Sinclair doubled the lead in the 52nd minute with a breathtaking strike. Last weekend, Sinclair passed Mia Hamm for second on the world list.Ĭosta Rica, a first-time World Cup participant last summer and runner-up to the United States in group play in this tournament, was reduced to absorbing constant pressure and launching desperate counterattacks. The fact that Costa Rica had lost track of one of the game’s most prolific strikers was staggering. Right back Josee Belanger’s cross floated over two runners and dropped on the back side to the unmarked Sinclair, who chested the ball down and laced an eight-yard volley. In the opener, Canada went ahead on Sinclair’s goal in the 17th minute. Morgan scored on volleys from close range in the 71st and 73rd minutes. Pugh left in the 59th minute and Dunn replaced Lloyd in the 66th. Lloyd has scored 23 goals in 18 games since the World Cup knockout stage began last summer. To that point, goalkeeper Kimika Forbes had done well against unrelenting pressure, but on this routine play, she allowed the ball to slip between her arms and then between her legs. The lead reached three just before halftime when Lloyd headed Morgan Brian’s corner kick on target. O’Hara swung a high ball to Lindsey Horan, who headed it into the six-yard box for Morgan’s side volley. The opportunities flowed in abundance, but the next goal did not come until the 30th minute. Cutting in from the back side, Heath one-timed a 12-yarder into the near corner for her first goal since the World Cup final against Japan last summer. She was not necessarily picking out Heath, just sending in a dangerous ball. In the 12th minute, Pugh raided the left wing and delivered a low cross through the heart of the penalty area. They did exactly did – the scoring part, at least.

The Americans emphasized the importance of setting the tone, scoring early and extinguishing T&T’s spirit. “To me,” midfielder Carli Lloyd said, “it’s a World Cup final.”

In a do-or-die match, the Americans were not taking anything for granted. While acknowledging the massive assignment, Coach Richard Hood said, “We are not going to lie down and allow them to walk over us.”Ĭaptain Maylee Attin-Johnson said that, with the team’s improvement in the region, “We are no longer here to participate we are here to compete.” Still, on the eve of the match, T&T was not willing to submit to overwhelming odds. The Soca Warriors had lost all nine previous meetings, including 6-0 during the World Cup victory tour.

changes were not germane to Trinidad and Tobago, which, regardless of opposing personnel, was in for a difficult evening. Pugh, who will attend UCLA, made her senior national team debut last month, scoring against Ireland, and started for the first time Monday in a 10-0 rout against Puerto Rico. Six Brazilian cities, including Rio de Janeiro, will host matches. The Americans and Canadians will learn their Olympic group opponents and venues this spring. Christine Sinclair, second behind the retired Abby Wambach on the international scoring list, posted two goals for the 2012 bronze medalists, who on Sunday will face the Americans for regional bragging rights. national squad rolled past Trinidad and Tobago, 5-0, in a CONCACAF qualifying tournament semifinal at BBVA Compass Stadium.įour days after rising star Crystal Dunn equaled the program scoring record, a 17-year-old attacker named Mallory Pugh stepped in to make piercing runs on the left flank and assisted on Tobin Heath’s early goal.Īlex Morgan recorded her third career hat trick as the World Cup champions remained unbeaten in Olympic qualifying history (17-0-1 with a 96-4 scoring margin).Įarlier, Canada secured a third consecutive Olympic berth with a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica. With an Olympic berth at stake, the characters did not matter Friday as the U.S. HOUSTON – Jill Ellis’ wealth of riches is such that she can insert a high school senior from Colorado into the best women’s soccer team in the world for a critical match, remove a player who scored five goals in the previous game, and not lose a speck of value.

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