Hello! We hope everyone is staying healthy and hasn't gone stir crazy yet in quarantine.
Today we will be looking back on when The USWNT played Italy on November 27th, 2010 in Toyota Park, Bridgewater, Illinois.
But first, some background knowledge. This was a qualifying game to get to the World Cup. They had already played against Italy a week before in Italy. The US had to win or tie to qualify for the World Cup.▲There was only room for one more team in the World Cup and it was either going to be the US or Italy. Because of an injury, Nicole Barnhart was in the goal for Hope Solo. The starting lineup was: Nicole Barnhart, Christie Rampone, Shannon Boxx, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach, Heather Mitts, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler (now known as Rachel Van Hollebeke) and their head coach was Pia Sundhage. This was also Carli Lloyd's 100th cap!
1st Half
The US started with kick-off and the game was on. In the seventh minute, Amy Rodriguez shot the ball but it went past the goal and there was no one to finish the shot. A minute later in the eighth minute, an Italian player shot the ball, but all Nicole Barnhart had to do was scope it up. Later in the fifteenth minute, Italy's corner kick was deflected out of the 18-yard box. In the sixteenth minute, Barnhart came off her line and got the ball. One minute later in the seventeenth minute Amy Rodriguez crossed the ball into the 18-yard box but it was headed out by an Italian defender. A minute later Abby Wambach shot the ball wide. A little later in the twentieth minute, Heather O'Reilly shot the ball wide. Both teams were unable to finish their opportunities. In the twenty-third minute, the US had a free-kick that got played into Italy's 18-yard box. The ball got bobbled around here, but eventually, it was cleared out. In the twenty-fifth minute, Megan Rapinoe took a shot from outside the 18, but it went just wide. In the twenty-sixth minute, Rachel Buehler crossed a low ball in from the right side of the field to Amy Rodriguez. Rodriguez was unable to get a shot on frame and shot the ball over the goal. In the thirty-first minute after a small chip from Abby Wambach, Heather O'Reilly went it for the header but sent it wide. Later in the thirty-ninth minute, Italy had a free-kick and lofted it into the box, but it was cleared out by the US. Later in the fortieth minute, Megan Rapinoe crossed the ball from the left side of the field. It was deflected by the goalkeeper but Amy Rodriguez was able to put it in the back of the net! The US was up 1-0! After one minute of extra time, the whistle blew and the first half was over. The score was 1-0 and the US was up.
2nd Half
Italy started with kickoff and the second half was underway. Two minutes in, in the forty-seventh minute, Megan Rapinoe received the ball and took a shot but it went high. A few minutes later in the forty-ninth minute, Abby Wambach crossed the ball in towards the box but the ball was cleared out by an Italian player. Ten minutes later in the fifty-ninth minute, the US subbed Lauren Cheney (Now Lauren Holiday) in for Megan Rapinoe. Only seconds later in the sixtieth minute, Lauren Cheney received the ball and shot it, it bounced off the crossbar! A few minutes later in the sixty-second minute, the US took a free-kick but it went straight to the Italian goalkeeper. Three minutes later in the sixty-fifth minute, Lauren Cheney crossed the ball towards the box but the ball was deflected out by an Italian defender. If the results stay the same the US would qualify. In the seventy-sixth minute, the US subbed Ali Krieger in for Heather Mitts. In the eighty-first minute, Abby Wambach stole the ball from an Italian player just outside the box. Wambach took a touch but it was too big and it went to the Italian goalkeeper. For the rest of the game the US was playing a very high press game but no one was able to score. There ended up being three minutes of extra time and even though it took FOREVER, the final score ended up being US 1, Italy 0. The US had qualified for the World Cup!
The US ended up going on to the finals but lost to Japan in penalty kicks.
Make sure you check out our other blogs and most importantly stay safe!
Salzman, Noah. File:Amy Rodriguez.jpg. Common Wikimedia, commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:Amy_Rodriguez.jpg. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020.
Comments