Hi everyone! During quarantine, there has been no live soccer and really just no live sports. So we've been writing about games from the past. The game that we are writing about today is monumental.
Background knowledge:
This game was the semi-finals of the 2015 Women's World Cup. This game took place on June 30, 2015, in Montreal Canada. The USWNT starting lineup was: Hope Solo, Becky Sauerbrunn, Carli Lloyd (captain), Ali Krieger, Lauren Holiday, Alex Morgan, Morgan Brian, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, Julie Johnston (now Julie Ertz) and Megan Klingenberg. The US-made two changes from their last game which was putting in Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday. They came in for Amy Rodriguez and Kelley O'Hara. This was their first game back after being suspended. This was the USWNT's third time playing against Germany in a World Cup. Last but not least, the USWNT coach was Jill Ellis and their formation was a 4-5-1.
1st Half
Germany started with kickoff and it was on. Two minutes into the game Germany tried to cross the ball into the eighteen-yard box but it was cleared out by Becky Sauerbrunn. In the seventh minute, Megan Rapinoe served a corner kick into the box where Julie Johnston headed the ball towards the goal but it was saved by Germany's goalkeeper. Seconds later in the eighth minute a German player shot the ball from outside the box and it looked like it was going to go in but Hope Solo was able to tip it over the goal. Then in the ninth minute, Megan Rapinoe received the ball and cut it into the eighteen-yard box. Rapinoe shot it towards the goal but it went straight to Germany's goalkeeper. A few minutes later in the fourteenth minute, Tobin Heath received the ball and played it through to Alex Morgan who was just outside the box. Alex Morgan received the ball and shot it towards the goal but the goalkeeper saved it with her foot! That was close! In the twenty-fifth minute, Megan Klingenberg crossed the ball into the box but the German goalkeeper came off her line and got the ball. The game had been very back and forth but neither of teams were able to finish their opportunities. A few minutes later in the twenty-eighth minute, a German player took a free-kick, The ball was served into the box and was headed out by Morgan Brian. In the thirty-fifth minute, Megan Klingenberg shot the ball towards the goal but it was deflected out by a German player. Later in the thirty-sixth minute, Tobin Heath tried to tap the ball into the goal but it was deflected out. A few seconds later in the thirty-seventh minute, Becky Sauerbrunn received a yellow card after an illegal tackle. Then in the fortieth minute, a German player received the ball and shot it but it went wide. in the forty-third minute, Alex Morgan received the ball and tried to curve it into the goal but it went wide. There ended up being four minutes of extra time. A little later in the forty-ninth minute, Megan Rapione skied the ball over the goal.
2nd Half
The US started with kickoff and the second half was on. Two minutes later in the forty-seventh minute, Megan Rapinoe crosses the ball into the box on a corner kick where Carli Lloyd headed the ball but puts it just wide. Then in the fifty-eighth minute, Germany got its chance to get ahead. A german player was dribbling in the 18-yard box when Julie Johnston (Known as Julie Ertz now) pulled the player down. Johnston got a yellow card and Germany got a penalty kick. For Germany the player taking the kick was Sasic. Solo was in goal for the US. Sasic was ready and so was Solo. Sasic ran up and took the kick and shoot it just wide of the left post! The US fans in the stadium erupted with excitement! The game kept moving though. Later in the sixty-second minute, Ali Kriger tried to serve the ball into the 18-yard box but Germany's keeper came out and got it. Only a few seconds later in the sixty-third minute a German player received the ball in the middle of the field and took a shot but it went high. A few minutes later in the sixty-sixth minute, Alex Morgan took a shot from the left side of the field but it went wide. A few seconds later in the sixty-seventh minute, Alex Morgan got taken down in the 18-yard box. And just like that, the US has a penalty kick! Carli Lloyd steps up to take the penalty kick and puts the ball into the right side of the goal! The US was up 1-0! This was a huge boost for the US! Later in the seventy-fourth-minute #5, Kelley O'Hara came in for #17 Tobin Heath. In the seventy-ninth minute #20, Abby Wambach came in for #15 Megan Rapinoe. Then in the eighty-fourth, Carli Lloyd crossed the ball from the left side of the goal to Kelly O'Hara who knocked the ball into the goal using the sole of her foot! The US was up 2-0 with only a few minutes in the game left! The fans jumped out of their seats in excitement! In the ninety-second minute #2, Sydney Leroux came in for #13 Alex Morgan. After 3 minutes of overtime, the US won the semi-final of the 2015 women world cup!
The US went on to the finals of the world cup where they beat Japan 5-2 and Carli Lloyd had an amazing three goals.
Stay safe and healthy and don't forget to check out our other blogs!
Smed, Jamie. Kelley O'Hara. 19 Sept. 2017. Flickr, www.flickr.com/photos/
highwaytodistraction/37174253776/. Accessed 7 May 2020.
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