US Women Set Win Record

Sweep Three Games with Ireland

September 21, 2008

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – The U.S. women’s soccer team set a record for wins in a calendar year, picking up its 29th victory of 2008 with a 2-0 triumph over Ireland Saturday in the third match of the Achieve Your Gold Tour.

The Americans swept the three games against Ireland, improving to 29-1-1 this year.

Kate Markgraf, who long ago set the U.S. record for most games without scoring, needed a bit of prodding from her teammates to run from midfield into the penalty box to take the kick, but coolly smacked her shot into the lower left corner past Ireland goalkeeper Emma Byrne to break her 192-game scoreless streak.

“I’m so happy for her,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage of Markgraf. “I coached her in Sweden with our club team and she scored a goal on a corner, but I’m so proud and happy to be a part of this, because it is her first goal and she’s been playing forever and ever.”

Sundhage started Lindsay Tarpley at the withdrawn forward position, underneath Natasha Kai, and the moved paid off with the USA’s first goal of the night.

It came in the 19th minute when Carli Lloyd slipped a short pass into the penalty box for Tarpley, who spun a one-touch right into the path of Lori Chalupny. The U.S. left back was making a darting run behind the defense and settled the ball well. She then slipped it under Irish goalkeeper Emma Byrne from 10 yards out to give the Americans the lead.

“I think the game went well,” said Sundhage. “We knocked it around in the first half and the first goal from Lori Chalupny was excellent. I think they had a lot of fun out there and that’s the most important thing. We got two goals from defenders and that’s pretty great. That means we have many goal scorers and that’s important.”

The U.S. women will now take a break during the end of September and the month of October before hitting the field again in November for the next matches on the Achieve Your Gold Tour. The dates and venues for the remaining seven games of the tour will be announced in the near future.

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT:

Scoring Summary:
USA – Lori Chalupny (Lindsay Tarpley) 19th minute
USA – Kate Markgraf (penalty kick) 31st

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo (18-Nicole Barnhart, 46); 17-Lori Chalupny, 3-Christie Rampone (4-Rachel Buehler, 46), 15-Kate Markgraf, 2-Heather Mitts (14-Stephanie Cox, 46); 16-Angela Hucles (10-Aly Wagner, 46), 7-Shannon Boxx – Capt., 11-Carli Lloyd, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 5-Lindsay Tarpley, 6-Natasha Kai (21-Kacey White, 63).

IRL: 1-Emma Byrne; 5-Yvonne Tracy, 4-Niamh Fahey, 3-Alisha Moran (12-Sharon Boyle, 90), 13-Ciara McCormack (14-Jemma Connor, 46); 7-Ciara Grant, 6-Sonya Hughes (2-Meabh De Burca, 46), 17-Mary McDonnell, 8-Aine O’Gorman; 10-Michele O’Brien, 11-Stefanie Curtis (18-Denise Thomas, 60).

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