Norway v. USA

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Norway v. USA

Norwegians Prevail In Clash Of Past Champions

by Jeremy Ruane

A stunning start by Norway, during which they scored twice in the first four minutes, including the fastest goal in the history of Olympic Women's Football Tournaments, paved the way for a shock 2-0 defeat of reigning gold medallists the USA, for whom this was a first defeat in 2008.

They were on the back foot from the outset, especially once the net bulged just two minutes into the match. Lene Storlokken's hanging cross from the left flank lured Hope Solo out of goal, as Leni Larsen Kaurin and Lori Chalupny raced towards the target, the latter hoping to deny the former by heading clear.

She never got the chance to, as Solo, in her attempt to punch clear, collided with her team-mate at the same time as Kaurin's head guided the ball into a gaping goal.

Shell-shocked, the USA were even more so two minutes later as a wayward Chalupny back-pass was pounced on by Melissa Wiik. Outpacing the retreating Christie Rampone and Heather Mitts, the striker still had plenty to do, but her exquisite over and above the diving figure of Solo arced in beside the far post - 2-0 to Norway, and plenty for the reigning Olympic gold medallists to do to redress the balance.

They had plenty of time to do it, too, but you would never have thought so judging by the way they played out the remainder of the half. When you're two goals down, securing and retaining possession of the ball is a pre-requisite, but time and again the USA yielded that hard-won possession cheaply, too often opting for the ambitious ball when a simple pass would have proven far more effective.

They weren't getting within range of the Norwegian penalty area, either, as the Marit Christensen-marshalled defensive line foiled many a potential opening for their opponents simply by its prudent positioning.

The Americans are a very different animal without talismanic striker Abby Wambach, who is nursing a broken leg sustained in their last match prior to this tournament. Her absence severely depletes their attacking options, and in this match, numerous long-range efforts were employed both as a means of compensation for her absence, and due to the fact that the USA couldn't find a way through Norway's well-drilled rearguard.

Natasha Kai twice chanced her arm from distance in a five-minute spell before the twenty minute mark, while in the 26th minute, a lovely jinking run from Heather O'Reilly finally penetrated Norway's defensive ranks, the wide midfielder getting to the by-line before pulling the ball back. It was cleared to Carli Lloyd, who set up the on-rushing Angela Hucles for a shot which the striker skied from fifteen yards.

After another surging run and shot from O'Reilly swerved wide just after the half-hour mark, Norway countered with a crisp raid which featured Trine Ronning's accurate cross to Kaurin, who got in behind substitute Stephanie Cox to execute an extremely difficult volley which, had she kept it down and on target, would have been a sure-fire contender for goal of the tournament, no question.

Before the interval, the USA chanced their arm via various outlets. Lindsay Tarpley stung the gloves of Erika Skarboe with a twenty-yarder, while Mitts and Lloyd linked to allow Kate Markgraf to lash a twenty-five yarder a mere yard over the crossbar two minutes before the break.

Seconds later, Rampone hoisted a free-kick into the penalty area from half-way, and picked out the head of the otherwise poorly performed Shannon Boxx - this was far from her best display in a USA jersey, make no mistake!

Her header flew past the far post, with Skarboe's resulting goal kick prompting a counter-attack which saw Wiik run down by the combined efforts of Rampone and Markgraf on the stroke of half-time.

The second spell saw the Norwegians quickly out of the blocks again. Larsen floated in a 49th minute free-kick which picked out the head of the flying figure of Christensen, whose diving header bulleted narrowly past the airborne Solo's right-hand post.

Four minutes later, a gorgeous through ball from Storlokken put Larsen in on the right with just Solo to beat. The game's first goalscorer opted not to back herself, however, and instead looked to reward the supporting run of Wiik. Solo, however, wasn't going to be beaten that easily, and swooped on the striker's cross before the game's second goalscorer could get anywhere near it.

That it wasn't going to be the USA's day was best summed up in the 54th minute by a free-kick routine on which much work is clearly still needed. After Lloyd and half-time substitute Amy Rodriguez had hovered over the ball, the latter ran forward to take up her position, only for the former to launch the free-kick straight between her team-mate's shoulder blades.

The ball cannoned back towards Lloyd, who improvised by hoisting in a cross which had the head of Kai as its target. Her effort lacked the power to beat Skarboe, unlike that of Wiik two minutes later, at the other end of the ground. Solo dealt with it capably - a class act, this lass.

The reigning champions produced a far more composed, controlled display in this half, but still found problems penetrating Norway's rock-solid rearguard. Mitts sparked a raid on the hour which featured a one-two between Rodgriguez and O'Reilly, and a cross from the half-time substitute which Lloyd hooked narrowly over the bar.

Seconds later, O'Reilly rattled the back stanchion with a rasping twenty-five yarder, while the best move of the match was reserved for the 67th minute, a delightful interchange of passes featuring Mitts, Rampone, Boxx, Markgraf, Rodriguez and Hucles, whose lay-off set up Kai for a shot. The striker's tame execution of the chance did scant justice to a move deserving of far better fate.

After a Kai cross had fizzed across the face of goal - it only needed a touch to see the scoreline altered, one of the genuine pin-up girls of the world game made, by her sky-high standards, a startling error.

Mitts' misplaced pass was pounced upon by Storlokken, who linked with substitutes Guro Knutsen and Lene Mykjaaland to set up a chance for Solveig Gulbrandsen. Solo spared her team-mate's blushes with a fine 73rd minute save.

Still the USA pressed for a goal which would drag them back into the contest. Rodriguez's industry in beating three players on the right was undone when Kai failed to control the resulting cross, while Lloyd was twice denied within seconds, firstly by Christensen then by Skarboe, as the game moved into its final ten minutes.

Prior to that incident, Knutsen's craft was emphasised when she received a pass from Storlokken on the left. Taking the ball in her stride, the striker made chumps of two defenders, wrong-footing them with a delightful body swerve before setting up Mykjaaland. The substitute's shot on the turn lacked the accuracy to do justice to her fellow replacement's artistry - a wonderful piece of individual skill.

The sands of time were fast running out for the Americans, but as they always do, they kept on coming at their Norwegian rivals. Lloyd led the charge, linking with Kai whose cross picked out Boxx. Her twenty-yarder was only parried by Skarboe, but Rodriguez wasn't close enough to capitalise on the rebound.

In stoppage time, Skarboe brilliantly denied a thunderbolt from Boxx, tipping the effort away superbly. But the `keeper was beaten all ends up by Lloyd's twenty-five yard missile moments later, only for the ball to swerve narrowly past the far post and leave Norway to celebrate victory and sweet revenge at the expense of the group favourites, who had dished out a 4-0 hiding to their conquerors in this match just a month ago in Oslo.

Norway: Skarboe; Ronning, Christensen, Folstad, Stangeland Horpest; M. Knutsen (Nordby, 87), Stensland, Storlokken; Larsen (G. Knutsen, 67), Gulbrandsen, Wiik (Mykjaaland, 69)

USA: Solo; Mitts, Rampone, Markgraf, Chalupny (Cox, 15) (Heath, 78); Tarpley (Rodriguez, 46), Boxx, Lloyd, O'Reilly; Hucles, Kai

Referee: Nicole Petignat (Switzerland)

2008