US Downs China in Exhibition

Ellerston Nets First Career International Goal

December 15, 2008

CARSON, Calif. � Tina Ellerston scored her first career international goal and the U.S. Women�s National Team beat China, 1-0, in an exhibition match at the Home Depot Center.

Ellertson, a defender in her previous 32 caps for the USA, was a forward in college at the University of Washington and started at striker for the first time in her national team career.

Connecticut's Kristine Lilly made her return to the US National Team.

Assisting on the goal was forward Amy Rodriguez, who returned to the U.S. team for the first time since the Olympics after completing her senior season at the University of Southern California.

Rodriguez received a pass down the left wing from Shannon Boxx and powered past Liu Hua Na into the left side of the penalty area. She then played a perfect cross on the ground that eluded Chinese goalkeeper Zhang Yanru as well as a defender and rolled into the path of the sprinting Ellertson, who slid to knock the ball into the net from four yards out.

�I'm so excited, I'm grinning from ear to ear,� said Ellertson, who was out for most of 2008 after having her second child. �I wanted to be back playing and being out there. Today was so awesome. It�s been a while since I played up top but it felt great.�

Connecticut native Kristine Lilly returned from a nearly 14-month hiatus after taking time off to have her first child and earned her 341st cap when she came on in the 55th minute. The Queen of Caps showed well in her 35 minutes of action, just missing wide at the near post in the 59th minute, and in the 76th minute forced Zhang to make the best save on the night as she dove right to block a low, line drive from 12 yards out.

China�s best chance of the night came in the 68th minute when star forward Han Duan shimmied past Kate Markgraf in the right side of the penalty box and dribbled straight at the near post, only to slam her shot into the side netting. Two minutes earlier, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo did well to handle a corner kick that had bounced inside the six yard box, punching it clear of danger.

With the win, the U.S. extended their record number of wins in a year to 32, with just one loss and one tie. The Achieve Your Gold Tour wraps up on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Ford Field in Detroit as the U.S. hosts China again.

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT

Scoring Summary:
USA � Tina Ellertson (Amy Rodriguez) 61st minute

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts, 3-Christie Rampone � capt., 4-Rachel Buehler (15-Kate Markgraf, 46), 17-Lori Chalupny (19-Marian Dalmy, 71); 9-Heather O�Reilly (21-Kacey White, 71), 7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 16-Angela Hucles (13-Kristine Lilly, 55); 20-Tina Ellertson (12-Lauren Cheney, 77), 5-Lindsay Tarpley (8-Amy Rodriguez, 46)

CHN: 1-Zhang Yanru; 15-Zhou Gaoping, 5-Weng Xin Zhi, 2-Yuan Fan, 14-Liu Hua Na (19-Gao Yan, 76); 12-Wang Dan Dan (3-Zhang Ying, 68), 6-Zhang Na, 7-Bi Yan - capt.; 8-Xu Yuan (10-Liu Sa, 46), 9-Han Duan (4-Wang Kun, 80), 11-Lou Jiahui (17-Gu Ya Sha, 46)

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg
Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb