SEE HIGHLIGHTS OF USWNT vs. Sweden HERE.
The United States women’s national team entered the 2013 Algarve Cup as the most dominant team in the world. So far they have not disappointed soccer fans in their bid to win the tournament. Led by Baby Horse, Megan Rapinoe, Abby Wambach and the new US starlet Christen Press, our favorite ladies are well on their way to winning some more hardware.
After a 1-1 tie with Sweden Monday, the team will meet Germany in the final on Wednesday to try to cap a great Algarve journey:
The women soundly defeated Iceland in their first game of the Cup by a score of 3-0. Goals for the USWNT came from Shannon Boxx, Wambach and Rachel Buehler. “The Buehldozer” had a special game as the defender was also handed her 100th cap for the US.
Then there was former rivals China. Is it just me or has China lost a bit of the power in their punch these past few years? After the epic showdowns of the Mia Hamm/Brandi Chastain era, this game left a bit to be desired for soccer fans. The US soundly defeated China 5-0 while making 10 lineup changes from the win over Iceland. Talk about depth.
The biggest story may be the fact that, despite the opinion of many fans (especially males), the USWNT seems to be functioning perfectly without goalkeeper Hope Solo. It is reported that the long-time goalkeeper is out for 3-4 months with a wrist injury. Backup goalkeeper Jill Loyden also suffered a wrist injury when she broke a bone in her left hand during a training session in Portugal, where the Algarve Cup is being held. Enter veteran goalkeeper, Nicole Barnhart, with the relatively new addition, Ashlyn Harris, as her backup.
So far the women’s team has completed two shutouts in two games. No Hope? No problem.
