After having trouble finding a final ball in its match against Haiti, the U.S. Women’s National Team wasted little time Friday night against Guatemala.
Tobin Heath toed in the opener and coach Jill Ellis’ side never looked back in a 5-0 win at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.
Ali Krieger served a cross into Sydney Leroux, whose backheel touch provided Heath with the finish less than seven minutes into play.
The Americans struck again quickly after the start of the second half as well. The lead doubled in the 46th minute when Leroux did well to shimmy and lose her marker, and providing a right-footed service to the far post for a headed goal by Carli Lloyd past goalkeeper Alicia Navas.
Then, the floodgates opened.
Heath got the double when Megan Rapinoe’s corner fell to Lloyd, whose half-volley attempt was deftly redirected in by the Portland Thorns midfielder in the 57th minute.
“[Tobin’s] very, very creative,” Ellis said. “I was really pleased. I think ideally her best spot is probably on the left side. I love her ability to combine with our backs and combine with our target players.”
Three minutes later, a free kick from Rapinoe to Whitney Engen gave the unmarked US defender an easy header that Navas was powerless to defend, extending the lead to four.
Rapinoe got to display her scoring touch with perhaps the best, if not the most powerful of all in the 66th, bombing a right-footed shot into the top shelf from 23 yards out to give her side a quintet of goals.
Alex Morgan injured her left ankle in the 37th minute, forcing her to leave the game. Evan Thomas/The Pit
All appeared to be going swimmingly for the US until the 42nd minute, when Alex Morgan got tangled up during a collision in the opposition’s box suffered a left ankle injury. It didn’t take long after being stretchered to the sideline for her to by helped to the changing rooms and substituted out by Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars).
UPDATE: An MRI scan Saturday confirmed that no additional damage was done to Morgan’s ankle, but she’s ruled out of the rest of the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship and will miss an estimated 4-6 weeks.
“[Not concerned] in terms of replacing her with someone who can do the job; obviously she’s a special player, and hopefully she’s healthy, that’s our concern [that it’s not a long injury],” Rapinoe said. “Someone will step up.”
It looked like the home side would have its second in injury time of the first half, but a questionable foul call by the fourth official negated a cross from Meghan Klingenberg that found the head of Press and deflected in off Navas.
Overall, possession was heavily slanted toward a US side that utilized its width and got the wide backs involved more heavily than the match against T&T when numbers were sent en mass into the box against a side that also packed in defensively quite compactly. Guatemala went without a shot, while the USWNT totaled 21.
While the result doesn’t directly eliminate Guatemala or crown the US winners of Group A, the goal differential resulting means passage for the American women is all but assured.
USWNT concludes Group A play Monday night at RFK Stadium, home of D.C. United, against Haiti.
In the night’s opening match, Trinidad and Tobago took a 1-0 win from the Haitians to give both teams three points heading into the final match day of the group stage. Ahkeela Mollon’s cross from the right side was directed into the net’s far side by fellow forward Kennya Cordner to provide the winner.
Randy Waldrum’s squad parked itself in Haiti’s half for the majority of the match prior to the goal, then the pendulum swung again in the 61st minute when Trinidad goalkeeper Kimika Forbes, instrumental in limiting the U.S. to one goal in her team’s last match, was handed a red card. Replays didn’t provide a clear vantage point, but during stoppage Forbes appeared to graze a Haiti player with a left elbow while passing back into her place in net and was sent off by the official.
The Haitians knocked consistently on the door after T&T were limited to 10 women, but couldn’t find a leveler.
*Reported on in conjuncture with Press Row Sports.
