July 2016

5 final things you might not know about USA vs. Costa Rica

/ Bruce Tomaso / Leave a comment
Alex Morgan vs. Costa Rica, July 22, 2016. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Alex Morgan vs. Costa Rica, July 22, 2016. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The U.S. women wrapped up preparations for the 2016 Olympics with an easy 4-0 win over Costa Rica on Friday (July 22).

rio nbcIt was so easy that one might have said the American women barely broke a sweat — except it was so damned hot and humid in Kansas City, Kan., that the players’ jerseys were soaked through after just a few minutes’  running up and down the pitch.

In Brazil, their first Olympic game is against New Zealand on Aug. 3 (5 p.m. CT, NBC Sports Network).

They won’t need gloves or earmuffs for that one, either. The Aug. 3 weather forecast for the site of that game, Belo Horizonte, is sunshine, a high of 82, and 44 percent humidity.

Here are five oddities, curiosities, or (possibly) interesting facts about the USA-Costa Rica match and its participants:

 

1.

Unlike the U.S. team, Costa Rica isn’t going on to Brazil for the Olympics. The team finished third in the region’s qualifying tournament. The top two finishers — the United States and Canada — earned spots in the 12-nation Olympic tournament.

2016 Olympic groups

 

2.

Costa Rica did qualify for the 2015 Women’s World Cup — its first World Cup appearance. Even though it failed to advance from the group stage, the team surprised many by playing Spain and South Korea to draws before losing 1-0 to Brazil.

 

3.

Crystal Dunn’s goal was her 10th of the year. She is second on the team to Alex Morgan, who has 11.

 

4.

One change U.S. coach Jill Ellis has made is that she’s urging her defenders to come forward more to help on the attack. This tactic was evident against Costa Rica.

Meghan Klingenberg’s assist on Crystal Dunn’s goal was her fourth in 15 games this year. Coming into 2016, Klingenberg had one assist in 50 appearances.

Becky Sauerbrunn’s assist on Carli Lloyd’s goal was the fourth of her six-year career — and her second of 2016.

 

5.

U.S. coach Jill Ellis also wanted to get playing time for as many players headed to Rio as possible. She succeeded, with 17 of the 18 players who suited up making it onto the field.

That included both goalkeepers. In a rare move, Hope Solo came off at the half, and backup Alyssa Naeher played the second half.

Only Sam Mewis, an alternate on the Olympic squad, did not play against Costa Rica.

 

Earlier:

5 things you might not know about USA vs. Costa Rica

5 more things you might not know about USA vs. Costa Rica

 

Please click HERE to follow @finishersblog on Twitter.

 

5 more things you might not know about USA vs. South Africa

/ Bruce Tomaso / Leave a comment
meghan

Meghan Klingenberg and Chrestinah Kgatlana of South Africa, July 9, 2016. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

With their 1-0 victory over South Africa on Saturday (July 9), the U.S. women are one game away from the start of the Summer Olympics.

rio nbcLast stop before Brazil: Kansas City on July 22, for a game against Costa Rica (8 p.m. CT, ESPN).

The Americans and the South Africans could meet again in Rio. Both are in the 12-nation Olympic tournament.

Until then, here are five parting oddities, curiosities, or (possibly) interesting facts about last Saturday’s game and its participants:

 

1.

The 19,272 fans at Soldier Field in Chicago saw something that’s become rare: Heather O’Reilly on the field.

O’Reilly played the last seven minutes of the game, replacing Kelley O’Hara.  It was her first appearance in three months; on April 10, she came on in the 69th minute of a 7-0 thrashing of Colombia.

The 31-year-old midfielder was once a fixture in the U.S. lineup. She helped the United States win gold medals at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics. Her 151 starts (in 230 appearances) place her 15th on the all-time U.S. list.

But she never found favor with coach Jill Ellis, whose precision offense and emphasis on versatility don’t play to O’Reilly’s strengths.

Heather O'Reilly. (Getty Images)

Heather O’Reilly. (Getty Images)

She has logged just 75 minutes in 2016, by far the least on the team.

Three days after the South Africa match, Ellis announced her roster for Rio. O’Reilly isn’t on it.

 

2.

The game-winner was scored by Crystal Dunn in the 35th minute, with an assist by Mallory Pugh:

Pugh, the young American, leads the team with seven assists this year. Carli Lloyd is second with five.

 

3.

The shutout was Hope Solo’s 100th. It wasn’t one of the tougher ones. South Africa managed just four shots, two of them on goal. Both were easy saves.

Hope Solo and fans after her 100th shutout, against South Africa, July 9, 2016. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Hope Solo and fans after her 100th shutout, against South Africa, July 9, 2016. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

 

4.

This will be South Africa’s second appearance in the Olympics.  In the London Games of 2012, the team didn’t make it out of the group stage. Its  biggest moment was playing Japan, the eventual silver medal winner, to a scoreless draw.

 

5.

Followers of the international game regard South Africa as a team on the rise. If its gradual, steady progress continues, the team has a chance of qualifying for its first first World Cup, in France in 2019.

Much of the credit goes to coach Vera Pauw, a former captain of the Dutch national team.

Vera Pauw. (UEFA)

Vera Pauw. (UEFA)

Pauw has brought discipline and organization to a team whose style was often freewheeling,  sometimes chaotic.

When she took over in 2014, South Africa was ranked 60th in the world. A year later, it was No. 56. Today, it’s 52.

In 1998, after retiring as a player with 89 caps, she was hired to coach the Scottish women’s team. In 2004, she returned to the Netherlands to take charge of her old team, leading the Orange to the semi–finals of the Women’s Euro 2009 tournament. In 2011, she served as interim coach of the Russian women’s team.

When she was introduced as South Africa’s coach in March of 2014, she spoke of the country’s “massive potential” to develop its women into “international stars.”

More importantly, she said, “There are plenty of opportunities in which we can use football to enhance the future of women in general.”

 

 

Please click HERE to follow @finishersblog on Twitter.