US Women Down Denmark

Woznuk, DiMartino Tally in First Half

March 4, 2009

LAGOS, Portugal � The U.S. women�s soccer team kicked off the Algarve Cup with a 2-0 win over Denmark in whipping wind and drizzling rain on Wednesday.

Angie Wonzuk and Tina DiMartino tallied in the first half as the Americans recovered from a shaky opening 20 minutes.

In the 22nd minute, Angela Hucles rolled a pass to Woznuk on the wing and she hit a looping cross. The ball was punched to the other side of the penalty area by Denmark goalkeeper Heidi Johansen but Heather O�Reilly ran it down. O�Reilly�s cross was also punched by Johansen, and this time the ball fell to Woznuk near the left post. She settled the ball quickly and while standing just a few paces from the end line, blasted a sizzling half-volley into the roof of the net over the Danish goalkeeper.

Angie Woznuk celebrates her goal with Lori Chalupny. (Photo: ussoccer.com/isiphotos.com)

The goal energized the U.S. team, which started connecting passes and getting numbers into the attack. Thirteen minutes after the first score, the Americans got another.

This one came off a corner kick from the left side as Christie Rampone looped her cross to the far post. U.S. forward Natasha Kai jumped high to win the ball, heading it hard off the arm of a Danish defender who was protecting the left post. The ball spun out front of the goal and DiMartino, the smallest player on the field at 5 feet 2 inches, found space to slide and smash a left-footed shot through that same defender�s legs and into the net from just a few yards out.

The goal was DiMartino�s first for the full U.S. National Team, and it came in just her second cap and first start.

�It�s a special feeling to score a goal and, for Woznuk and DiMartino, who are fairly new to the team, it shows that on this team anyone can score,� said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. �Everyone is happy when anyone scores a goal, but especially the new players.�

U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo saved two breakaways in the first half from Danish winger Johanna Rasmussen, pushing the first away with a dive to her right in the 26th minute before securing the second with a dive to her left about 10 minutes later.

Solo made her biggest save just a minute before halftime when Rasmussen�s cross from the left wing was allowed to fall in a dangerous area inside the U.S. penalty box. Danish forward Merete Pedersen got a great strike on the ball from just six yards away, but Solo stuck out her right arm to make a great reaction save and then pounced on the ball before it could spin over the goal line.

The victory marked the sixth straight Algarve Cup where the USA has started off with a win. The American women are looking for their third straight Algarve Cup title after defeating Denmark in the championship game the past two years.

�Even though it was raining the field was pretty good,� said Sundhage. �So we tried to play through the midfield and at times we managed to do that, especially after the first 20-25 minutes. Then every single player in the midfield got involved in every attack and I was very pleased with that.�

The U.S. will have one rest day before its next game, taking on Iceland on March 6 in Ferreiras, with a kickoff at 3 p.m. local / 10 a.m. ET.

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT

Scoring Summary:
USA � Angie Woznuk (Heather O�Reilly) 22nd minute
USA � Tina DiMartino 35

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts (4-Rachel Buehler, 46), 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 7-Shannon Boxx, 17-Lori Chalupny; 9-Heather O�Reilly (21-Kacey White, 78), 10-Carli Lloyd, 16-Angela Hucles, 12-Angie Woznuk (15-Megan Rapinoe, 62), 19-Tina DiMartino (5-Lindsay Tarpley, 46), 6-Natasha Kai (8-Amy Rodriguez, 62)

DEN: 1-Heidi Johansen; 2-Mia Olsen, 3-Katrine Pedersen (capt.) (19-Marianne Pedersen, 67), 4-Christina �mtoft, 5-Line Hansen, 6-Marianne Knudsen, 7-Cathrine S�rensen (18-Nanna Christiansen, 72), 10-Camilla Sand, 13-Johanna Rasmussen, 9-Maiken Pape (17-Nadia Nadim, 21), 11-Merete Pedersen (8-Julie Rydahl-Bukh, 67)

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