COMMENTARY | The United States women’s soccer team began a two-match friendly competition against Canada Saturday. Although it was expected that the U.S. women would dominate, Saturday’s match ended in a 1-1 tie.
The second game will be held in Portland, Ore., on Thursday. To shore up their confidence, Team USA desperately needs a win. Five players will be key to the team’s success as they take on Canada again.
Megan Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe is a play-maker. She has the versatility and legs to run the United States midfield. Pair those with a knack for finding space and serving the ball through gaps in the opponent’s defense, and Rapinoe is deadly. A very unselfish player, it is no surprise Rapinoe has more assists in 2011 than any of her teammates.
Although she played somewhat flat on Saturday, expect Rapinoe to step up her intensity for Thursday’s game. When she plays well, she invigorates her teammates and really knows how to develop scoring opportunities.
Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan has a big foot. Although she is often a starter, Morgan is one of the top five goal-scorers on the team. She also plays very well off of passes from Rapinoe; the two of them are unstoppable together.
Morgan is the youngest player on the team, but she is the only one who can also claim the 2011 WPS title. No matter which team she is playing for, she manages to be in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the back of the net.
Hope Solo
Hope Solo really delivers in the net. Over the summer Solo celebrated her 100th game with the U.S. national team. She is the second goalkeeper to earn such honors.
Because her 100th game was earned during World Cup play, the national team organization had no way to honor her achievement. They plan to rectify that situation Thursday. Solo always puts on a spectacular performance in the goal, but expect her to shine especially bright in the Celebration Series.
Abby Wambach
Abby Wambach has a great head on her shoulders in all senses of the word. She is a dominating presence in front of the net and is just as accurate with her head as she is with her feet. Wambach was integral to the U.S. success in this year’s World Cup, earning the Bronze Shoe for her scoring prowess, and scored USA’s only goal against Canada in Saturday’s match.
In her years with the national team Wambach has developed a poise and finesse few other players can match. She seems to play better as the pressure mounts. With a growing need for a confidence-boosting win on Thursday, expect a stellar performance.
Heather O’Reilly
O’Reilly played a wide right wing position in Saturday’s game and was sorely underused by the American offense. With the United States playing much of the match on the left side of the field, she was often all alone and completely unmarked by Canadian defenders.
That creates a very beneficial situation for O’Reilly in Thursday’s upcoming game. So far in 2011 play, O’Reilly has been one of the top five scorers for Team USA. After being so underutilized in the first match, Canada won’t foresee scoring opportunities developing up the right side of the field. Expect O’Reilly to capitalize on it and show the Canadian defense exactly what she is capable of.