USWNT China
Before ten seconds, the US have it in the area and it bounds harmlessly through it and a goal kick. A deep throw in for the US then goes way back. Demelo taken down ten yards from the area toward the touchline. Into the area and the ball misplayed by the keeper goes well out of the area, the US keeps up their early press. Teams trade long balls to not a soul. Rodman catches up to a lead ball, feeds Smith who get the opening goal at 8’ on a first time shot. Girma broke the lines and sprung Trinity. Smith now has 15 over her 37 games for her nation. Smith from a distance gets the GK to go full extension after beating a few, the GK gets to it, then off the post and over the end line. Demelo’s ball headed out by China, then recovered from the top of the 6 Smith puts it right on the GK. Rodman with a worm burner, easily covered up by the net minder. Demelo for Lavelle is blocked, US gets it back, Kruger on the endline wins a corner. Many balls into the area the the US are just not getting to. Sonnet with the foul from behind China DFK from less than 25 yards. Nodded out by the US, Demelo too long for Smith it’s sent back and the US have it. Horan hacked to the ground just below the center circle. Sonnett gets ahold of a ball, gets it to Rodman, her centering ball driven out for a corner by a defender. The corner by Rose into the 6 is to a red shirt, US regains it, gets it to Rose to the end line, into the hands of the GK. At 20’ the pressure from the US is still present. The US hold it in tight spaces, Demelo broughr down at the edge of it, no call. Kruger on the receiving end of a long ball finds Horan who gets wide. Kruger steps up and steals then puts it on to Demelo back again and in, the GK grabs it as a player on China is down. JX, sandwiched between Horan and her GK is holding her neck and back up now. Great pressure by the US , Sonnett gets it in for her. Smith again not on frame as she skies one in the 6. Murphy holds to long and has it go over the end line off the attacking player. Rodman looks inside it knocks around and out, US throw. The US pressure is giving China fits still as we approach the half hour mark. Rodman to Kruger, drops to Horan who finds Fox and it is lost. Girma steps up for Horan who lost it and Abby plays to Murphy. Lavelle holds too long as China has it going to goal, Kruger with the foul just over midfield. Driven in Abby knocks it down, Rose plays it out of touch far further from goal. Again the US step up just a bit to win the ball. Kruger steps up for a pass and Smith is on goal into the area shot from penalty distance and is well wide. Her 4th? Good look and not even on frame with this again. China goes over the top a bit and it was not on. Despite a number of errant passes the US still has more then 2x the possession of their opponent. Demelo alone played it in to a red kit. Many of the poor passes such as this last one have been 100% on the passer to nobody, anticipated runs, not good. Emily passes into China and the US recovers. Smith to the ground in the area rubbing her ankle. Demelo down at the top of the area, Smith at the 6, Demelo is up. Smith still being tended to as a few players are up. China wins it in the corner coming out Rose fouled no call across the area into the area and Kruger shields it at the post for a goal kick. Horan looking for Rodman in the area gets ridden off the ball. Trinity again bodied off a ball, they may have solved her speed? Nice 30 yard lead ball, the play broken up by Girma. China in the waning minutes of the half holding well, got it into the arc, then pulled it out, Smith runs into a player and went down hard. China will be heartened by this time and possession. They look to go inside and it goes well out for the game, 2’ stoppage game. A disputed corner for China with 30 seconds to go. Us heads it away courtesy of Rodman. A deep throw for China.
Horan with a goal off a pass at 53’ looking for Shaw found the back of the net. Wow taken down from behind and no call, the player stays down and Rose is now up, then down again. Rose runs onto a ball seems ok and wins a corner. Shaw on a short hop gets it back off the defender, give and go with Horan in the area off a defender or two the GK has it. In front of the ref, Rose brought down as the ball is outside going to goal. Jenna from Gotham is set to enter hoping you saw our interview with her on our facebook page after the Gotham celebration event for taking the NWSL tittle. Fishel is just not able to get around enough on the header and it goes wide from the DFK|. Nighswonger is on and her name barely fits on her shirt. Also on is Coffey. Rose backs into a defender gives a goal kick but is booked. Shaw gets called for getting knocked down by one player and falling into the other. Fishel hesitates, drifts wide gets closed and goes wide off a great pass played in by Shaw for Rodman to the player behind her the header by Trinity is well off, high level of difficulty from Shaw. If she would shoot and not look for one more touch there would be a few more shots on goal and maybe, just maybe a goal? Moultrie awaits entry to the game. Lavelle is off. At 72’. This half has been minus the speed of the first by far. Purce now to enter. Kruger out for Purce. Midge sends one goal ward, headed out for a corner, Jenna takes it. Rodman gets on as it passed through a few at 78’. Midge held off a few, found Shaw who sent it across the 6, just as she should and a pair crashed the box, the last sent it home. Quick shot on a turn but Casey more than up to it. Cut back for Moultrie and rebounds away. Shaw on the end line wins a corner. Jenna again over the ball. Headed out at the 6, but a foul and it’s China ball. Minute 86, still many lost passes, against a better foe this might just have been a totally different game. 3’ of extra time. Shaw with a shot from Miami, GK cannot handle it and it’s a corner. Horan ran into another player and is down for a moment.