USA women storm to berth in Rio

Mallory Pugh looked sharp as the US secured a spot in the Olympics with a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

OK, so that’s an exaggeration, but there is a real rivalry.

The U.S. has dominated Olympic women’s soccer, winning four of the five gold medals since the event was added to the program in 1996.

The United States Women’s National Team is heading to Rio. Although the match versus Canada on Sunday doesn’t mean anything, with both teams already going to Rio, it will bode well if Morgan can leave her mark against the Americans’ biggest CONCACAF rival. “I was really pleased on the way we played…. It always tends to be a bloodbath”, Solo said. “They’re a really good first-half team but I think as the game wears on they get a little more unorganized”. But she has proved to Ellis that she’s a viable alternative – especially if the USA wants more attacking bite against bunkered-in opponents.

Probably the best example of the intensity of the rivalry came at the 2012 London Olympics.

Six players have scored for the U.S.in the tourney so far: Crystal Dunn (6), Carli Lloyd (3), Alex Morgan (2), Christen Press (2), Kelley O’Hara (1) and Samantha Mewis (1). The match featured a controversial call when Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod was whistled for holding the ball too long, sparking a wild sequence that led to a questionable handball call against Canada and Abby Wambach’s penalty kick to tie it late in regulation. “It’s a shame in a game like that, which is so important, that the ref decided the result before the game started”.

They will try to make it 19 games in a row undefeated as they take on Canada, 3-1 winners over Costa Rica in the other semifinal, in Sunday’s final. Earlier in the tournament, Sinclair passed American Mia Hamm (158). It was a surprise, though, to see her get the start over Ali Krieger on Friday.

“In the end we weren’t able to cope with it as well as we’d liked”, Hood said.

The U.S. cruised through the qualifying state, scoring 16 goals while giving up no goals. Leroux holds dual citizenship.

For the USA, that game offers an opportunity to win a fourth straight CONCACAF title while for Canada it looms as a grudge match.

“I was so mentally focused and prepared”, said Solo, who extended her US shutouts record to 94.

The United States clinched an Olympic spot for the sixth consecutive time Friday night with a 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago.

All told, Canada and the United States have met 55 times, with the Canadians coming out on top for just three matches.

With just 13 months separating the Women’s World Cup final from kickoff at the Summer Olympics, few would have blamed Jill Ellis for keeping matters simple. The most recent meeting between the two countries was last December during the World Cup Victory Tour.