We Won! We Won!

The USWNT beat Japan 1-0 with a Carli Lloyd goal in the 28th minute. And the team that showed up to play this game was not the same team that faced Norway a few days ago. According to US Soccer’s Match Report: “The U.S. set a frenetic pace to open the contest, looking much more composed at the outset than in their opening match of the 2008 Games against Norway. The combination of tight organization and quick ball movement kept the Japanese under pressure from the opening whistle. The U.S. outshot Japan 18-9 on the night, while Hope Solo earned her first Olympic clean sheet in her second start.” And the WNT Blog: “[Lloyd's goal] helped wipe away the bad feeling from the USA’s first match against Norway. Yes, the Americans could have scored a few more - the USA doubled Japan’s shot total — but the Japanese were truly one of the best teams the USA has played in a while as far as rhythmical attacking soccer, so give tremendous credit to the overall team defense for holding off the Nadeshiko.” Good stuff. Nothing like a burst of positive energy and teamwork to rise above a bad start. Also, I gotta give credit to the tattoos. Namely, the removable kind worn by many of the players during the game.

Of course, now none of them are allowed to remove the tattoos until this tournament is over. And with Norway beating New Zealand, our next game against the Kiwis is another must win. We currently sit in second place, behind Norway, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals. But the players seemingly never let the stress get to them, as tomorrow’s schedule consists of time off, a pool workout, and catching the Brazilian men’s game against New Zealand. Damn - that’s practically a vacation. I’ll leave you with a quote from Hope Solo: “That’s the team I know and love. We finally showed how we can play, and move the ball, and play through Carli and Boxxy. It felt great out there. The energy in the locker room was different. In the first game, you could feel the nerves. This game was different. We were laughing in the locker room, it was much looser.”