The powerful U.S. women’s soccer team is one match closer to its third consecutive gold after defeating New Zealand 2–0 Friday afternoon.
Though the match was low-scoring—1–0 until the 87th minute—the United States was always in control. New Zealand couldn’t near U.S. keeper Hope Solo, who registered her third clean sheet in a row.
Alex Morgan put non-stop pressure on the New Zealand defense, both on through balls and bringing the ball up herself, though she didn’t get a goal this time.
Morgan did set up the first U.S. goal; in the 27th minute the 23-year-old U.S. striker attacked down the left side, drawing three defenders. Somehow she threaded the ball through them to hit Abby Wambach charging into the six-yard box on the right. Wambach tipped it past Kiwi keeper Jenny Bindon from two yards out for the game’s opening goal.
Wambach has now scored in five consecutive Olympic matches—four in London and the final of 2004.
Morgan kept he pressure on until the 73 minute, when Morgan gets a through ball from Carly Lloyd. Morgan outran her defender and charged in on Bindon, who came out to challenge.
Morgan tipped the ball past Bindon on the left and tried to run past on the right but, struck the Kiwi keeper in under the right eye with her left knee.
This proved to be quite a scary moment, as both players stayed down, Bindon unmoving. Eventually both rose and continued playing.
Sydney Leroux, a 22-year-old Seattle Sounders striker playing in her first Olympics, came on for Morgan in the 81st minute and immediately picked up where Morgan left off. In the 87th minute Leroux collected a though ball from Carly Lloyd, charged to the left corner the six-yard box, and fired through the legs of Bindon. It was Leroux’s first Olympic score, her wide-eyed amazement explained exactly how she felt.
“It was huge,” Leroux told NBC Sports about the feeling of scoring her first Olympic goal. “I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.
“I was like, ‘I better get this in.’ I hit it and I saw it go in and I couldn’t believe what happened.”
New Zealand picked up the pace in the final ten minutes of regulation play, but couldn’t get through the U.S. defense.
The U.S. attack languished in the final third of the game; the side seemed content to send in long balls to see who would run them down. This is new for the U.S. women, something they developed in the last two games. In the past they had one speed—full ahead— but they have learned to play possession, protect a lead, and make the other team take chances.
The offense did crank up in stoppage time, when it seemed certain the U.S. lead was safe. Those final four minutes were filled with U.S. attacks; none succeeded, but they created a lot of excitement and showed what the American women could have done had they wanted or needed to.
“It may not be pretty but it gets the job done,” Abby Wambach told NBC Sports of the new American style.
“When you get goals scored on you, especially the way we did against France, you learn a lot—you don’t take things for granted. [The two quick goals against] might be the biggest blessing in disguise for us.
“This whole team is so confident, so strong in the back. They [the defense] are playing well, they’re playing confident. Getting a shutout in any world championship is a good feat. I am so proud to be on this team fighting for an overall medal.”
The United States women will play Canada in the semi-finals Monday.
