After two years of injury and inconsistency, Morgan needs a confidence boost headed into the rest of qualifying, especially with Christen Press consistently scoring off the bench in recent US contests-as she did again on Wednesday with a gorgeous goal in the 83rd minute.
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Horan used her first touch to put her stamp on the game Wednesday, pinging a 50-yard ball that Lloyd nodded into the path of Morgan for the Americans’ opener. Her starting lineup included nine players who started for the USA during its victorious 2015 Women’s World Cup run; Morgan, Lloyd, Tobin Heath, Morgan Brian, Julie Johnston, Ali Krieger, Becky Sauerbrunn and Meghan Klingenberg.
Fast, furious and very fun, the United States women’s national soccer team came out smoking in their first Olympic qualifying match at Toyota Stadium, drilling Costa Rica 5-0 in a terrific start in their quest to qualify for their sixth consecutive Olympics.
Costa Rica coach Amelia Valverde said through an interpreter that her team was prepared for a USA attack right off the opening kick yet couldn’t prevent the early goal.
Lloyd noted her on-field teaming with Morgan is different from what Morgan shared with recently retired star Abby Wambach. She coolly finished at the near post – a play drawn up ahead of time, she would later say.
Yet even a hobbled Morgan was enough to lead the line for last summer’s World Cup-winning squad, and her ability to create danger behind the back line was on full display against Costa Rica. “Tonight was great. We had a good connection”.
An eternal eight minutes later, Crystal Dunn was chopped down outside the Ticas’ box on a dribble but tumbled into it and earned a penalty. Her first shot was blocked by a defender on the goal line.
The two clicked again in the 63 minute with the Americans building up the play from the back until Lloyd had the ball on the right flank. In the second half, the United States went on to add two more goals.
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The bad news for Costa Rica women’s football team is that it drew the world champion United States in its group. This vaunted US women’s national soccer team – one of the most storied and unique teams ever in the history of sports – has adopted a mindset for this 2016 Olympic qualifying campaign that there is no margin for error. Jill Ellis’s squad will finish group play Monday in Frisco against Puerto Rico, then, in all likelihood, prepare for the semifinals in Houston next Friday. The 37-year-old Dominguez is Mexico’s leader in career qualifying goals with 14.
