Unbeaten streak reaches 42 games with 8-0 win

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Feb 13, 2014

[USA-RUSSIA] The USA closed out its three-game homestand with a 8-0 victory over Russia in Atlanta on Thursday night. The rout, which began with a pair of own goals by the hapless Russians, who had lost, 7-0, in the first meeting between the two teams, extended the USA's unbeaten streak to 42 games and its home unbeaten streak to 80 games.

Despite a 14-3 edge in shots, the USA only managed an own goal in the first half, but it broke the game open with three goals in four minutes in the second half, including Amy Rodriguez's first goal since returning to the national team following the birth of her son last year. The USA scored on seven of their 10 shots in the second half during which the Russians failed to muster a single shot.

Two Georgians started for the USA:  Kelley O'Hara, returning to the U.S. lineup for the first time in eight months after recovering from major ankle surgery, and Soccer America Women's College Player of the Year Morgan Brian.



The USA-Russia game had been moved from Wednesday night as yet another winter storm blew through Georgia and hit the Carolinas hard on Thursday.

The win followed victories over Canada (1-0) and Russia (7-0) to conclude the first part of training as the USA prepares for Women's World Cup qualifying. The indoor game served as preparation for the likelihood the U.S, women will have to play indoors on turf in Vancouver at the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Next up for the USA will be a decidedly tougher opponent than Russia: Japan in the Algarve Cup opener March 5 in Portugal. The USA's last defeat came to Japan exactly two years earlier at the same tournament.



Feb. 13 in Atlanta
USA 8 Russia 0. Goals: own goals 11, 50, Rodriguez 52, Wambach 54, Rapinoe 65, Holiday pen. 81, O'Reilly 83, Press 86.
USA -- Solo (Loyden 46); Krieger (Sauerbrunn 62), Engen, Van Hollebeke, O’Hara (Mewis 30); O'Reilly, Brian (Holiday 68), Lloyd, Rapinoe; Rodriguez (Leroux 75), Wambach (Press 81).
Russia -- Zhamanakova; Orlova, Medved (Sinyutina, 85), Dmitrenko (Kovalenko, 88), Tsybutovich, Tsidikova (Makarenko, 56), Sidorovskaya, Korovkina, Morozova (Chevtchenko, 46), Pantyukhina (Kostareva, 68), Terekhova (Bliskaya, 70).
Att.: 16,133.