Women Sweat Out Brazil

Earn 1-0 Exhibition Win

June 15, 2008

Rodriguez came on at halftime replacing Natasha Kai and immediately gave the USA an offensive spark, the high point being her fifth international goal 26 minutes into the second half.

Abby Wambach remains a goal short of 100 despite notching an assist Sunday. (CHRIS ADUAMA/ADUAMA.com)

“I said at halftime to take the chance and keep possession,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. “You feel like you are under pressure, but (Brazil) is such a good team that we can keep possession under pressure and let them run instead. I think we did that in the second half. The fact that we were more patient, kept possession in the midfield and in the back, and at the same time we had A-Rod up top. That was the difference in the second half.”

The scoring sequence came about after the U.S. team dug a ball out of a scramble on the left wing. Substitute Tobin Heath played a short pass to Abby Wambach on the wing and she spun a cross through penalty area on the ground.

The ball skipped through the legs of a Brazilian defender and took a slight deflection right into the path of Rodriguez, who crushed a rising shot into the roof of the net at the near post from 10 yards out. Brazilian goalkeeper Barbara got a hand on it, but couldn’t turn the blast over the goal.

Brazil’s best chance of the first half came through Pretinha in stoppage time, but she had two defenders on her hips and could only toe-poke the ball a few yards outside the left post.

Under the blazing sun, both teams used all of their allowed seven substitutions. Sundhage emptied her bench in the second half, making four changes at halftime and three more during the second half. Both teams changed goalkeepers at half with the USA’s Nicole Barnhart replacing Hope Solo for the final 45 minutes.

The USA will travel to San Diego to face Brazil on Wednesday, July 16, in the second match of this two-leg series that will serve as the send-off match to the 2008 Olympics.

Wambach, who created the goal but did not come up with one of her own, heads to San Diego with 99 career goals in 126 appearances. She could hit the magical 100-goal mark and join just eight other women in international soccer history to score 100 or more goals.

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT

Scoring Summary:
USA – Amy Rodriguez (Abby Wambach) 71st minute.

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo (18-Nicole Barnhart, 46); 17-Lori Chalupny, 3-Christie Rampone – Capt, 15-Kate Markgraf (4-Rachel Buehler, 83), 2-Heather Mitts (14-Stephanie Cox, 46); 7-Shannon Boxx (10-Aly Wagner, 83), 9-Heather O’Reilly (13-Tobin Heath, 62), 5-Lindsay Tarpley (16-Angela Hucles, 46), 11-Carli Lloyd; 6-Natasha Kai (8-Amy Rodriguez, 46) 12-Abby Wambach.

BRA: 12-Andrea (1-Barbara, 46); 2-Jatoba (15-Maurine, 75), 4-Tania, 10-Erika (5-Andreia Rosa, 12); 7-Formiga, 9-Maicon, 14-Ester, 17-Francielle (6-Rosana, 42, 16-Daiane, 87), 19-Renta Costa; 11-Pretinha (20-Raquel, 57), 18-Fabiana (3-Pitty, 59).

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