat midfielders, Angie Kerr in a trade and Carolyn Blank as a free agent, as well as draft choice Alyssa Mautz out of Texas A & M.
Perhaps the most important acquisition from Atlanta might be English striker Eni Aluko. One of Sky Blue's biggest problems over the past two years has been scoring and Aluko has proven herself as one of WPS' most exciting attacking players, scoring 15 goals over two seasons. Aluko, Kalmari, and Casey Nogueira, who joins SBFC after spending her rookie season at Chicago, should lead the Sky Blue attack.
It's on defense that Sky Blue has changed the least. Still, with Rampone, Schnur, and Daphne Koster gone, things won't quite be the same. Returnees include Kendall Fletcher, Danielle Johnson, and Brittany Taylor, who had a fine rookie season in 2010. Sky Blue brought back English defender Anita Asante, who they had traded away early in 2010. They also added Carrie Dew from Gold Pride and Michelle Wenino.
Sky Blue's top two keepers are back, Karen Bardsley and Jen Branam. Both suffered injuries last season and their return should help keep the opposition off the scoreboard.
This team never ceases to surprise people, whether it be on the field or off, good or bad. There have been pleasant surprises like the brilliant playoff run that ended with a championship in 2009...and then there was last season. With a fairly new set of talent on board, it will be interesting to see how the 2011 version of Sky Blue performs.
The major difference, of course, was that 2009 ended in a championship, while 2010 finished in disappointment. The success at the end of 2009 breeded expectations that were perhaps too high for last year's team. Certainly bitten by the injury bug, Sky Blue just simply wasn't able to produce a Cinderella story in 2010.
The 2011 season brings a new head coach (how many is that now?), a new general manager, and a significant number of roster changes. Gone are several name players from the past two campaigns including captain Christie Rampone, Meghan Schnur, Keeley Dowling, Yael Averbuch, Rosana, Kacey White, and Tasha Kai. Only five players return who started as many as seven matches last season. So new SBFC coach, Jim Gabarra, presumably enters the 2011 season with a team molded to his style of play.
The only three players returning from the midfield forward are their 2010 goals leader, Laura Kalmari, their 2010 assists leader, Heather O'Reilly, and reserve Kiersten Dallstream. The newcomers, however, are quite talented.
Let's start with Therese Sjögran, a remarkable player who has spent nearly 15 years with the Swedish National Team. Sky Blue completed a loan agreement with her Swedish club, Ldb FC Malmö, which will enable WPS audiences to see her talent on a more regular basis.
Sjögran will be joined in the middle with attacking mid Allie Long, who came over from Washington, and Tobin Heath, a USWNT playmaker that missed most of the 2010 season with an injury. Those three will join USWNT veteran O'Reilly to form what should be a solid midfield. Sky Blue also picked up two other former Beat midfielders, Angie Kerr in a trade and Carolyn Blank as a free agent, as well as draft choice Alyssa Mautz out of Texas A & M.
Perhaps the most important acquisition from Atlanta might be English striker Eni Aluko. One of Sky Blue's biggest problems over the past two years has been scoring and Aluko has proven herself as one of WPS' most exciting attacking players, scoring 15 goals over two seasons. Aluko, Kalmari, and Casey Nogueira, who joins SBFC after spending her rookie season at Chicago, should lead the Sky Blue attack.
It's on defense that Sky Blue has changed the least. Still, with Rampone, Schnur, and Daphne Koster gone, things won't quite be the same. Returnees include Kendall Fletcher, Danielle Johnson, and Brittany Taylor, who had a fine rookie season in 2010. Sky Blue brought back English defender Anita Asante, who they had traded away early in 2010. They also added Carrie Dew from Gold Pride and Michelle Wenino.
Sky Blue's top two keepers are back, Karen Bardsley and Jen Branam. Both suffered injuries last season and their return should help keep the opposition off the scoreboard.
This team never ceases to surprise people, whether it be on the field or off, good or bad. There have been pleasant surprises like the brilliant playoff run that ended with a championship in 2009...and then there was last season. With a fairly new set of talent on board, it will be interesting to see how the 2011 version of Sky Blue performs.
March 28, 2011
Philadelphia Independence - Speed To Burn
With 13 players returning from last year's WPS runner-up team, the Philadelphia Independence enter the 2011 season as one of the favorites. Add a nice draft and a few key additions and the Independence are well positioned to compete for the league title.
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about the Philly attack is speed. They already had one of the fastest forwards in women's soccer with Amy Rodriguez, plus young English striker Lianne Sanderson.
Philadelphia added Tasha Kai from Sky Blue, Laura del Rio from Boston, and Veronica Boquete from Chicago. Fans are hoping that Kai, who was plagued by injuries for much of the past two years, can return to 100% form. Del Rio is on the Spanish National Team, but Boquete might be the most intriguing. She had a goal and two assists in just three matches with the Red Stars after wreaking havoc on opposing defenses while playing with Buffalo in the W-League.
The offense should also be bolstered by the acquisition of another former Red Star, wing midfielder Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe never could quite get untracked with the Red Stars, but she has put in many solid performances with the USWNT.
Although Philadelphia will miss Caroline Seger, the returning midfield cast of Lori Lindsey, Tina DiMartino, Joanna Lohman, and Jen Buczkowski is plenty strong. The Independence drafted midfielder Sinead Farrelly, considered by many to be the most talented player in college soccer, with the second overall selection.
Defensively, the Independence return Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, and Estelle Johnson. Two former Atlanta defenders, Kia McNeill and Leigh Ann Robinson, will also be competing for starting jobs, as will draft choices Lauren Fowlkes and Lauren Barnes. And don't forget another speedster, Frida Magnusdottir, who can play virtually anywhere on the field.
Val Henderson had won the number one goalkeeper's job last season and had a good playoff run until the championship game. But she will be joined by USWNT keeper Nicole Barnhart, giving Philly a fine one-two combo in the nets. Barnhart led WPS in goals against average with the WPS champion Gold Pride. It's not often that one team can boast having the two starting keepers from the previous year's championship match.
No one can deny the excellent job that coach Paul Riley did last year, taking an expansion team and guiding them to the finals. The Independence came together as a team far quicker than anyone could have imagined. Now the challenge for this team is to continue to grow and make a run at the championship.
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about the Philly attack is speed. They already had one of the fastest forwards in women's soccer with Amy Rodriguez, plus young English striker Lianne Sanderson.
Philadelphia added Tasha Kai from Sky Blue, Laura del Rio from Boston, and Veronica Boquete from Chicago. Fans are hoping that Kai, who was plagued by injuries for much of the past two years, can return to 100% form. Del Rio is on the Spanish National Team, but Boquete might be the most intriguing. She had a goal and two assists in just three matches with the Red Stars after wreaking havoc on opposing defenses while playing with Buffalo in the W-League.
The offense should also be bolstered by the acquisition of another former Red Star, wing midfielder Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe never could quite get untracked with the Red Stars, but she has put in many solid performances with the USWNT.
Although Philadelphia will miss Caroline Seger, the returning midfield cast of Lori Lindsey, Tina DiMartino, Joanna Lohman, and Jen Buczkowski is plenty strong. The Independence drafted midfielder Sinead Farrelly, considered by many to be the most talented player in college soccer, with the second overall selection.
Defensively, the Independence return Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, and Estelle Johnson. Two former Atlanta defenders, Kia McNeill and Leigh Ann Robinson, will also be competing for starting jobs, as will draft choices Lauren Fowlkes and Lauren Barnes. And don't forget another speedster, Frida Magnusdottir, who can play virtually anywhere on the field.
Val Henderson had won the number one goalkeeper's job last season and had a good playoff run until the championship game. But she will be joined by USWNT keeper Nicole Barnhart, giving Philly a fine one-two combo in the nets. Barnhart led WPS in goals against average with the WPS champion Gold Pride. It's not often that one team can boast having the two starting keepers from the previous year's championship match.
No one can deny the excellent job that coach Paul Riley did last year, taking an expansion team and guiding them to the finals. The Independence came together as a team far quicker than anyone could have imagined. Now the challenge for this team is to continue to grow and make a run at the championship.
magicJack...What's in a Name?
Well, I think they've finally settled on a name, for this season anyway. It won't be the Washington Freedom and it won't be magicJack's Washington Freedom. The team has apparently decided that magicJack will be the team monicker for the 2011 season. Boca Raton, or more precisely, Florida Atlantic University will be the new home of the team that has spent the last two WPS seasons playing as the Washington Freedom. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB To go along with the new name and the new home, magicJack also have a new general manager (Briana Scurry), a new head coach (Mike Lyons), and mostly new players. Only six players return from the 2010 Washington Freedom roster...defenders Nikki Marshall and Becky Sauerbrunn, midfielder Sarah Huffman, forwards Abby Wambach and Lisa De Vanna, and all-purpose player Rebecca Moros. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB The faces have changed, but the team should still be competitive considering some of their new additions. Between a solid draft, a trade, and numerous free agent signings, magicJack has assembled a pretty strong pool of talent. The big question is whether they can come together as a team to challenge for the league title. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb MagicJack (I don't know, do you capitalize an uncapitalized proper name to start a sentence?) have seemingly brought in talent from everywhere, starting at forward. Wambach will certainly still be the primary focus of their attack, but in addition to the returning speedster De Vanna, they have added Ella Masar from the Red Stars, Lindsay Tarpley from the Breakers, and Johanna Rasmussen from the Beat. Oh, and don't forget college soccer's most prolific scorer Christen Press of Stanford via the draft. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb Likewise, in the middle, magicJack signed Shannon Boxx (formerly Gold Pride et al) and Kacey White (formerly Sky Blue) to go along with returnee Huffman. Four young midfielders are also on the roster including third overall draft choice Meghan Klingenberg and Canadian National Team starter Sophie Schmidt. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb Defensively, magicJack brought in Tina Ellertson from Atlanta, Marian Dalmy from Chicago, and Christie Rampone and Meghan Schnur, both from Sky Blue. Those four will join two solid defensive players in Marshall and Sauerbrunn. Marshall can also play forward if need be. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb The acquisition of USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo would normally settle the number one keeper spot, but between shoulder surgery and national team duties, magicJack may be looking at two former Solo backups, Jill Loyden and Brett Maron. Loyden was Solo's understudy at Athletica in 2009 before becoming Chicago's starting keeper in 2010. Maron briefly started in Atlanta, before Solo became their number one in June of last year. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb There is a lot of veteran talent and quite a few good young players from the college ranks on this team. Several of their players can boast national team experience. No matter what the team's name or where the team plays, it ultimately comes down to how the team performs together on the field. Can they develop the team chemistry needed to challenge for a WPS title? Only time will tell.
March 27, 2011
Boston Breakers - Can They Take the Final Step?
The Boston Breakers can certainly lay claim to being one of WPS's most stable franchises. They've played in the same city, in the same home stadium, with the same head coach for all three seasons. And for the most part, the Breakers have kept the same core group of players together. With that formula, Boston moved up from a disappointing 5th place finish in 2009 to a 2nd place regular season finish last year. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Retirements have certainly hurt the team to some extent, with Angela Hucles retiring following the 2009 season and Kristine Lilly retiring after the 2010 season. It's hard to replace veterans of that caliber, but Boston still has a lot of great veterans left on the team. Most of the non-returning players from 2010 were offensive players...Lilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Fabiana, and Laura del Rio. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB After Gold Pride folded, the Breakers added Kelley O'Hara to their big two scorers, Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney. With Lilly retired, Leslie Osborne becomes the veteran leader of the midfield. Last year's rookie sensation Jordan Angeli also returns, although she may end up playing defense as well. Boston is hoping that young players such as Keelin Winters can step up and that Nikki Washington can return to her form before a serious injury setback in 2009. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Another Gold Pride refugee, Rachel Buehler, is the biggest addition to the defense, which is both veteran and solid with the likes of Amy LePeilbet, Alex Scott, Stephanie Cox, and Ifeoma Dieke, among others. Alyssa Naeher won the starting goalkeeper's job about a third of the way into the 2010 season and she returns for the 2011 campaign, stabilizing what has been the one position that has seen many changes over the past two years for Boston. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Perhaps the biggest problem that Boston will face, other than their WPS competition, will be the number of defecting players due to the World Cup. Boston certainly looks to lose their top three offensive players and possibly their entire back line come June and July. This is definitely a year where depth will come more into play than in the past two seasons. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb Last season, it appeared that the Breakers were heading for another disappointing season, but a couple of key acquisitions, Dieke and Tarpley, plus the insertion of Angeli and Naeher into the starting lineup by coach Tony DiCicco, turned things around and the Breakers closed the season strong. Only a tough overtime loss in the playoffs kept them from making the finals. Can the 2011 version of the Boston Breakers take the final step to the championship?
March 20, 2011
What's New with the Beat...Practically Everything
A little less than one year ago, Atlanta GM Shawn McGee announced the opening day 22-player roster that head coach Gareth O’Sullivan would lead into the Beat’s expansion season in WPS. Well, neither McGee nor O’Sullivan is still with the Beat and out of those original 22 players, only two are still on the team.
Lauren Sesselmann and Allison Whitworth are the only two players left and only Sesselmann has been with the team continuously, since Whitworth was traded to Chicago before returning to Atlanta in the offseason. Even Atlanta Beat version 1.1, which included several signees from the late Saint Louis Athletica, has been mostly dispersed, with only Lori Chalupny remaining from that group of players.
Whether it be a salary dump, a World Cup year strategy, or just re-inventing a team that finished at the bottom of the table, this year’s Atlanta Beat will bear no resemblance to last year’s team. Atlanta completely wiped out their international cast, sending Eni Aluko to Sky Blue, Johanna Rasmussen to magicJacks, and just plain not re-signing Bachmann, Ocampo, and Yamaguchi.
To be sure, the Beat won’t be hurt by World Cup interruptions as other teams will. Likely, only Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts will be members of World Cup participating teams. Whether this strategy will yield results remains to be seen.
The core of the team is made up of veteran USWNT players Lori Chalupny, Cat Whitehill, Heather Mitts, and Carli Lloyd. Out of the 21 players listed on their current roster, eight are true rookies, including their two draft picks, Kylie Wright and Meghan Lenczyk.
The Beat have two goalkeepers with WPS experience, Whitworth and Ali Lipsher. Both have been starters at various points in their WPS careers, but neither played much toward the end of last season. The third keeper is rookie Kerri Butler out of West Virginia.
Defensively, the Beat boast their most experience, with Mitts, Whitehill, and Keeley Dowling. But they don’t have a lot of speed in the back and will surely miss Tina Ellertson in that respect.
The midfield is extremely inexperienced, with Chalupny and Lloyd being the only two you could consider veterans. Kristina Larsen missed last season due to injury. Angela Salem saw only a few minutes of action in her first season in 2010. The rest are rookies.
If the Beat are inexperienced in the midfield, they are even moreso at forward. Sesselmann spent most of her 2010 season as an outside back. India Trotter saw playing time with both Saint Louis and Sky Blue. Marquez was a reserve for most of the 2010 season. Lenczyk is the rookie in this group.
While last year’s team had a promising offense with several talented international players (albeit a promise that never came to fruition), this year’s team has little discernable offense. The rookies have scored several goals in preseason, but it’s just preseason. The career WPS scoring on this team consists of Chalupny with five career goals, Whitehill with four, and Lloyd with two. That doesn’t exactly inspire visions of Marta, Abby Wambach, or Christine Sinclair.
One has to wonder what strategy coach James Galanis has in mind to manufacture a few wins. The veterans this team features are certainly solid pros, but there aren’t many of them. Some of the rookie show considerable promise, including Megan Jesolva, an undrafted free agent out of Cal. But even when the other teams will be missing several players due to the World Cup, they will still be more experienced than the Beat will.
Last year was a tale of three seasons for the Beat. They opened the season with a terrible 0-5-1 start. After the influx of talent from Saint Louis, the team surged in the midseason, going 4-2-4 over their next ten games and fighting their way into playoff contention. They were a dismal 1-6-1 over their last eight games to finish in last place with just 21 points, well out of the playoff chase. The Beat must show improvement on 2010 or it’s going to be a very long season.
Lauren Sesselmann and Allison Whitworth are the only two players left and only Sesselmann has been with the team continuously, since Whitworth was traded to Chicago before returning to Atlanta in the offseason. Even Atlanta Beat version 1.1, which included several signees from the late Saint Louis Athletica, has been mostly dispersed, with only Lori Chalupny remaining from that group of players.
Whether it be a salary dump, a World Cup year strategy, or just re-inventing a team that finished at the bottom of the table, this year’s Atlanta Beat will bear no resemblance to last year’s team. Atlanta completely wiped out their international cast, sending Eni Aluko to Sky Blue, Johanna Rasmussen to magicJacks, and just plain not re-signing Bachmann, Ocampo, and Yamaguchi.
To be sure, the Beat won’t be hurt by World Cup interruptions as other teams will. Likely, only Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts will be members of World Cup participating teams. Whether this strategy will yield results remains to be seen.
The core of the team is made up of veteran USWNT players Lori Chalupny, Cat Whitehill, Heather Mitts, and Carli Lloyd. Out of the 21 players listed on their current roster, eight are true rookies, including their two draft picks, Kylie Wright and Meghan Lenczyk.
The Beat have two goalkeepers with WPS experience, Whitworth and Ali Lipsher. Both have been starters at various points in their WPS careers, but neither played much toward the end of last season. The third keeper is rookie Kerri Butler out of West Virginia.
Defensively, the Beat boast their most experience, with Mitts, Whitehill, and Keeley Dowling. But they don’t have a lot of speed in the back and will surely miss Tina Ellertson in that respect.
The midfield is extremely inexperienced, with Chalupny and Lloyd being the only two you could consider veterans. Kristina Larsen missed last season due to injury. Angela Salem saw only a few minutes of action in her first season in 2010. The rest are rookies.
If the Beat are inexperienced in the midfield, they are even moreso at forward. Sesselmann spent most of her 2010 season as an outside back. India Trotter saw playing time with both Saint Louis and Sky Blue. Marquez was a reserve for most of the 2010 season. Lenczyk is the rookie in this group.
While last year’s team had a promising offense with several talented international players (albeit a promise that never came to fruition), this year’s team has little discernable offense. The rookies have scored several goals in preseason, but it’s just preseason. The career WPS scoring on this team consists of Chalupny with five career goals, Whitehill with four, and Lloyd with two. That doesn’t exactly inspire visions of Marta, Abby Wambach, or Christine Sinclair.
One has to wonder what strategy coach James Galanis has in mind to manufacture a few wins. The veterans this team features are certainly solid pros, but there aren’t many of them. Some of the rookie show considerable promise, including Megan Jesolva, an undrafted free agent out of Cal. But even when the other teams will be missing several players due to the World Cup, they will still be more experienced than the Beat will.
Last year was a tale of three seasons for the Beat. They opened the season with a terrible 0-5-1 start. After the influx of talent from Saint Louis, the team surged in the midseason, going 4-2-4 over their next ten games and fighting their way into playoff contention. They were a dismal 1-6-1 over their last eight games to finish in last place with just 21 points, well out of the playoff chase. The Beat must show improvement on 2010 or it’s going to be a very long season.
March 9, 2011
Canada Wins the Cyprus Cup
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Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
They needed overtime to do it, but Canada won the Cyprus Cup championship by a 2-1 margin over Holland. Just three months ago, Canada had easily defeated Holland 5-0 in a match played in Brazil. This time proved to be much tougher.
The match was played in harsh weather, with rain and very windy conditions. The weather played a part in an early defensive error by the Dutch and Jonelle Filigno, the goal scoring hero against Italy last Friday, once again scored to make it 1-0 for Canada.
Holland was able to tie the match late in the first half. Claudia van den Heiligenberg scored to make it 1-1.
Late in regulation, Erin McLeod suffered a minor injury and had to be replaced by Stephanie Labbé. She was able to keep Holland from scoring any further goals.
Emily Zurrer scored the game winner off of a Diana Matheson corner kick in the 99th minute. Canada completed a solid tournament in which they defeated four strong European sides in the process.
3rd Place: France 3, Scotland 0
Marie-Laure Delie made it her second hat trick of the tournament as she scored all three goals in France's 3-0 victory over Scotland. Bérangèr Sapowicz recorded the shutout for France.
5th Place: England 2, South Korea 0
Sue Smith's brace led England to a 2-0 win over South Korea. After a disappointing run in the group stage of the tournament, England finished strong in taking fifth place.
Karen Bardsley and Siobhan Chamberlain shared the shutout for England.
7th Place: Mexico 5, New Zealand 0
After a scoreless first half, Mexico scored five times in the closing stanza to defeat New Zealand in the 7th place match. Stephany Mayor scored a hat trick to lead the way for Mexico, who finished the tournament unbeaten with two wins and two ties. Dinora Garza added a goal and the fifth was an own goal by New Zealand.
9th Place: Italy 2, Russia 0
Italy won 2-0 over Russia on goals by Patrizia Panico and Giulia Domenichetti.
11th Place: Switzerland 2, Northern Ireland 1
In a match between two teams searching for their first win at the Cyprus Cup, Switzerland edged Northern Ireland 2-1. Lara Dickenmann scored a first half goal to give Switzerland the lead. Northern Ireland tied the match early in the 2nd half, but Martina Moser scored the game winner in the 65th minute.
The match was played in harsh weather, with rain and very windy conditions. The weather played a part in an early defensive error by the Dutch and Jonelle Filigno, the goal scoring hero against Italy last Friday, once again scored to make it 1-0 for Canada.
Holland was able to tie the match late in the first half. Claudia van den Heiligenberg scored to make it 1-1.
Late in regulation, Erin McLeod suffered a minor injury and had to be replaced by Stephanie Labbé. She was able to keep Holland from scoring any further goals.
Emily Zurrer scored the game winner off of a Diana Matheson corner kick in the 99th minute. Canada completed a solid tournament in which they defeated four strong European sides in the process.
3rd Place: France 3, Scotland 0
Marie-Laure Delie made it her second hat trick of the tournament as she scored all three goals in France's 3-0 victory over Scotland. Bérangèr Sapowicz recorded the shutout for France.
5th Place: England 2, South Korea 0
Sue Smith's brace led England to a 2-0 win over South Korea. After a disappointing run in the group stage of the tournament, England finished strong in taking fifth place.
Karen Bardsley and Siobhan Chamberlain shared the shutout for England.
7th Place: Mexico 5, New Zealand 0
After a scoreless first half, Mexico scored five times in the closing stanza to defeat New Zealand in the 7th place match. Stephany Mayor scored a hat trick to lead the way for Mexico, who finished the tournament unbeaten with two wins and two ties. Dinora Garza added a goal and the fifth was an own goal by New Zealand.
9th Place: Italy 2, Russia 0
Italy won 2-0 over Russia on goals by Patrizia Panico and Giulia Domenichetti.
11th Place: Switzerland 2, Northern Ireland 1
In a match between two teams searching for their first win at the Cyprus Cup, Switzerland edged Northern Ireland 2-1. Lara Dickenmann scored a first half goal to give Switzerland the lead. Northern Ireland tied the match early in the 2nd half, but Martina Moser scored the game winner in the 65th minute.
US Wins Algarve Cup Championship
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Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
The USWNT won its eighth Algarve Cup title with a 4-2 triumph over Iceland. However, for the first time in the tournament, they had to come from behind to do so.
Carli Lloyd opened the scoring just eight minutes in, dribbling to her left and then hitting a laser of a shot back across to the upper right hand part of the net from over 20 yards out.
But just when it appeared that the United States might be settling in, Iceland struck for two quick goals just past the midway point of the first half. Nearly back-to-back, Katrin Omarsdóttir and Hallbera Gisladóttir scored and the United States found themselves down 2-1.
The United States was able to draw even in the closing seconds of the half. Megan Rapinoe got the ball outside right and hit a low cross that Lauren Cheney volleyed into the net from just inside the six-yard box.
Ten minutes into the second half, it was again Rapinoe, this time down the left side that sent the ball into the middle. After Amy Rodriguez dummied it, Shannon Boxx got off a hard shot that Icelandic goalkeeper Gudbjorg Gunnarsdóttir was able to stop. However, Heather O'Reilly pounced on the rebound and knocked it home for a 3-2 lead.
Alex Morgan finished the scoring in the late stages of the match, outbattling two Icelandic defenders for the ball and hitting a sliding shot into the net for the final margin of 4-2.
The United States outshot Iceland by a 24-8 margin for the match. Next up for the USWNT will be England in an international friendly scheduled to be played on April 2 at Leyton Orient.
3rd Place: Japan 2, Sweden 1
Japan completed a fairly successful run, defeating Sweden 2-1 in the 3rd place match. Japan's only blemish in the tournament was a 2-1 loss to eventual champions, the United States.
Things looked promising early on for the Swedes, as Therese Sjögran scored the game's first goal in the 14th minute of play. But just as in the match against Iceland, Sweden was unable to hold their lead.
Megumi Kamionobe and Nahomi Kawasumi scored in the 21st and 32nd minutes respectively, giving Japan a 2-1 lead before intermission, a score that would stand up as the final.
The game wasn't without milestones for Sweden, as Therese Sjögran played in her 167th match for the national team, which now stands as the all-time best for Sweden. Sara Larsson competed in her 100th match for Sweden.
5th Place: Norway 0, Denmark 0 (Norway 5-4 in penalty kicks)
Norway took 5th place over Denmark at Algarve. After playing to a scoreless draw, Norway took the penalty kick decison by a margin of 5-4, with Lindy Wiik getting the deciding goal.
Goalkeepers Ingrid Hjelmseth for Norway and Tina Viskær for Denmark kept the opponent off the scoreboard.
An injury forced Norway to play the last 20 minutes a player down after coach Eli Landsem had used up all of his substitutions.
7th Place: China 2, Wales 1
China got out to a 2-0 lead with a goal in each half and held on for the 2-1 win over Wales. Chinese striker You Jia scored just three minutes into the match. Gu Yasha tallied a goal in the 53rd minute.
Wales bounced back with a goal by Helen Lander in the 57th minute and had a chance to tie the match in the closing minutes, but Emma Jones' penalty attempt was stopped by Zhang Yanru, which preserved the victory for the Chinese.
9th Place: Portugal 2, Finland 1
The host team won the 9th place match by a 2-1 margin over Finland. Portugal took a 1-0 first half lead on another goal by Edite Fernandes. Fernandes deftly dribbled past a defender a hit a low shot that Finnish goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto attempted to kick save, only to have the ball deflect behind her into the net.
It stayed that way until Essi Sainio tied the match in the 75th minute on a deflection. The tie lasted only a moment as Carla Couto notched the game winner in the 76th minute.
11th Place: Chile 1, Romania 1 (Chile 6-5 in penalty kicks)
Chile avenged an earlier loss to Romania, winning by 6-5 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
After a scoreless first half, Chile struck first on a goal by Rocio Soto in the 68th minute. 15-year old Alexandra Lunca scored the tying goal in the 87th minute. But Chile was able to take the match on penalties for the victory.
Carli Lloyd opened the scoring just eight minutes in, dribbling to her left and then hitting a laser of a shot back across to the upper right hand part of the net from over 20 yards out.
But just when it appeared that the United States might be settling in, Iceland struck for two quick goals just past the midway point of the first half. Nearly back-to-back, Katrin Omarsdóttir and Hallbera Gisladóttir scored and the United States found themselves down 2-1.
The United States was able to draw even in the closing seconds of the half. Megan Rapinoe got the ball outside right and hit a low cross that Lauren Cheney volleyed into the net from just inside the six-yard box.
Ten minutes into the second half, it was again Rapinoe, this time down the left side that sent the ball into the middle. After Amy Rodriguez dummied it, Shannon Boxx got off a hard shot that Icelandic goalkeeper Gudbjorg Gunnarsdóttir was able to stop. However, Heather O'Reilly pounced on the rebound and knocked it home for a 3-2 lead.
Alex Morgan finished the scoring in the late stages of the match, outbattling two Icelandic defenders for the ball and hitting a sliding shot into the net for the final margin of 4-2.
The United States outshot Iceland by a 24-8 margin for the match. Next up for the USWNT will be England in an international friendly scheduled to be played on April 2 at Leyton Orient.
3rd Place: Japan 2, Sweden 1
Japan completed a fairly successful run, defeating Sweden 2-1 in the 3rd place match. Japan's only blemish in the tournament was a 2-1 loss to eventual champions, the United States.
Things looked promising early on for the Swedes, as Therese Sjögran scored the game's first goal in the 14th minute of play. But just as in the match against Iceland, Sweden was unable to hold their lead.
Megumi Kamionobe and Nahomi Kawasumi scored in the 21st and 32nd minutes respectively, giving Japan a 2-1 lead before intermission, a score that would stand up as the final.
The game wasn't without milestones for Sweden, as Therese Sjögran played in her 167th match for the national team, which now stands as the all-time best for Sweden. Sara Larsson competed in her 100th match for Sweden.
5th Place: Norway 0, Denmark 0 (Norway 5-4 in penalty kicks)
Norway took 5th place over Denmark at Algarve. After playing to a scoreless draw, Norway took the penalty kick decison by a margin of 5-4, with Lindy Wiik getting the deciding goal.
Goalkeepers Ingrid Hjelmseth for Norway and Tina Viskær for Denmark kept the opponent off the scoreboard.
An injury forced Norway to play the last 20 minutes a player down after coach Eli Landsem had used up all of his substitutions.
7th Place: China 2, Wales 1
China got out to a 2-0 lead with a goal in each half and held on for the 2-1 win over Wales. Chinese striker You Jia scored just three minutes into the match. Gu Yasha tallied a goal in the 53rd minute.
Wales bounced back with a goal by Helen Lander in the 57th minute and had a chance to tie the match in the closing minutes, but Emma Jones' penalty attempt was stopped by Zhang Yanru, which preserved the victory for the Chinese.
9th Place: Portugal 2, Finland 1
The host team won the 9th place match by a 2-1 margin over Finland. Portugal took a 1-0 first half lead on another goal by Edite Fernandes. Fernandes deftly dribbled past a defender a hit a low shot that Finnish goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto attempted to kick save, only to have the ball deflect behind her into the net.
It stayed that way until Essi Sainio tied the match in the 75th minute on a deflection. The tie lasted only a moment as Carla Couto notched the game winner in the 76th minute.
11th Place: Chile 1, Romania 1 (Chile 6-5 in penalty kicks)
Chile avenged an earlier loss to Romania, winning by 6-5 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
After a scoreless first half, Chile struck first on a goal by Rocio Soto in the 68th minute. 15-year old Alexandra Lunca scored the tying goal in the 87th minute. But Chile was able to take the match on penalties for the victory.
March 7, 2011
Canada and Holland Advance To Cyprus Cup Final
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Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexican National Team, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexican National Team, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
Canada won their third straight match at the Cyprus Cup with a 2-0 victory over England in Group A. For Canada, it was their third shutout, this one by Erin McLeod. It was a battle between the world's 9th and 10th ranked teams.
After most of the first half went by scoreless, Christine Sinclair scored on a rebound of Diana Matheson's shot giving the Canadians a 1-0 edge. Halftime substitution Brittany Timko made it 2-0 just ten minutes into the second half. Most of the second half of the match was played in fairly heavy rainfall.
Hope Powell's squad saw massive changes from Friday's match, with Canada also inserting new blood into the lineup.
For Canada, the victory continues an impressive run of soccer dating back to last September. They are 13 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws over that time. Canada will face Holland, ranked 15th in the world, in the final on Wednesday.
Scotland 0, Italy 0
Scotland and Italy played to a scoreless draw on Monday. It was enough for Scotland to finish in second place in Group A, just one point ahead of England.
It looked like Scotland might win the game late as they were awarded a penalty with just 10 minutes remaining in the match, but Chiara Marchitelli stopped Kim Little's penalty attempt to preserve the tie. Gemma Fay earned the shutout for the Scots.
Holland 6, Switzerland 0
Holland easily defeated Switzerland 6-0 and will play in the championship match against Canada. They were led by a Kirsten van de Ven hat trick and a Chantel de Ridder brace. The Swiss fell behind 2-0 in the first six minutes and never seriously threatened to make it a match.
Holland will now face Canada, a team they lost to by a 5-0 margin at the Torneia Internacional Cidade de Sao Paulo in December.
France 5, New Zealand 2
Marie-Laure Delie scored three times to lead France to a 5-2 victory over New Zealand. Delie scored twice in the first half to give her team a 3-2 lead at the break, after France had fallen behind in the game's opening minutes on an own goal.
Eugenie Le Sommer and Elise Bussaglia added goals for France, while Anna Green scored directly on a corner kick for the Ferns.
Because of their loss to Holland, France settles for a 3rd place match up against Scotland, while New Zealand will meet Mexico, in what should be an interesting 7th place match of two teams headed for the World Cup in June.
Mexico 3, Northern Ireland 1
Mexico was able to finish the Cyprus Cup group stage unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland. However, the Mexicans still fell short of South Korea, who won Group C.
Maribel Dominguez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute on a penalty after Charlyn Corral had been fouled in the box. Corral scored just minutes later to make it 2-0 by halftime.
Northern Ireland cut the lead to one as Rachel Furness headed one home early in the 2nd half. Nancy Gandarilla scored for Mexico late in the match for the final tally. Gandarilla was making her debut for Mexico.
South Korea 2, Russia 1
Ji So-Yun and Yeo Min-Ji scored to lead South Korea to a 2-1 victory over Russia. Ji's goal came in the opening minutes of the match. South Korea led 1-0 at the half.
Russia briefly tied the score in the 77th minute on a goal by Ekaterina Sochneva, but the Koreans quickly answered with Yeo's goal just a minute later for the game winner.
Final Group Standings:
Group A: Canada 3-0-0, 9 pts; Scotland 1-1-1, 4 pts; England 1-2-0, 3 pts; Italy 0-2-1, 1 pt.
Group B: Holland 3-0-0, 9 pts; France 2-1-0, 6 pts; New Zealand 1-2-0, 3 pts; Switzerland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Group C: South Korea 2-0-1, 7 pts; Mexico 1-0-2, 5 pts; Russia 1-1-1, 4 pts; Northern Ireland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Finals Day Matches:
Championship: Canada vs. Holland
3rd/4th Place: Scotland vs. France
5th/6th Place: England vs. South Korea
7th/8th Place: New Zealand vs. Mexico
9th/10th Place: Italy vs. Russia
11th/12th Place: Switzerland vs. Northern Ireland
After most of the first half went by scoreless, Christine Sinclair scored on a rebound of Diana Matheson's shot giving the Canadians a 1-0 edge. Halftime substitution Brittany Timko made it 2-0 just ten minutes into the second half. Most of the second half of the match was played in fairly heavy rainfall.
Hope Powell's squad saw massive changes from Friday's match, with Canada also inserting new blood into the lineup.
For Canada, the victory continues an impressive run of soccer dating back to last September. They are 13 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws over that time. Canada will face Holland, ranked 15th in the world, in the final on Wednesday.
Scotland 0, Italy 0
Scotland and Italy played to a scoreless draw on Monday. It was enough for Scotland to finish in second place in Group A, just one point ahead of England.
It looked like Scotland might win the game late as they were awarded a penalty with just 10 minutes remaining in the match, but Chiara Marchitelli stopped Kim Little's penalty attempt to preserve the tie. Gemma Fay earned the shutout for the Scots.
Holland 6, Switzerland 0
Holland easily defeated Switzerland 6-0 and will play in the championship match against Canada. They were led by a Kirsten van de Ven hat trick and a Chantel de Ridder brace. The Swiss fell behind 2-0 in the first six minutes and never seriously threatened to make it a match.
Holland will now face Canada, a team they lost to by a 5-0 margin at the Torneia Internacional Cidade de Sao Paulo in December.
France 5, New Zealand 2
Marie-Laure Delie scored three times to lead France to a 5-2 victory over New Zealand. Delie scored twice in the first half to give her team a 3-2 lead at the break, after France had fallen behind in the game's opening minutes on an own goal.
Eugenie Le Sommer and Elise Bussaglia added goals for France, while Anna Green scored directly on a corner kick for the Ferns.
Because of their loss to Holland, France settles for a 3rd place match up against Scotland, while New Zealand will meet Mexico, in what should be an interesting 7th place match of two teams headed for the World Cup in June.
Mexico 3, Northern Ireland 1
Mexico was able to finish the Cyprus Cup group stage unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland. However, the Mexicans still fell short of South Korea, who won Group C.
Maribel Dominguez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute on a penalty after Charlyn Corral had been fouled in the box. Corral scored just minutes later to make it 2-0 by halftime.
Northern Ireland cut the lead to one as Rachel Furness headed one home early in the 2nd half. Nancy Gandarilla scored for Mexico late in the match for the final tally. Gandarilla was making her debut for Mexico.
South Korea 2, Russia 1
Ji So-Yun and Yeo Min-Ji scored to lead South Korea to a 2-1 victory over Russia. Ji's goal came in the opening minutes of the match. South Korea led 1-0 at the half.
Russia briefly tied the score in the 77th minute on a goal by Ekaterina Sochneva, but the Koreans quickly answered with Yeo's goal just a minute later for the game winner.
Final Group Standings:
Group A: Canada 3-0-0, 9 pts; Scotland 1-1-1, 4 pts; England 1-2-0, 3 pts; Italy 0-2-1, 1 pt.
Group B: Holland 3-0-0, 9 pts; France 2-1-0, 6 pts; New Zealand 1-2-0, 3 pts; Switzerland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Group C: South Korea 2-0-1, 7 pts; Mexico 1-0-2, 5 pts; Russia 1-1-1, 4 pts; Northern Ireland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Finals Day Matches:
Championship: Canada vs. Holland
3rd/4th Place: Scotland vs. France
5th/6th Place: England vs. South Korea
7th/8th Place: New Zealand vs. Mexico
9th/10th Place: Italy vs. Russia
11th/12th Place: Switzerland vs. Northern Ireland
US Defeats Finland; Will Meet Iceland in Algarve Final
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Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
The USWNT made it three straight in group play, shutting out Finland by a 4-0 margin. The US, which already had Group A clinched, will now meet Group B winner Iceland in Wednesday's final.
Coach Pia Sundhage showed little tendency for change, sending eight starters out for the third straight match. Tobin Heath got her first start at Algarve in the midfield and Sundhage went with the forward tandem of Alex Morgan and Lauren Cheney for the first time in the tournament.
The US opened the scoring in just the eighth minute. A Carli Lloyd corner kick found Shannon Boxx, who was just able to get over the Finnish defender to head it solidly on frame. Goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto couldn't quite react quick enough and it was 1-0.
Just a few minutes later, it was Lloyd scoring one herself. After a turnover in the midfield by Finland, Tobin Heath was able to outmanoeuvre two defenders in the box and send the ball square to Lloyd, who buried it in the left side of the net from 15 yards out.
Alex Morgan got on the board right before intermission. She did a wonderful job of chesting down Ali Krieger's long distance serve into the penalty area and then finished with the outside of her left foot from six yards out, just beyond Meriluoto's reach. Morgan added another in the second half, knocking in her own rebound following a Meriluoto save and some shabby clearing by the Finnish defense.
The US outshot Finland by 24-1 margin and goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart was rarely tested. They will return to the Algarve Cup final, which they won last year over Germany. This year's opponent will be Iceland.
Iceland 1, Denmark 0
Iceland made it a perfect run through Group B with a 1-0 shutout victory over Denmark. It marks the first time that Iceland has reached the championship match of the event.
After a scoreless first half, it looked as though Denmark would strike first. They were awarded a penalty, but Line Røddik Hansen's shot was stopped by Iceland's keeper, Thóra Helgadóttir. After that, Denmark hit the bar off of a corner kick, but still could not score. Iceland's counterattack produced a goal by Dóra Larúsdóttir.
Japan 1, Norway 0
Yuki Nagasato's second half goal led Japan to a 1-0 win over Norway. Ayumi Kaihori got the shutout for Japan.
Japan's victory in the battle for 2nd place in Group A means they will play Sweden in the match for 3rd/4th place on Wednesday. Norway will meet Denmark in the 5th/6th place match.
Sweden 1, China 0
Lotta Schelin's goal pushed Sweden into second place in Group C, as Sweden defeated China 1-0. There was some dispute as to whether Schelin was offside for the goal, but the goal was not called back. Schelin had come in as a second half substitution for Jessica Landström.
For Sweden, the victory avenged a loss to China earlier this year at the Four Nations Tournament. Hedvig Lindahl posted the shutout for Sweden.
Portugal 1, Romania 1
A late goal thwarted Portugal's chances to win Group C, as they played to a 1-1 tie with Romania.
Edite Fernandes put Portugal in front 1-0 late in the first half. But Stefania Vatafu evened the match in the final 10 minutes, forcing the draw. Andreea Corduneanu received a second yellow card late in the proceedings, but it was too late for Portugal to take advantage. Plaudits were given to Neide Simões for her play in goal for the Portuguese.
Portugal finished Group C play with a win and two draws, but were nosed out in the standings by Wales, a team they defeated on the tournament's opening day.
Wales 2, Chile 1
Wales won their second straight match and captured Group C with a 2-1 win over Chile. Jessica Fishlock's brace, one goal in each half, sparked Wales to the victory. Chile got a goal from Daniela Zamora in the 74th minute to pull to within one goal, but were unable to score further.
Final Standings
Group A: USA 3-0-0, 9 pts; Japan 2-1-0, 6 pts; Norway 1-2-0, 3 pts; Finland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Group B: Iceland 3-0-0, 9 pts; Sweden 2-1-0, 6 pts; Denmark 1-2-0, 3 pts; China 0-3-0, o pts.
Group C: Wales 2-1-0, 6 pts; Portugal 1-0-2, 5 pts; Romania 1-1-1, 4 pts; Chile 0-2-1, 1 pts.
Wednesday's Final Round:
Championship: USA vs. Iceland
3rd/4th Place: Japan vs. Sweden
5th/6th Place: Norway vs. Denmark
7th/8th Place: Wales vs. China
9th/10th Place: Finland vs. Portugal
11th/12th Place: Romania vs. Chile
Coach Pia Sundhage showed little tendency for change, sending eight starters out for the third straight match. Tobin Heath got her first start at Algarve in the midfield and Sundhage went with the forward tandem of Alex Morgan and Lauren Cheney for the first time in the tournament.
The US opened the scoring in just the eighth minute. A Carli Lloyd corner kick found Shannon Boxx, who was just able to get over the Finnish defender to head it solidly on frame. Goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto couldn't quite react quick enough and it was 1-0.
Just a few minutes later, it was Lloyd scoring one herself. After a turnover in the midfield by Finland, Tobin Heath was able to outmanoeuvre two defenders in the box and send the ball square to Lloyd, who buried it in the left side of the net from 15 yards out.
Alex Morgan got on the board right before intermission. She did a wonderful job of chesting down Ali Krieger's long distance serve into the penalty area and then finished with the outside of her left foot from six yards out, just beyond Meriluoto's reach. Morgan added another in the second half, knocking in her own rebound following a Meriluoto save and some shabby clearing by the Finnish defense.
The US outshot Finland by 24-1 margin and goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart was rarely tested. They will return to the Algarve Cup final, which they won last year over Germany. This year's opponent will be Iceland.
Iceland 1, Denmark 0
Iceland made it a perfect run through Group B with a 1-0 shutout victory over Denmark. It marks the first time that Iceland has reached the championship match of the event.
After a scoreless first half, it looked as though Denmark would strike first. They were awarded a penalty, but Line Røddik Hansen's shot was stopped by Iceland's keeper, Thóra Helgadóttir. After that, Denmark hit the bar off of a corner kick, but still could not score. Iceland's counterattack produced a goal by Dóra Larúsdóttir.
Japan 1, Norway 0
Yuki Nagasato's second half goal led Japan to a 1-0 win over Norway. Ayumi Kaihori got the shutout for Japan.
Japan's victory in the battle for 2nd place in Group A means they will play Sweden in the match for 3rd/4th place on Wednesday. Norway will meet Denmark in the 5th/6th place match.
Sweden 1, China 0
Lotta Schelin's goal pushed Sweden into second place in Group C, as Sweden defeated China 1-0. There was some dispute as to whether Schelin was offside for the goal, but the goal was not called back. Schelin had come in as a second half substitution for Jessica Landström.
For Sweden, the victory avenged a loss to China earlier this year at the Four Nations Tournament. Hedvig Lindahl posted the shutout for Sweden.
Portugal 1, Romania 1
A late goal thwarted Portugal's chances to win Group C, as they played to a 1-1 tie with Romania.
Edite Fernandes put Portugal in front 1-0 late in the first half. But Stefania Vatafu evened the match in the final 10 minutes, forcing the draw. Andreea Corduneanu received a second yellow card late in the proceedings, but it was too late for Portugal to take advantage. Plaudits were given to Neide Simões for her play in goal for the Portuguese.
Portugal finished Group C play with a win and two draws, but were nosed out in the standings by Wales, a team they defeated on the tournament's opening day.
Wales 2, Chile 1
Wales won their second straight match and captured Group C with a 2-1 win over Chile. Jessica Fishlock's brace, one goal in each half, sparked Wales to the victory. Chile got a goal from Daniela Zamora in the 74th minute to pull to within one goal, but were unable to score further.
Final Standings
Group A: USA 3-0-0, 9 pts; Japan 2-1-0, 6 pts; Norway 1-2-0, 3 pts; Finland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Group B: Iceland 3-0-0, 9 pts; Sweden 2-1-0, 6 pts; Denmark 1-2-0, 3 pts; China 0-3-0, o pts.
Group C: Wales 2-1-0, 6 pts; Portugal 1-0-2, 5 pts; Romania 1-1-1, 4 pts; Chile 0-2-1, 1 pts.
Wednesday's Final Round:
Championship: USA vs. Iceland
3rd/4th Place: Japan vs. Sweden
5th/6th Place: Norway vs. Denmark
7th/8th Place: Wales vs. China
9th/10th Place: Finland vs. Portugal
11th/12th Place: Romania vs. Chile
March 4, 2011
Scotland and Holland Post Upsets at Cyprus Cup
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Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexican National Team, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexican National Team, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
Upsets were the order of the day at the Cyprus Cup. Scotland were able to shut out England by a 2-0 margin, while France was beaten by Holland 2-1. Canada won their second straight 1-0 shutout, this time over Italy.
Scotland 2, England 0
The Scots got their two goals from Arsenal Ladies players Jennifer Beattie and Kim Little to post a 2-0 victory over neighboring England on Friday. It was the first victory for Scotland against England in over 30 years.
Although it must be noted that England's best player, Kelly Smith, did not play in the match, it was still an impressive victory for Scotland.
Beattie, normally a defender, was moved forward in this match and it paid off handsomely for coach Anna Signeul. In addition to her goal, she also earned an assist on Little's goal in the 1st half.
Shannon Lynn picked up the shutout for Scotland, while a stout Scottish defense helped Lynn keep England off of the scoreboard.
Scotland will now face Italy on Monday, still with an outside chance to win Group A. They need help from England over Canada and then need to win their match by a greater margin.
Canada 1, Italy 0
Canada continued a pattern of strong performances, knocking off Italy 1-0. Young Jonelle Filigno scored the game's only goal, assisted by Christine Sinclair. Italy came close on a few occasions in the second half, but were unable to draw even.
Filigno, who is just 20 years old, scored her sixth career goal as member of the Canadian National Team.
Stephanie Labbé earned a shutout for the Canadians, who have not surrendered a goal in either match at Cyprus.
Canada will now face England on Monday, needing just a tie or a win to secure first place in Group A. Italy will play Scotland in their final Group A match.
Holland 2, France 1
Holland posted a 2-1 upset win over France in Group B action at the Cyprus Cup. Renee Slegers and Manon Melis scored for the victors. Camille Abily scored for France.
The victory over the 8th ranked team in the world puts Holland into the championship match next Wednesday. They will face Switzerland on Monday. France will play New Zealand to decide who finishes in second place for Group B.
New Zealand 2, Switzerland 1
The Football Ferns posted their first win at the Cyprus Cup, with a 2-1 win over Switzerland. New Zealand scored two late first half goals, one by Kirsty Yallop, the other by Betsy Hassett and took a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Sandy Maendly scored a late goal for Switzerland to close within one, but New Zealand was able to finish with the win. Jenny Bindon got the victory in goal for New Zealand.
New Zealand will now face France on Monday with a chance to finish second in Group B.
Russia 2, Northern Ireland 1
After falling behind early, Russia was able to post a 2-1 win over Northern Ireland.
Ashley Hutton scored her second goal of the tournament to give Northern Ireland a 1-0 lead in the 9th minute. Tatiana Skotnikova answered to tie the score just before halftime. Elena Fomina converted a penalty in the 51st minute to give Russia the lead. A game Northern Ireland squad was unable to equalize.
Russia and South Korea both will enter the final contest with a win and a draw, with the two teams facing each other on Monday. Mexico has posted two ties and still has a chance should they defeat Northern Ireland and the other two teams tie.
Mexico 1, South Korea 1
For the second straight match, Mexico played to a draw, a 1-1 tie with South Korea. Jeon Ga-Eul scored in the 15th minute to give South Korea the early lead. Mexico got the tying goal in the 2nd half with Dinora Garza scoring on a free kick.
Mexico played the last 26 minutes of the match a player short, as Nayeli Rangel received a second yellow card. Erika Vanegas and the Mexican defense were able to keep South Korea off the board for the remainder of the match.
Mexico will face Northern Ireland on Monday and can still finish anywhere from first to fourth depending on the results of the two Group C matches. South Korea can win Group C with a victory against Russia.
Scotland 2, England 0
The Scots got their two goals from Arsenal Ladies players Jennifer Beattie and Kim Little to post a 2-0 victory over neighboring England on Friday. It was the first victory for Scotland against England in over 30 years.
Although it must be noted that England's best player, Kelly Smith, did not play in the match, it was still an impressive victory for Scotland.
Beattie, normally a defender, was moved forward in this match and it paid off handsomely for coach Anna Signeul. In addition to her goal, she also earned an assist on Little's goal in the 1st half.
Shannon Lynn picked up the shutout for Scotland, while a stout Scottish defense helped Lynn keep England off of the scoreboard.
Scotland will now face Italy on Monday, still with an outside chance to win Group A. They need help from England over Canada and then need to win their match by a greater margin.
Canada 1, Italy 0
Canada continued a pattern of strong performances, knocking off Italy 1-0. Young Jonelle Filigno scored the game's only goal, assisted by Christine Sinclair. Italy came close on a few occasions in the second half, but were unable to draw even.
Filigno, who is just 20 years old, scored her sixth career goal as member of the Canadian National Team.
Stephanie Labbé earned a shutout for the Canadians, who have not surrendered a goal in either match at Cyprus.
Canada will now face England on Monday, needing just a tie or a win to secure first place in Group A. Italy will play Scotland in their final Group A match.
Holland 2, France 1
Holland posted a 2-1 upset win over France in Group B action at the Cyprus Cup. Renee Slegers and Manon Melis scored for the victors. Camille Abily scored for France.
The victory over the 8th ranked team in the world puts Holland into the championship match next Wednesday. They will face Switzerland on Monday. France will play New Zealand to decide who finishes in second place for Group B.
New Zealand 2, Switzerland 1
The Football Ferns posted their first win at the Cyprus Cup, with a 2-1 win over Switzerland. New Zealand scored two late first half goals, one by Kirsty Yallop, the other by Betsy Hassett and took a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Sandy Maendly scored a late goal for Switzerland to close within one, but New Zealand was able to finish with the win. Jenny Bindon got the victory in goal for New Zealand.
New Zealand will now face France on Monday with a chance to finish second in Group B.
Russia 2, Northern Ireland 1
After falling behind early, Russia was able to post a 2-1 win over Northern Ireland.
Ashley Hutton scored her second goal of the tournament to give Northern Ireland a 1-0 lead in the 9th minute. Tatiana Skotnikova answered to tie the score just before halftime. Elena Fomina converted a penalty in the 51st minute to give Russia the lead. A game Northern Ireland squad was unable to equalize.
Russia and South Korea both will enter the final contest with a win and a draw, with the two teams facing each other on Monday. Mexico has posted two ties and still has a chance should they defeat Northern Ireland and the other two teams tie.
Mexico 1, South Korea 1
For the second straight match, Mexico played to a draw, a 1-1 tie with South Korea. Jeon Ga-Eul scored in the 15th minute to give South Korea the early lead. Mexico got the tying goal in the 2nd half with Dinora Garza scoring on a free kick.
Mexico played the last 26 minutes of the match a player short, as Nayeli Rangel received a second yellow card. Erika Vanegas and the Mexican defense were able to keep South Korea off the board for the remainder of the match.
Mexico will face Northern Ireland on Monday and can still finish anywhere from first to fourth depending on the results of the two Group C matches. South Korea can win Group C with a victory against Russia.
US Gains Final after 2-0 Win over Norway
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Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
The United States has secured a berth in the Algarve Cup final by defeating Norway 2-0 on Friday. Lindsay Tarpley and Carli Lloyd scored the goals for the United States. The United States have clinched Group A because they have defeated both teams that could catch them in the standings.
Pia Sundhage started virtually the same lineup on Friday as she did two days ago, with the exception being Tarpley at forward instead of Lauren Cheney.
Tarpley opened the scoring in the 33rd minute as Rachel Buehler started the play with a long pass over the Norwegian defense from the back. Amy Rodriguez, who timed her run perfectly, got behind two defenders. With Nora Berge bearing down from behind and goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth coming out, Rodriguez was able to win the ball and tap it back to Tarpley. Tarpley was able to left-foot the ball into the open net while falling backwards from nine yards out.
Lloyd's goal came after the break in the 63rd minute. Megan Rapinoe was able to get the ball to Lloyd in the middle, about 40 yards from the net. Lloyd dribbled first right and then back left to give herself space. She then released a low shot along the ground from 25 yards out that appeared to catch Hjelmseth leaning the wrong way. The ball went just inside the right post to make it 2-0.
The United States outshot Norway 17-5 and held the edge in shots on goal by a 7-2 margin. Nicole Barnhart gained the shutout in goal.
The US will face Finland on Monday in the final group stage match, but it will have little meaning on the final standings. They will then face the Group B winner on Wednesday. Iceland leads Group B with two wins and will be the opponent if they win or tie. They will face Denmark, who could also win Group B with a win, as could Sweden depending on goal differential.
Japan 5, Finland 0
Japan scorched Finland with five goals on Friday, easily winning their second match of the Algarve Cup. They evened their record after losing their opener to the United States.
Shinobu Ohno and Nahomi Kawasumi scored first half goals to give Japan a 2-0 lead at the half. FFC Turbine Potsdam forward Yuki Nagasato pushed the lead to 3-0 in the opening minutes of the 2nd half. Second half substitution, Mami Yamaguchi, completed the scoring with a late brace. Ayumi Kaihori earned the shutout.
Japan will now face off against Norway on Monday, in a match that will decide second position in Group A. Finland will finish in fourth place in Group A.
Iceland 2, China 1
For the second straight match, Iceland was able to earn a 2-1 victory, this time over China. And for the second time, it was a come-from-behind victory. Margrét Vidarsdóttir was again one of the heroes, scoring both goals for Iceland.
China was able to take the early lead on a goal by Ma Jun in the 21st minute of the match. But Vidarsdóttir was able to tie the match just six minutes later, as she was able to get the ball past Chinese keeper Huang Luna, who was making her debut. Vidarsdóttir gave Iceland the lead early in the second half with her second goal.
Iceland will now face Denmark on Monday, with a chance to secure a place in Wednesday's final with a tie or win.
Sweden 3, Denmark 1
Sweden was once again able to get the best of Denmark with a 3-1 victory on Friday. Jessica Landstróm scored twice and Josefine Oqvist was able to score her second goal in as many games.
Landstróm opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the match, with the ball apparently going off of her hip into the goal. Kristine Pedersen answered for Denmark just two minutes later. The match went into halftime tied.
Oqvist scored in the 53rd minute, followed by Landstróm's second of the match in the 60th minute as Sweden played a strong second half to earn the victory. Sweden will now face China on Monday, a team they lost to earlier this year at the Four Nations Tournament.
Portugal 0, Chile 0
The host team, Portugal, played to a scoreless draw against Chile. Neide Simões posted the shutout for Portugal, while Christiane Endler had a stellar match in earning the shutout for Chile.
Portugal can now win Group C with a victory against Romania on Monday or a tie combined with a Welsh tie or loss to Chile.
Wales 2, Romania 1
Wales was able to come from behind to defeat Romania 2-1 on Friday. They were able to bounce back after an opening match loss to the host team.
Cosmina Dusa once again scored giving Romania a 1-0 lead in the opening half. Wales came back strong as Jessica Fishlock tied the match and then assisted on Helen Lander's game winner a few minutes later.
Wales now has a chance to win Group C with a victory over Chile and a Portugal tie or loss against Romania.
Pia Sundhage started virtually the same lineup on Friday as she did two days ago, with the exception being Tarpley at forward instead of Lauren Cheney.
Tarpley opened the scoring in the 33rd minute as Rachel Buehler started the play with a long pass over the Norwegian defense from the back. Amy Rodriguez, who timed her run perfectly, got behind two defenders. With Nora Berge bearing down from behind and goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth coming out, Rodriguez was able to win the ball and tap it back to Tarpley. Tarpley was able to left-foot the ball into the open net while falling backwards from nine yards out.
Lloyd's goal came after the break in the 63rd minute. Megan Rapinoe was able to get the ball to Lloyd in the middle, about 40 yards from the net. Lloyd dribbled first right and then back left to give herself space. She then released a low shot along the ground from 25 yards out that appeared to catch Hjelmseth leaning the wrong way. The ball went just inside the right post to make it 2-0.
The United States outshot Norway 17-5 and held the edge in shots on goal by a 7-2 margin. Nicole Barnhart gained the shutout in goal.
The US will face Finland on Monday in the final group stage match, but it will have little meaning on the final standings. They will then face the Group B winner on Wednesday. Iceland leads Group B with two wins and will be the opponent if they win or tie. They will face Denmark, who could also win Group B with a win, as could Sweden depending on goal differential.
Japan 5, Finland 0
Japan scorched Finland with five goals on Friday, easily winning their second match of the Algarve Cup. They evened their record after losing their opener to the United States.
Shinobu Ohno and Nahomi Kawasumi scored first half goals to give Japan a 2-0 lead at the half. FFC Turbine Potsdam forward Yuki Nagasato pushed the lead to 3-0 in the opening minutes of the 2nd half. Second half substitution, Mami Yamaguchi, completed the scoring with a late brace. Ayumi Kaihori earned the shutout.
Japan will now face off against Norway on Monday, in a match that will decide second position in Group A. Finland will finish in fourth place in Group A.
Iceland 2, China 1
For the second straight match, Iceland was able to earn a 2-1 victory, this time over China. And for the second time, it was a come-from-behind victory. Margrét Vidarsdóttir was again one of the heroes, scoring both goals for Iceland.
China was able to take the early lead on a goal by Ma Jun in the 21st minute of the match. But Vidarsdóttir was able to tie the match just six minutes later, as she was able to get the ball past Chinese keeper Huang Luna, who was making her debut. Vidarsdóttir gave Iceland the lead early in the second half with her second goal.
Iceland will now face Denmark on Monday, with a chance to secure a place in Wednesday's final with a tie or win.
Sweden 3, Denmark 1
Sweden was once again able to get the best of Denmark with a 3-1 victory on Friday. Jessica Landstróm scored twice and Josefine Oqvist was able to score her second goal in as many games.
Landstróm opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the match, with the ball apparently going off of her hip into the goal. Kristine Pedersen answered for Denmark just two minutes later. The match went into halftime tied.
Oqvist scored in the 53rd minute, followed by Landstróm's second of the match in the 60th minute as Sweden played a strong second half to earn the victory. Sweden will now face China on Monday, a team they lost to earlier this year at the Four Nations Tournament.
Portugal 0, Chile 0
The host team, Portugal, played to a scoreless draw against Chile. Neide Simões posted the shutout for Portugal, while Christiane Endler had a stellar match in earning the shutout for Chile.
Portugal can now win Group C with a victory against Romania on Monday or a tie combined with a Welsh tie or loss to Chile.
Wales 2, Romania 1
Wales was able to come from behind to defeat Romania 2-1 on Friday. They were able to bounce back after an opening match loss to the host team.
Cosmina Dusa once again scored giving Romania a 1-0 lead in the opening half. Wales came back strong as Jessica Fishlock tied the match and then assisted on Helen Lander's game winner a few minutes later.
Wales now has a chance to win Group C with a victory over Chile and a Portugal tie or loss against Romania.
March 3, 2011
Canada and England Open with Cyprus Cup Victories
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Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
Labels: Canada WNT, Cyprus Cup, England WNT, France, Holland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland WNT, Russia WNT, Scotland WNT, South Korea, Switzerland
Canada won their Cyprus Cup opener over Scotland on the strength of an Emily Zurrer goal in the 70th minute. The University of Illinois product scored her first international goal on the senior level.
Zurrer headed in a Diana Matheson corner kick for the game winner. Erin McLeod earned the shutout for Canada.
England 2, Italy 0
Hope Powell's team got off to promising start with a 2-0 victory over Italy in their Cyprus Cup opener. Goals by Ellen White and Kelly Smith led England to victory.
White took advantage of a defensive error by the Italians early on. Smith's goal was on a penalty after Jess Clarke had been tripped up in the box by Elisabetta Tona.
Holland 4, New Zealand 1
Holland scored three first half goals and coasted their way to a 4-1 victory over New Zealand. Sherida Spitse opened the scoring in the 20th minute and was followed by a Manon Melis brace before intermission.
Sara Gregorius was able to get New Zealand on the board in the 75th minute, before Renee Slegers finished the scoring in the 83rd minute.
France 2, Switzerland 0
Gaëtane Thiney and Camille Abily netted goals as France defeated Switzerland 2-0. Bérangère Sapowicz posted the shutout for the French.
South Korea 3, Northern Ireland 1
South Korea opened Cyprus Cup play with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland.
Mexico 0, Russia 0
Mexico and Russia played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday, with Erika Vanegas earning the shutout for Mexico.
Zurrer headed in a Diana Matheson corner kick for the game winner. Erin McLeod earned the shutout for Canada.
England 2, Italy 0
Hope Powell's team got off to promising start with a 2-0 victory over Italy in their Cyprus Cup opener. Goals by Ellen White and Kelly Smith led England to victory.
White took advantage of a defensive error by the Italians early on. Smith's goal was on a penalty after Jess Clarke had been tripped up in the box by Elisabetta Tona.
Holland 4, New Zealand 1
Holland scored three first half goals and coasted their way to a 4-1 victory over New Zealand. Sherida Spitse opened the scoring in the 20th minute and was followed by a Manon Melis brace before intermission.
Sara Gregorius was able to get New Zealand on the board in the 75th minute, before Renee Slegers finished the scoring in the 83rd minute.
France 2, Switzerland 0
Gaëtane Thiney and Camille Abily netted goals as France defeated Switzerland 2-0. Bérangère Sapowicz posted the shutout for the French.
South Korea 3, Northern Ireland 1
South Korea opened Cyprus Cup play with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland.
Mexico 0, Russia 0
Mexico and Russia played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday, with Erika Vanegas earning the shutout for Mexico.
USWNT Open Algarve Cup with Victory
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Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
Labels: Algarve Cup, Chile, China WNT, Denmark WNT, Finland, Iceland WNT, Japan WNT, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, USWNT, Wales
The United States started the 2011 Algarve Cup on a high note, defeating Japan by a 2-1 margin. The US scored two early goals and made them stand up. The match between two of the world's top five teams was one of six matches played at the Algarve Cup in Portugal on Wednesday.
The US opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match. Nicole Barnhart sent a long free kick from the back which Lauren Cheney headed forward to Amy Rodriguez. From about 20 yards out and with her back to the goal, Rodriguez turned left (her right) and drilled a perfect shot into the right side of the goal.
Just a few minutes later, the US struck again. Cheney laid the ball off to Rodriguez about 40 yards from the goal. Rodriguez sent the ball wide to Heather O'Reilly on the right side. O'Reilly dribbled at the defender into the box, then cut wide. She then sent a low cross from just inside the right side of the penalty to area to Megan Rapinoe, who touched the ball into the net from about eight yards out amid several Japanese defenders.
Aya Miyama got Japan on the board in the 29th minute. After O'Reilly had taken down Yuki Nagasato, the Japanese were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area. Miyama struck it perfectly into the corner of the goal, cutting the lead in half.
Both teams had several other first half chances, but there was no more scoring in the match. Japan pressed hard for the tie late in the match, but were unable to solve the US defense.
Norway 2, Finland 1
The 2-1 score seemed to be the order of the day as Norway won the other Group A match over Finland by the same score.
Laura Kalmari opened the scoring in the 28th minute of the match, assisted by Tuija Hyyrynen. The lead lasted just a minute, as Norway answered quickly. Elise Thorsnes tied the match at one and then ten minutes later set up Isabell Hervlovsen for what proved to be the game winning goal. As in the US/Japan match, there was no second half scoring.
Iceland 2, Sweden 1
In yet another 2-1 match, Sweden was upset by Iceland, making it three losses already this year for the world's fourth ranked team.
Sweden seemed to be on track, scoring the game's first goal in just the 2nd minute of the match. Josefine Öqvist did the honors and the Swedes looked to be on their way to victory. But, in spite of several chances, they were unable to increase their lead, leaving the door open for Iceland.
Iceland tied the match in the 38th minute as an uncharacteristic error by Sweden's back line handed Margret Lara Vidarsdóttir a great opportunity. She took advantage of the mistake to tie the match at one, which was the halftime score.
Iceland took the lead just 10 minutes into the second half. Hedvig Lindahl stopped a free kick from 30 yards out, but was unable to control the rebound and Iceland's captain, Katrín Jónsdóttir knocked it home. Iceland was able to hold off Sweden for the rest of the match to seal the victory. It marks the first time that Iceland have ever defeated Sweden in international competition.
Denmark 1, China 0
Denmark took advantage of a deflected own goal to defeat China 1-0 in their Algarve Cup opener. The lone goal was scored when Zhang Yanru appeared to have Theresa Nielsen's shot covered, but the ball deflected off of Wang Dongni and rolled past the Chinese goalkeeper to put Denmark up 1-0 in the 20th minute.
Portugal 3, Wales 1
The host Portuguese opened the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Wales. Carla Couto's brace led Portugal to the victory.
Couto and Edita Fernandes gave Portugal an early 2-0 lead, before Loren Dykes scored late in the first half to cut the lead to one. Couto scored her second of the match in the 56th minute to finish the scoring.
Romania 2, Chile 0
Cosmina Dusa's brace sparked Romania to a 2-0 victory over Chile. The 20-year old striker continues to impress after she scored five goals in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Mirela Ganea posted the shutout for the victors.
The US opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match. Nicole Barnhart sent a long free kick from the back which Lauren Cheney headed forward to Amy Rodriguez. From about 20 yards out and with her back to the goal, Rodriguez turned left (her right) and drilled a perfect shot into the right side of the goal.
Just a few minutes later, the US struck again. Cheney laid the ball off to Rodriguez about 40 yards from the goal. Rodriguez sent the ball wide to Heather O'Reilly on the right side. O'Reilly dribbled at the defender into the box, then cut wide. She then sent a low cross from just inside the right side of the penalty to area to Megan Rapinoe, who touched the ball into the net from about eight yards out amid several Japanese defenders.
Aya Miyama got Japan on the board in the 29th minute. After O'Reilly had taken down Yuki Nagasato, the Japanese were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area. Miyama struck it perfectly into the corner of the goal, cutting the lead in half.
Both teams had several other first half chances, but there was no more scoring in the match. Japan pressed hard for the tie late in the match, but were unable to solve the US defense.
Norway 2, Finland 1
The 2-1 score seemed to be the order of the day as Norway won the other Group A match over Finland by the same score.
Laura Kalmari opened the scoring in the 28th minute of the match, assisted by Tuija Hyyrynen. The lead lasted just a minute, as Norway answered quickly. Elise Thorsnes tied the match at one and then ten minutes later set up Isabell Hervlovsen for what proved to be the game winning goal. As in the US/Japan match, there was no second half scoring.
Iceland 2, Sweden 1
In yet another 2-1 match, Sweden was upset by Iceland, making it three losses already this year for the world's fourth ranked team.
Sweden seemed to be on track, scoring the game's first goal in just the 2nd minute of the match. Josefine Öqvist did the honors and the Swedes looked to be on their way to victory. But, in spite of several chances, they were unable to increase their lead, leaving the door open for Iceland.
Iceland tied the match in the 38th minute as an uncharacteristic error by Sweden's back line handed Margret Lara Vidarsdóttir a great opportunity. She took advantage of the mistake to tie the match at one, which was the halftime score.
Iceland took the lead just 10 minutes into the second half. Hedvig Lindahl stopped a free kick from 30 yards out, but was unable to control the rebound and Iceland's captain, Katrín Jónsdóttir knocked it home. Iceland was able to hold off Sweden for the rest of the match to seal the victory. It marks the first time that Iceland have ever defeated Sweden in international competition.
Denmark 1, China 0
Denmark took advantage of a deflected own goal to defeat China 1-0 in their Algarve Cup opener. The lone goal was scored when Zhang Yanru appeared to have Theresa Nielsen's shot covered, but the ball deflected off of Wang Dongni and rolled past the Chinese goalkeeper to put Denmark up 1-0 in the 20th minute.
Portugal 3, Wales 1
The host Portuguese opened the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Wales. Carla Couto's brace led Portugal to the victory.
Couto and Edita Fernandes gave Portugal an early 2-0 lead, before Loren Dykes scored late in the first half to cut the lead to one. Couto scored her second of the match in the 56th minute to finish the scoring.
Romania 2, Chile 0
Cosmina Dusa's brace sparked Romania to a 2-0 victory over Chile. The 20-year old striker continues to impress after she scored five goals in UEFA World Cup qualifying. Mirela Ganea posted the shutout for the victors.
March 1, 2011
Algarve Cup Schedule
March 2, 2011
Group A - Norway vs. Finland, Japan vs. USA
Group B - Sweden vs. Iceland, China vs. Denmark
Group C - Portugal vs. Wales, Romania vs. Chile
March 4, 2011
Group A - Japan vs. Finland, USA vs. Norway
Group B - Iceland vs. China, Denmark vs. Sweden
Group C - Portugal vs. Chile, Wales vs. Romania
March 7, 2011
Group A - Norway vs. Japan, Finland vs. USA
Group B - China vs. Sweden, Denmark vs. Iceland
Group C - Portugal vs. Romania, Wales vs. Chile
March 9, 2011
Playoff Round.
Group A - Norway vs. Finland, Japan vs. USA
Group B - Sweden vs. Iceland, China vs. Denmark
Group C - Portugal vs. Wales, Romania vs. Chile
March 4, 2011
Group A - Japan vs. Finland, USA vs. Norway
Group B - Iceland vs. China, Denmark vs. Sweden
Group C - Portugal vs. Chile, Wales vs. Romania
March 7, 2011
Group A - Norway vs. Japan, Finland vs. USA
Group B - China vs. Sweden, Denmark vs. Iceland
Group C - Portugal vs. Romania, Wales vs. Chile
March 9, 2011
Playoff Round.
Algarve Cup - Group C Preview
Group C at Algarve is composed of four teams ranked from 37th to 47th in the world. This tournament offers these teams an opportunity to get four competitive matches under their belts and lets their coaches evaluate young talent.
None of these teams qualified for the World Cup. The closest was Chile, who finished third in Conmebol qualifying, just out qualification. Portugal, Wales, and Romania had varying success at the group stage of UEFA qualifying, but none seriously challenged for a spot. But with four fairly evenly matched teams and all with several young players on their rosters, this could be an entertaining group to watch.
Chile
Coach: Marta Tejedor
World Rank: #46
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing third in the Conmebol qualifying tournament.
Latest Results:
Conmebol Second Stage Playoff Round: Tied Colombia 1-1, Tied Argentina 0-0, Lost to Brazil 1-3.
Conmebol Group Stage: Defeated Ecuador 2-1, Lost to Argentina 1-2, Defeated Bolivia 3-0, Defeated Peru 3-1.
Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Christiane Endler, Natalia Campos.
Defenders: Javiera Guajardo, Camila Saez, Nicole Cornejo, Carla Guerrero.
Midfielders: Francisca Lara (D/MF), Karen Araya, Yanara Aedo, Rocio Soto, Maria Mardones, Daniela Fuenzalida, Valentina Lefort.
Forwards: Maria Jose Rojas, Nathalie Quezada, Daniela Zamora, Yessenia Huenteo, Janet Salgado.
Chile is bringing a very young team to the Algarve Cup. At least seven players competed in the 2008 U-20 World Cup and four were members of the U-17 World Cup team from 2010. Chile just missed qualifying for the World Cup, finishing closely behind Colombia.
The top three offensive threats for Chile are probably Francisca Lara, Karen Araya, and Janet Salgado. Lara and Araya scored three goals each during Chile’s qualification run, Salgado added two. Araya is just 20 years old.
Christiane Endler is Chile’s top goalkeeper. Two defenders from the U-17 team will be in Portugal, Camila Saez and Nicole Cornejo. Chile is a team with a tremendous upside and the Algarve Cup should be a great experience for them.
Portugal
Coach: Mónica Jorge
World Rank: #39
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing 3rd in UEFA Group 7.
Latest Results:
UEFA WC Qualifying (since July, 2010): Defeated Armenia 3-0
Algarve Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Neide Simões, Jamila Marreiros.
Defenders: Ines Borges, Carole Costa, Kim Brandão, Sõnia Matias, Ana Borges.
Midfielders: Silvia Rebelo, Ana Cristina Leite, Elsa Ventura, Dolores Silva, Sofia Vieira, Melissa Antunes, Noémia Figueiredo, Mónica Goncalves.
Forwards: Carolina Mendes, Lissette Brandão, Claudia Neto, Carla Couto, Edita Fernandes.
The host Portuguese squad enters Algarve Cup play following a 3rd place finish in the group stage of UEFA World Cup qualifying. They probably accomplished about what was expected of them, losing both matches to Italy and Finland and winning both matches against Armenia and Slovenia.
Probably the most well known player to American fans is Kim Brandão, a defender who played college soccer for Rutgers and has played for several teams in the W-League, including the 2010 Buffalo Flash championship team. Edita Fernandes is one of the team’s most accomplished players with 90 caps. She scored five goals in qualifying at forward.
Other players to watch are defender Ana Borges, midfielders Sofia Vieira, Dolores Silva, and Mónica Goncalves, and forward Carla Couto. Neide Simóes is the Portuguese goalkeeper. She posted three shutouts in qualifying and held Finland to just one goal in another match.
The home team is sure to be a fan favorite at Algarve and they are in a group with teams of nearly similar stature, which should make for some interesting matches.
Romania
Coach: Maria Delicoiu
World Rank: #37
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing 4th in UEFA Group 4.
Latest Results:
UEFA WC Qualifying (since July, 2010): Lost to Hungary 2-3, Lost to Ukraine 1-3.
Algarve Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Mirela Ganea, Roxana Oprea.
Defenders: Olivia Oprea, Elena Iuliana Pavel, Corina Olar, Teodora Dragoescu, Maria Ficzai, Monika Sinka, Tunde Mate, Ruxandra Elena Neagu.
Midfielders: Raluca Sarghe, Melisa Alexandra Iusan, Cosmina Dusa, Laura Roxana Rus, Andrea Herczeg, Stefania Iulia Vatafu, Georgiana Birtoiu, Ana Maria Stanciu.
Forwards: Florentina Spanu, Andreea Laiu, Zsuzsanna Sinka.
Romania also brings a young team to Algarve. They have four players under 20 years old and none over the age of 26. They finished a distant fourth in their group for World Cup qualifying.
Romania’s number one offensive player has to be midfielder/forward Cosmina Dusa. The 20-year old has been somewhat of a sensation in Romanian club soccer for CFF Olimpia Cluj, scoring a mind blowing amount of goals. Dusa scored five goals for the Romania in World Cup qualifying matches.
Florentina Spanu and Andreea Laiu are two of Romania’s top forwards. The midfield includes three 23-year olds in Raluca Sarghe, Melisa Iusan, and Laura Rus. Two of Romania’s most experienced players head the defense, Teodora Dragoescu and Corina Olar. Mirela Ganea is their goalkeeper.
This is another young squad looking to make progress and gain experience at Algarve. They are certainly worth a look, especially to see young Dusa.
Wales
Coach: Jarmo Matikainen
World Rank: #47
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing 4th in UEFA Group 8.
Latest Results:
UEFA WC Qualifying: Lost to Sweden 1-5, Defeated Azerbaijan 15-0.
Friendlies: Lost to Scotland 2-4, Defeated Bulgaria 8-1.
Algarve Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Rhian Nokes, Gemma Border.
Defenders: Sally Wade, Emma Jones, Nia Jones, Kerrie Manley, Jasmin Dutton, Kylie Davies.
Midfielders: Katie Daley, Josie Green, Michelle Green, Sophie Ingle, Sarah Adams, Jessica Fishlock.
Forwards: Loren Dykes, Laura-May Walkley, Gwennan Harries, Helen Lander, Emma Plewa, Cheryl Foster.
Wales won three of their eight World Cup qualifying matches, the most impressive of which was probably a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic. They enter this tournament without one of their experienced veterans, midfielder Jayne Ludlow, who is injured. Many of Wales top players play club soccer in England.
Gwennan Harries and Helen Lander combined for 15 goals in qualifying, although it must be said that nine of those came in a lopsided 15-0 victory over Azerbaijan. Still, it gives Wales two young forwards to build around. Harries plays for Everton in England. 56-cap veteran Cheryl Foster is another forward. Jessica Fishlock is a top offensive threat in the midfield.
Emma Jones is Wales’ most experienced defender. Rhian Nokes started six of Wales’ eight qualifying matches and is their number one goalkeeper.
Coach Jarmo Matikainen sees this as an opportunity for his team to play several matches together and build as a team.
None of these teams qualified for the World Cup. The closest was Chile, who finished third in Conmebol qualifying, just out qualification. Portugal, Wales, and Romania had varying success at the group stage of UEFA qualifying, but none seriously challenged for a spot. But with four fairly evenly matched teams and all with several young players on their rosters, this could be an entertaining group to watch.
Chile
Coach: Marta Tejedor
World Rank: #46
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing third in the Conmebol qualifying tournament.
Latest Results:
Conmebol Second Stage Playoff Round: Tied Colombia 1-1, Tied Argentina 0-0, Lost to Brazil 1-3.
Conmebol Group Stage: Defeated Ecuador 2-1, Lost to Argentina 1-2, Defeated Bolivia 3-0, Defeated Peru 3-1.
Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Christiane Endler, Natalia Campos.
Defenders: Javiera Guajardo, Camila Saez, Nicole Cornejo, Carla Guerrero.
Midfielders: Francisca Lara (D/MF), Karen Araya, Yanara Aedo, Rocio Soto, Maria Mardones, Daniela Fuenzalida, Valentina Lefort.
Forwards: Maria Jose Rojas, Nathalie Quezada, Daniela Zamora, Yessenia Huenteo, Janet Salgado.
Chile is bringing a very young team to the Algarve Cup. At least seven players competed in the 2008 U-20 World Cup and four were members of the U-17 World Cup team from 2010. Chile just missed qualifying for the World Cup, finishing closely behind Colombia.
The top three offensive threats for Chile are probably Francisca Lara, Karen Araya, and Janet Salgado. Lara and Araya scored three goals each during Chile’s qualification run, Salgado added two. Araya is just 20 years old.
Christiane Endler is Chile’s top goalkeeper. Two defenders from the U-17 team will be in Portugal, Camila Saez and Nicole Cornejo. Chile is a team with a tremendous upside and the Algarve Cup should be a great experience for them.
Portugal
Coach: Mónica Jorge
World Rank: #39
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing 3rd in UEFA Group 7.
Latest Results:
UEFA WC Qualifying (since July, 2010): Defeated Armenia 3-0
Algarve Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Neide Simões, Jamila Marreiros.
Defenders: Ines Borges, Carole Costa, Kim Brandão, Sõnia Matias, Ana Borges.
Midfielders: Silvia Rebelo, Ana Cristina Leite, Elsa Ventura, Dolores Silva, Sofia Vieira, Melissa Antunes, Noémia Figueiredo, Mónica Goncalves.
Forwards: Carolina Mendes, Lissette Brandão, Claudia Neto, Carla Couto, Edita Fernandes.
The host Portuguese squad enters Algarve Cup play following a 3rd place finish in the group stage of UEFA World Cup qualifying. They probably accomplished about what was expected of them, losing both matches to Italy and Finland and winning both matches against Armenia and Slovenia.
Probably the most well known player to American fans is Kim Brandão, a defender who played college soccer for Rutgers and has played for several teams in the W-League, including the 2010 Buffalo Flash championship team. Edita Fernandes is one of the team’s most accomplished players with 90 caps. She scored five goals in qualifying at forward.
Other players to watch are defender Ana Borges, midfielders Sofia Vieira, Dolores Silva, and Mónica Goncalves, and forward Carla Couto. Neide Simóes is the Portuguese goalkeeper. She posted three shutouts in qualifying and held Finland to just one goal in another match.
The home team is sure to be a fan favorite at Algarve and they are in a group with teams of nearly similar stature, which should make for some interesting matches.
Romania
Coach: Maria Delicoiu
World Rank: #37
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing 4th in UEFA Group 4.
Latest Results:
UEFA WC Qualifying (since July, 2010): Lost to Hungary 2-3, Lost to Ukraine 1-3.
Algarve Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Mirela Ganea, Roxana Oprea.
Defenders: Olivia Oprea, Elena Iuliana Pavel, Corina Olar, Teodora Dragoescu, Maria Ficzai, Monika Sinka, Tunde Mate, Ruxandra Elena Neagu.
Midfielders: Raluca Sarghe, Melisa Alexandra Iusan, Cosmina Dusa, Laura Roxana Rus, Andrea Herczeg, Stefania Iulia Vatafu, Georgiana Birtoiu, Ana Maria Stanciu.
Forwards: Florentina Spanu, Andreea Laiu, Zsuzsanna Sinka.
Romania also brings a young team to Algarve. They have four players under 20 years old and none over the age of 26. They finished a distant fourth in their group for World Cup qualifying.
Romania’s number one offensive player has to be midfielder/forward Cosmina Dusa. The 20-year old has been somewhat of a sensation in Romanian club soccer for CFF Olimpia Cluj, scoring a mind blowing amount of goals. Dusa scored five goals for the Romania in World Cup qualifying matches.
Florentina Spanu and Andreea Laiu are two of Romania’s top forwards. The midfield includes three 23-year olds in Raluca Sarghe, Melisa Iusan, and Laura Rus. Two of Romania’s most experienced players head the defense, Teodora Dragoescu and Corina Olar. Mirela Ganea is their goalkeeper.
This is another young squad looking to make progress and gain experience at Algarve. They are certainly worth a look, especially to see young Dusa.
Wales
Coach: Jarmo Matikainen
World Rank: #47
World Cup: Failed to qualify after finishing 4th in UEFA Group 8.
Latest Results:
UEFA WC Qualifying: Lost to Sweden 1-5, Defeated Azerbaijan 15-0.
Friendlies: Lost to Scotland 2-4, Defeated Bulgaria 8-1.
Algarve Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Rhian Nokes, Gemma Border.
Defenders: Sally Wade, Emma Jones, Nia Jones, Kerrie Manley, Jasmin Dutton, Kylie Davies.
Midfielders: Katie Daley, Josie Green, Michelle Green, Sophie Ingle, Sarah Adams, Jessica Fishlock.
Forwards: Loren Dykes, Laura-May Walkley, Gwennan Harries, Helen Lander, Emma Plewa, Cheryl Foster.
Wales won three of their eight World Cup qualifying matches, the most impressive of which was probably a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic. They enter this tournament without one of their experienced veterans, midfielder Jayne Ludlow, who is injured. Many of Wales top players play club soccer in England.
Gwennan Harries and Helen Lander combined for 15 goals in qualifying, although it must be said that nine of those came in a lopsided 15-0 victory over Azerbaijan. Still, it gives Wales two young forwards to build around. Harries plays for Everton in England. 56-cap veteran Cheryl Foster is another forward. Jessica Fishlock is a top offensive threat in the midfield.
Emma Jones is Wales’ most experienced defender. Rhian Nokes started six of Wales’ eight qualifying matches and is their number one goalkeeper.
Coach Jarmo Matikainen sees this as an opportunity for his team to play several matches together and build as a team.
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