In the 84th minute, Carli Lloyd faked out a defender and fed a cross right in front of the goal. Ellis opted for the latter and it paid off as the United States broke through China’s defense and claimed a victory thanks to morale leader Carli Lloyd’s well-placed header. The women held their own Tuesday night against the German powerhouse in the semifinals in Montreal.
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When the USA team upset Germany Tuesday to advance to the Women’s World Cup soccer final, Karin Cesnovar made a decision to book an impromptu trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, so her daughter can see Sunday’s big match live.
“I think it’s important for me to learn from it”, Johnston said. The possibility that I hurt the team and it was on my shoulders.
The United States has gone 513 minutes without conceding a goal.
The United States is looking to add to its 1991 and 1999 trophies.
Sure enough, Sasic whiffed, the first time Germany had ever missed a penalty kick at the World Cup.
Coming into the game Germany had been the highest scoring team in the World Cup averaging 12 shots on goal per game. That was the difference in the match, as the American defense locked it down for yet another shutout. “They weren’t able to really get many chances against Hope and she hasn’t had to make many quality saves”.
Lloyd, a two-time Olympic gold medal victor making her third World Cup appearance, is no stranger to soccer fans.
But the constant force behind the United States’ success over the past month in Canada hasn’t been the much-talked about attack led by Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach. “Four years ago we came so close…”
Johnston wasn’t even on the American roster that qualified for this World Cup. Did you see the 30-year-old Sauerbrunn immediately come to her emotional rescue?
Though her coaches and teammates told Johnston to forget about that moment and think about the upcoming final match, she can’t put it out of her mind completely. But the referee gave Johnston a yellow.
Sasic, who went into the match as the tournament’s leading scorer with six total goals, fooled Solo but her kick went wide left, prompting a deafening roar from the crowd.
The striker showed delightful skill just before the break too, to tip the ball beyond experienced Germany defender Krahn on the edge of her box, but her lofted shot floated harmlessly over the bar. Besides Lloyd who scored the first USA goal and assisted in the second to Kelley O’Hara in the last few minutes of the game (all hail Carly), there was another clear standout.
While the first 45 minutes ended scoreless, the US had already amassed seven shots and six corner kicks and maintained 55% of the possession. Brian controlled the field. An all-rounder with an insatiable appetite for hard work, Lloyd is also a tough competitor, the kind of player her team-mates can rely on to stand tall in the most demanding situations.
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Michelle Akers, a member of the team that won those two World Cups, went as far as to question whether coach Jill Ellis was the right person for the job. The US dominated the early proceedings and Nadine Angerer was once again called upon to keep Germany in the game.
