“I was just impressed with our ball movement”, Solo told NBC Sports Network.
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Missing an Olympics is hardly the disaster that missing a World Cup would be, but it’s still a wasted opportunity to give U-23 players experience they won’t otherwise gain.
“After winning a gold and winning a World Cup, it’s quite a different place than going into your first Olympics”, said Kelley O’Hara, who has won a place as a wing defender after a high-scoring youth career, on the U.S. Soccer website.
“It’s everyone’s dream to be playing for their national team and in the Olympics and in a World Cup”, Pugh said in a video posted recently by U.S. Soccer.
The U.S. now faces its toughest Group B challenge in third-ranked France on Saturday.
The win puts the Americans on top of Group G, with France and Colombia set to square off later tonight. She is now sixth all-time in goals scored, ninth all-time in assists, and eighth all-time in appearances for the national team in her career. Megan Rapinoe is not expected to play in early matches due to health problems and Carli Lloyd came to Rio with health problems.
It was the 89th goal in 225 appearances for the midfielder, who is the most-capped player at the Olympics tournament. She took a pass from Morgan Brian on the left side of the box and snuck her shot past Nayler at the near post.
Seeking to become the first reigning Women’s World Cup champion to win the Olympic gold medal, the USA overcame a gritty New Zealand effort that made the Kiwis hard to play against, though they created few scoring chances in the US end.
Germany 6, Zinbabwe 1: At Sao Paulo, Melanie Behringer scored two goals as the three-time bronze medalist Germans routed newcomer Zimbabwe.
The United States has won more Olympic matches, scored more goals and taken home more gold medals than any team in women’s soccer history.
In other action, Brazil got off to a winning start when it beat China 3-0 in Rio de Janeiro. And when word got out, almost a million people flocked to the region in what became the world’s first gold rush. Standout performer Cristiane got a third with a header in the final minute of the game. The Football Ferns secret weapon might just be Ria Percival, 26, the defensive player who might help New Zealand score an explosive start of the 2016 Olympic games.
With a two goals and three points to its name in the first game, the already self-assured Americans will only grow in confidence.
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Germany hammered Zimbabwe 6-1, with Melanie Behringer getting two goals for the Germans and Kudakwashe Basopo scoring Zimbabwe’s first goal at an global tournament.
