ToN: Rapinoe and Smith lead USA past Japan
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Aug 4, 2017
A crowd of 23,161 fans at StubHub Center watched the USA add to its haul with three more goals after scoring four in a 4-3 comeback win over Brazil in San Diego on Sunday.
Rapinoe, the NWSL's leading scorer, took a through ball from Christen Press and faked out her Japanese marker before firing a shot into the far post in the 12th minute.
Mallory Pugh and sub Alex Morgan scored in the 60th and 80th minutes, respectively, both on crosses from Taylor, who came on in the 30th minute for Kelley O'Hara.
Taylor is one of three former UCLA Bruins from the North Carolina Courage who were playing along with Sam Mewis and Abby Dahlkemper.
Australia, which beat the USA, 1-0, in their opening game, finished with a perfect record after a 6-1 win over Brazil and won the inaugural Tournament of Nations, the second four-team tournament U.S. Soccer has introduced to promote international women's soccer.
August 3 in Carson, Calif.
USA 3 Japan 0.
USA: Megan Rapinoe (Christen Press) 12
USA: Mallory Pugh (Taylor Smith) 60
USA: Alex Morgan (Taylor Smith) 80
USA -- Naeher; Short, Sauerbrunn, Dahlkemper, O'Hara (Smith, 30); Ertz (Long, 54), Mewis, Lloyd (Horan, 65); Pugh (Williams, 73), Press (Morgan, 73), Rapinoe (Leroux, 73).
Japan -- Yamashita; Manya (Kitagawa, 46), Sameshima, Ichise; Utsugi, Sakaguchi, Nakajima (Hasegawa, 46), Haji (Tomari, 85), Sumida; Momiki (Nakasato, 79), Tanaka (Yokoyama, 64).
Att.: 23,161.
5 comments about "ToN: Rapinoe and Smith lead USA past Japan".
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Pugh did not score on a cross. Push received the ball from Taylor by a nicely weighted through pass. Taylor impressed. Both O'Hara and Ertz had to come off early. I hope both are okay. Happily Keeper Naeher had a good game. Despite fan criticism of Ellis, she is coaching the team well this year, looking long term rather than focus on winning meaningless games this year. Kudos to USSF for arranging top ten matches in this off year.
Ashpole is right in re Pugh score. Rapinoe's goal off Press's assist was one of the best ever. Poise in the penalty area should be her middle name. Once again, however, NO player ratings. What gives, SA?
The women are too sensitive to handle assessment from SA, and they don't have a female staffer to do the judging in any event.
R2, Please say you are joking.
*snork*. yes joking but since we are now at the point where only female referees are allowed to officiate women's matches, the only journalists acceptable to rate the USWNT must now be women.