CHALUPNY A GO AS U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM WINS GROUP G, QUALIFY FOR QUARTERFINALS

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM WINS GROUP G WITH 4-0 VICTORY OVER
NEW ZEALAND TO QUALIFY FOR QUARTERFINALS AT 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES

• Heather O'Reilly Opens the Scoring With Fastest Goal in Women's Olympic Soccer History
• U.S. Captain Christie Rampone Earns 200th Cap in Win
• U.S. Will Face Canada in Olympic Quarterfinal on Aug. 15 in Shanghai at 6 a.m. ET, Live on USA Network

SHENYANG, China (August 12, 2008) – The U.S. Women's National Team won Group G at the 2008 Olympics in dramatic fashion, defeating New Zealand, 4-0, as four different players scored, including a goal just 40 seconds into the match from midfielder Heather O'Reilly.

The Americans went into the match knowing they needed a big win over New Zealand as well as a Japan victory over Norway in order to win the group, and that's exactly how the evening's events transpired.

The USA and Norway tied on points at the end of group play with six a piece, but the Americans finished with a plus-3 goal differential while Norway collapsed in a 5-1 loss to Japan and finished with a minus-1. The USA, Norway and Japan advance out of Group G. In the quarterfinal, the U.S. will play long-time rival Canada, which finished in third place in Group E. That match will take place at 6 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 15 in Shanghai and will be broadcast live on USA Network. Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

"I think it's fantastic that fact that we bounced back from the first 15 minutes against Norway," said Sundhage. "You look at the first 15 minutes of that game to the last 15 minutes of this game and many things have happened. The whole team, and myself, have gained confidence every minute we've been together. The good part of this road is that we have experienced both sides: losing and winning. That's good going into the quarterfinals where it's now or never." [More Quotes]

The fortunes of the Group G teams flip-flopped during a short span in the second half. The U.S. was up 2-0 at halftime through goals from O'Reilly and Amy Rodriguez while Norway scored first in their match but Japan equalized before the break. Japan went ahead in the 51st minute, benefiting from an own goal, then made it 3-1 just one minute later. That score line meant the U.S. needed just one more goal to win the group – provided the Norway vs. Japan score stayed the same -- and just minutes later Lindsay Tarpley got it. The USA would add another goal four minutes after that while Japan piled two more on Norway.

Amazingly, at the start of the day, the USA has a minus-1 goal differential and Norway had a plus-three goal differential. At the end of the evening, the USA was at plus-three and Norway was at minus-1.

The match marked the 200th international appearance for U.S. captain Christie Rampone, who led the U.S. backline in limiting the Kiwis to just three shots on goal. U.S. defender Rachel Buehler earned her first Olympic start in the match, joining the backline in place of Kate Markgraf, who was rested for the match.

O'Reilly's record-setting goal – the fasted in Olympic women's soccer history -- broke the mark set, ironically, by Norway against the USA in the first match of the group and it was a masterful strike from the 23-year old midfielder. New Zealand goalkeeper Jenny Bindon cleared a ball into midfield that Carli Lloyd jumped up to win on a header. The ball fell onto the path of O'Reilly, who took a few touches and saw the 'keeper of her line. O'Reilly let loose a dipping shot that sailed over Bindon from 30 yards and stuck in the right corner of the net.

It was O'Reilly's 20th international goal and her second career score in Olympic competition after also scoring in the 2004 Olympic semifinal.

Tarpley almost added another in the 15th minute, receiving the ball on the left flank and beating Rhea Percival with a quick cut inside. Tarpley carried the ball into the area and took a shot that clattered off the left post with the New Zealand goalkeeper already beaten.

Rodriguez added the second goal for the U.S. in the 43rd minute running under a long ball from Buehler, who had played it perfectly into space behind the Kiwi defense. Rodriguez used her speed to out-race the back line before cracking a left-footer that skipped into the far post past Bindon and into the lower right corner. It was the first-ever Olympic goal for Rodriguez and the sixth of her international career.

The third U.S. goal, which put the USA atop the group to stay, came in the 57th minute after Hucles did well to put Rodriguez behind the New Zealand backline with a slipped pass. Rodriguez faced Bindon one-on-one in the area but the New Zealand 'keeper did well to come off her line and make a great reflex save. The rebound bounced into the middle of the penalty box where O'Reilly was crashing. O'Reilly got a toe on the ball, but the defense blocked it, sending it into the middle of the area. Tarpley reacted quickest to this one and volleyed clinically into the right corner of the net for her 28th career goal and 11th of 2008.

Just four minutes later, Hucles got a goal of her own when Lori Chalupny ran the ball up the left flank, beat her defender to the inside and blasted a shot from the top left corner of the area that flew past an outstretched Bindon and pinged off the top right corner of the goal. The bounce fell right to Hucles, who was able to pivot and loft her shot towards the net. Bindon got two hands on it, but the pace was such that she couldn't hold it, and it fell through her hands and into the net. It was Hucles' first-ever Olympic goal and her fourth of 2008.

The U.S. did well to control the tempo of the match, allowing New Zealand only five total shots while taking 16 of their own. The best chance for the Kiwis didn't come until the first minute of stoppage time when defender Anna Green carried the ball up the left flank and fired a long blast that headed for the upper left corner. U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo was there to cover the angle, although the shot went wide as it hit the side netting.

Friday's match will mark the fifth time that the U.S. faces Canada in 2008, and the fourth time in tournament play. The U.S. defeated Canada, 4-0, in the opening match of the Four Nations Tournament in January. Both Canada and the U.S. qualified for the Olympics in March, facing each other in the final of the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Championship in Ciudad Juarez, with the U.S. earning the regional title, 6-5, in penalty kicks after drawing, 1-1, in regulation. The two teams also met in a friendly match in May in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. coming away with a 6-0 win. In the most recent meeting, the U.S. defeated Canada, 1-0, for the Peace Queen Cup title in June.

This is the fourth time in as many Olympic women's soccer tournaments that the U.S. women have advanced out of first round play as the group winner.

-- U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT --

Match-up: USA vs. New Zealand
Competition: 2008 Olympics
Venue: Shenyang Olympic Stadium; Shenyang, China
Date: August 12, 2008; Kickoff – 7:45 p.m. local / 7:45 a.m. ET
Attendance: 12,453
Weather: Hazy, Humid, 78 degrees

Scoring Summary:
            1     2    F
USA    2    2    4
NZL     0    0    0

USA – Heather O'Reilly (Carli Lloyd)         27th minute.
USA – Amy Rodriguez (Rachel Buehler)  43.
USA – Lindsay Tarpley (unassisted)         56.
USA – Angela Hucles (Lori Chalupny)       60.

Lineups:
USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts (14-Stephanie Cox, 63), 4-Rachel Buehler, 3-Christie Rampone – Capt., 83, 17-Lori Chalupny; 9-Heather O'Reilly (10-Aly Wagner, 76), 7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 5-Lindsay Tarpley; 16-Angela Hucles, 8-Amy Rodriguez (6-Natasha Kai, 56)
Subs not used: 1-Nicole Barnhart, 12-Lauren Cheney, 13-Tobin Heath, 15-Kate Markgraf
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage

NZL: 1-Jenny Bindon; 2-Ria Percival, 5-Abby Erceg, 6-Rebbecca Smith, 17-Marlies Oostdam (14-Kristy Hill, 64); 4-Katie Hoyle (3-Anna Green, 64), 8-Hayley Moorwood, 11-Kristy Yallop; 7-Ali Riley, 9-Amber Heam, (13-Rebecca Tegg, 74), 15-Emma Kete
Subs not used: 10-Emily McColl, 12-Merissa Smith, 7-Renee Leota, 18-Rachel Howard
Head Coach: John Herdman

Statistical Summary:
                            USA / NZL
Shots:                     16/5
Shots on Goal:      11/3
Saves:                      3/5
Corner Kicks:          4/2
Fouls:                        3/5
Offsides:                   2/0

Misconduct Summary:
NZL – Marlies Oostdam (caution)    46th minute.
NZL – Amber Heam (caution)            55.

Officials:
Referee: Dagmar Damkova (CZE)
Asst. Referee: Irina Mirt (ROM)
Asst. Referee: Katarzyna Nadolska (POL)
4th Official: Huijun Niu (CHN)

Sierra Mist Woman of the Match: Shannon Boxx

2008 Olympic Women's Soccer Tournament Standings
Group G
Team     W     L     T   Pts     GF     GA     GD
USA       2      1      0     6        5       2        +3
NOR       2     1      0     6        4       5        -1
JPN       1      1      1      4        7       1         +3
NZL       0      2      1      1        2       7         -5

Aug. 6
Japan 2, New Zealand 2
Norway 2, USA 0

Aug. 9
USA 1, Japan 0
New Zealand 0, Norway 1

Aug. 12
Norway 1. Japan 5
USA 4, New Zealand, 0

Group E
Team     W     L     T   Pts     GF     GA     GD
CHN       2      0     1     7        5        2       +3
SWE       2      1     0     6        4        3         +1
CAN       1      1     1     4        4        4       0
ARG        0     3     0     0        1        5         -4

Aug. 6
Argentina 1, Canada 2
China 2, Sweden 1

Aug. 9
Sweden 1, Argentina 0
Canada 1, China 1

Aug. 12
China 2, Argentina 0
Sweden 2, Canada 1

Group F
Team     W     L     T   Pts     GF     GA     GD
BRA       2      0     1     7        5        2       +3
GER       2      0     1     7        2        0       +2
PRK       1      2      0    3         2       3        -1
NGA       0      3      0    0        0        5        -5

Aug. 6
Germany 0, Brazil 0
North Korea 1, Nigeria 0

Aug. 9
Nigeria 0, Germany 1
Brazil 2, North Korea 1

Aug. 12
North Korea 0, Germany 1
Nigeria 1, Brazil 3

Quarterfinals

Aug. 15
United States vs. Canada, 6 a.m. ET
Brazil vs. Norway,  6 a.m. ET
Sweden vs. Germany 9 a.m. ET
China vs. Japan, 9 a.m. ET

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U.S. MEN'S OLYMPIC TEAM 5 A.M. ET, AUGUST 13, LIVE ON USA NETWORK, NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL;

 

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center -- August 11, 2008

U.S. MEN'S OLYMPIC TEAM FACES NIGERIA IN CRUCIAL GROUP B MATCH AT
5 A.M. ET, AUGUST 13, LIVE ON USA NETWORK, NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL;
U.S. WNT SET TO FACE NEW ZEALAND IN MUST-WIN GROUP G MATCH

U.S. MEN'S OLYMPIC TEAM SITS ATOP GROUP B WITH FOUR POINTS: The U.S. Men's Olympic Team is in first place in Group B after two matches at the 2008 Olympic Games. The U.S. defeated Japan, 1-0, in their opening match and tied, 2-2, with the Netherlands in their second Group B matchup for four points, tying in points and goal differential with Nigeria but coming ahead with three goals in favor while Nigeria has scored only two. The U.S. will advance to the quarterfinals with either a win or a draw against Nigeria, or a Japan win or draw versus the Netherlands. The two teams will face off in their final group match at 5 p.m. local time / 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The match will be broadcast live on USA Network and NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

U.S. Men's Olympic Group B Schedule
Date        Opponent      Result / Time (ET)
Aug. 7     Japan              1-0 W
Aug. 10   Netherlands     2-2 T
Aug. 13   Nigeria            5 a.m (Live on USA Network, NBC Olympic Soccer Channel)

U.S. WNT FACES NEW ZEALAND IN FINAL GROUP G MATCH: The U.S. Women's Olympic Team faces New Zealand at 7:45 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 12, live on MSNBC and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. Fans can also follow along on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. A win against New Zealand would guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals for the U.S. Women, who dropped their first game to Norway, 2-0, and came back to defeat Japan, 1-0, in their second match.

U.S. WNT Olympic Group G Schedule
Date        Opponent           Result / Time (ET)
Aug. 6      Norway              0-2 L
Aug. 9     Japan                  1-0 W
Aug. 12   New Zealand       7:45 a.m. ET (Live on MSNBC [broadcast at 7:30 a.m. ET],
                                                                 NBC Olympic Soccer Channel)

NBC PROVIDES CHANNEL EXCLUSIVELY FOR OLYMPIC SOCCER COVERAGE: NBC Universal has launched a channel exclusively dedicated to full coverage of Men's and Women's Soccer at the 2008 Olympic Games. A total of 32 Men's and 26 Women's Soccer Games will be shown in their entirety on the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel, in addition to coverage on USA Network, MSNBC and live streaming on NBCOlympics.com. The seven NBC Networks — NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, Telemundo and Universal HD — will provide an unprecedented 3,600 hours of coverage, all in high definition. NBCOlympics.com will also provide over 3,000 hours of on-demand access to full event replays and extensive highlights. The NBC Olympic Soccer Channel is available on most major cable, satellite and telephone companies and distributors.

– U.S. YOUTH NATIONAL TEAMS UPDATE –

U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN WIN FINAL MATCH OF ENGLAND TOUR: After dropping their first two matches of a three-game tour in England, the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team defeated the Chelsea Ladies, 2-1, in their final match. The U.S. team headed for Europe after a training camp in New Jersey and faced Everton on July 30, falling 1-0 after hitting the post twice. Two days later against Arsenal, one of the top women's clubs in the world, the USA played well, but fell behind, 3-0, as superstar Kelly Smith scored against the run of play, the USA gave up a penalty and then a goal off a corner kick. Alex Morgan pulled a late goal back with three minutes left. The U.S. heads home as the bulk of the team is preparing for their college pre-season camps, although there will be some U-20 activity during the college season. DiCicco is preparing his side for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup to be held in Chile in December. The 16 teams that will compete for the U-20 world title this year are:

Asia: China, Japan, North Korea
Africa: Congo DR, Nigeria
Europe: England, France, Germany, Norway
CONCACAF: Canada, USA, Mexico
Oceania: New Zealand
South America: Brazil, Argentina
Host: Chile

U.S. U-18 MNT WRAP UP SOUTH AMERICA TOUR AGAINST ESTUDIANTES: The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team wrapped up their tour of South America on Wednesday, Aug. 6, with a 3-0 loss to the Argentinean club Estudiantes '89 team. The U.S. U-18 Men kicked off the tour by participating in the City of Trinidad Under-20 International Tournament in which they finished in third place after starting off with a 1-0 loss to Venezuela on July 31. The squad defeated Paraguay, 1-0, on Aug. 2 before falling, 3-1, to Uruguay one day later.

U.S. U-18 MNT Schedule / Results
Date        Opponent        Result    U.S. Goal Scorer(s)
July 31    Venezuela       0-1 L        --
Aug. 2     Paraguay        1-0 W       Anthony Arena
Aug. 3     Uruguay          1-3 L         Latif Alashe
Aug. 6     Estudiantes   0-3 L          --

– AROUND THE SOCCER NATION –

U.S REFEREES PARTICIPATE IN OLYMPIC GAMES, BLOG THEIR EXPERIENCE: The U.S. referee team of Kari Seitz, Marlene Duffy and Veronica Perez have already officiated their first matches at the 2008 Olympic Games, as have full-time U.S. referee Jair Marrufo and Kermit Quisenberry. The five U.S. officials keep fans filled in on the behind-the-scenes action, as well as what's going on in the soccer tournament from a referee point of view, at "Official Take," the official referee blog. Check it out here: http://ussoccer-referees.blogspot.com/

U.S. SOCCER COACHING SYMPOSIUM HELD SEPT. 9-10 IN CHICAGO: U.S. Soccer's Coaching Department will conduct a coaching symposium from Sept. 9-10 in conjunction with the U.S. Men's National Team 2010 FIFA Men's World Cup qualifying match against Trinidad & Tobago in Chicago. U.S. Soccer Development Academy Director of Scouting Dave Sarachan and members of the U.S. MNT coaching staff will present at the symposium. Cost for the symposium is $125 for active U.S. Soccer CoachesNet members and $140 for non-members. Registration includes a ticket (Section 209) to the game, day of game reception, and game day parking pass. Cost of registration also includes a personalized symposium packet which contains a 2008 Men's National Team yearbook, a Best Practices booklet, a Kwik Goal gift, and a U.S. Soccer CoachesNet notebook. Registration is open to all coaches. "A" licensed coaches will earn two Continuing Education Units for attending the two-day symposium.

YOUTH SOCCER MONTH CELEBRATION SET FOR 2008: The national celebration of Youth Soccer Month – Celebrating Soccer in America this September is set for 2008. In addition to great events and opportunities to join in the celebration, Youth Soccer Month is all about emphasizing soccer as the No. 1 youth participation sport in America and a leading contributor to the healthy lifestyle of millions of American Families. Soccer brings kids and families of all ages and abilities together for fun, friendship and fitness. The month will highlight the various programs available to children interested in participating in soccer, including inner-city, special needs, recreational and elite soccer programs. Learn more at www.YouthSoccerMonth.org.

U.S. OPEN CUP SEMIFINALS TAKE PLACE TUESDAY, AUG. 12: The New England Revolution and D.C. United face off in the semifinals of the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 12. In the other semifinal, USL First Division clubs clash for a chance to advance to the tournament final. The Seattle Sounders, who will join Major League Soccer in 2009, travel to face the Charleston Battery at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal Schedule
Date       Matchup                                                                                     Venue; City/State                                  Time
Aug. 12  New England Revolution (MLS) at D.C. United (MLS)                RFK Stadium; Washington, D.C.          7:30 p.m. ET
Aug. 12  Seattle Sounders (USL1) at Charleston Battery (USL1)                Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C.   7:30 p.m. ET

*** CENTER CIRCLE SPOTLIGHT ***

PEAK PERFORMER: U.S. Men's Olympic Team midfielder Stuart Holden has been showcasing his talents well at the 2008 Olympic Games, putting in a solid performance in the team's first two matches. In the first match, in which the U.S. defeated Japan, Holden not only slammed home the goal, he also was an integral part in maintaining the team's lead. Against the Netherlands, Holden didn't put his name on the stat sheet but his solid performance was vital to earning a point against the reigning European Champions.

MARQUEE MATCHUP: The U.S. Men and Women's Olympic Teams have one final group match to go to determine who will advance to the tournament quarterfinals. The U.S. Women face New Zealand at 7:45 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 12, live on MSNBC and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. The U.S. Men take on Nigeria at 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 13, live on USA Network and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. Both matches can also be followed live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

QUOTABLE: "I was just pumped. It was a fun moment. I went to where I thought my mom was sitting to try and point her out, but I don't even know if I did. It was a lot of fun."
-- U.S. Men's Olympic Team forward Jozy Altidore, on his goal celebration after scoring the second goal in the team's 2-2 tie with the Netherlands.

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Fw: Olympic Soccer Match Report: U.S. Men vs. Netherlands in Group B

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

U.S. MEN'S OLYMPIC SOCCER TEAM TIES THE NETHERLANDS, 2-2,
AFTER SURRENDERING STOPPAGE TIME GOAL

• U.S. Sits Atop Group B with Four Points after Two Games
• U.S. Can Advance to Quarterfinals with Win or Tie vs. Nigeria, or a Netherlands Loss
• Kljestan, Altidore Score for U.S. Team
  

TIANJIN, China (Aug. 10, 2008) – The U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer team was just minutes away from clinching a spot in the knockout stage after two games, but a late equalizer from the Netherlands shocked the U.S. for a 2-2 tie on Sunday at the Tianjin Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

The Netherlands took command early on a goal by Liverpool's Ryan Babel, but the U.S. answered in the second half with a 64th minute goal by Sacha Kljestan and took the lead when Jozy Altidore struck in the 72nd.

However, in the third of three minutes of added time to the second half, Netherlands substitute Gerald Sibon drove a low free kick under the U.S. wall from 21 yards out to tie the game.

"It's tough," said U.S. head coach Peter Nowak. "As I told the guys in the locker room, that's the way the game goes sometimes. Not too many people gave us a chance tonight against the European champions, but we were very close to beating them. We have unfinished business. Going into the game with Nigeria, any result other than a loss, and we will pass into the quarterfinals."

• More Quotes | U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Homepage
  

The U.S. needs a win or tie in their final match of Group B vs. Nigeria or a loss by the Netherlands to Japan on Wed., Aug. 13 to advance to the quarterfinals. The U.S. vs. Nigeria match will be show live at 5 p.m. ET on USA Network, the Olympic Soccer Channel and ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

The U.S. will be heading into the game against Nigeria without the services of forward Freddy Adu and midfielder Michael Bradley, who were both issued their second yellow cards of the tournament. Adu earned his in the 78th minute for a challenge with Dutch goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer in which the U.S. forward stuck a foot in and hit the goalkeeper in the hand and forehead, while Bradley was booked for wasting time on a restart in stoppage time.

Nowak started the same lineup as the first match, with Robbie Rogers switching to the right and Stuart Holden switching to the left.

The Netherlands got things going in the 16th minute. Jonathan de Guzman caught up with a pass near the end line on the right and chipped a touch cross to the top of the six yard box where Ryan Babel headed it on goal. U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan dropped to the ground to make the save, but the rebound fell right back to Babel, who in the middle of three U.S. defenders who were late to converge, calmly slotted a high shot into the back of the net.

The first U.S. chance of the match didn't come until the 27th minute after the U.S. shifted formations, moving Freddy Adu to right midfield, Rogers moving back to the left and Holden sliding into the middle of the field. Adu received the ball just into the U.S. half and then went on a long dribbling run, twice faking a shot at the top of the 18-yard box before getting space on the left side of the area and blasting a shot high.

Adu again created a dangerous chance for the U.S. in the 35th minute when he drew a foul just outside the penalty area. The U.S. set up with three players over the ball, and Kljestan touched the ball for Michael Bradley who drilled his low shot into a charging wall.

In the 40th minute, the U.S. forced Vermeer into action for the first time as a great build up out of the back resulted in the best chance of the match to this point for the U.S.  Michael Parkhurst started things, playing out of pressure to Bradley who made a great turn. He played it right for Adu who redirected the ball into Marvell Wynne's path on the overlap. Wynne dribbled up the right wing and crossed in front of the back line to Brian McBride, who put a bouncing pass into the path of Holden who first-timed a laser onto goal that Vermeer punched wide. Robbie Rogers hit the rebound low toward the near post, but that effort was also saved.

The Dutch came out of halftime with a chance on a free kick from deep on their right wing. Real Madrid's Roy Drenthe curled the free kick to outside of the far post where Hedwiges Maduro got away from Bradley for a free header that went wide into side netting.

The U.S. responded with a scoring chance of their own three minutes later. A foul 40 yards from goal gave the U.S. a free kick that Holden lofted into the area to McBride, who rose to flick a header that Vermeer tipped over his crossbar.

The U.S. leveled the score and took the momentum in the 64th minute on Kljestan's goal. He started the play with space on the right side at midfield. He brought the ball inside playing a quick one-two with Holden and then a one-two with Adu, getting the ball back just outside of the area. Kljestan cut with the ball into the middle, kept possession after a challenge from a defender, and blasted a right-footed shot into the back of the net as Vermeer got a touch on the ball.

The second U.S. goal was opportunistic, coming during a scramble in front of the Dutch goal in the 72nd minute. The ball bounced out to Bradley, who got a touch playing it forward with his back to goal. Two Netherlands defenders were unable to clear, and the ball fell wide left to Michael Orzoco. Orozco took a settling touch and drove a low cross that deflected slightly off Calvin Jong-a-Pin as Altidore crashed and put it in the center of the net off his leg.

The U.S. advantage led the Netherlands to go right to the bench, bringing in forwards Roy Makaay and Sibon in the 75th minute.

The U.S. was successful fending off the Dutch attack for much of the remainder of the match, with Guzan keeping command of his area and the U.S. back line winning most of the air battles.

The U.S. had a chance to put the game away in the 89th minute, with Holden still having enough gas in the tank for a half-field run which resulted in a shot wide. Kljestan made the run along with Holden and was open in front of goal, but Holden couldn't find him.

The Netherlands, one of the tournament favorites after winning the UEFA Under-21 Championship, earned one final opportunity after Holden fouled Sibon just outside of the penalty area, earning a yellow card. Sibon stepped up and drove the free kick under the U.S. wall that jumped in unison and past Guzan to stun the U.S.

In the other Group B match, Nigeria topped Japan 2-1. Going into the final day, the U.S. is on top of the group on a tiebreaker with four points. Nigeria also has four points, while the Netherlands is in third place with two points, and Japan is last with no points.

U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT

Match-up: USA vs. Netherlands
Competition: 2008 Olympics
Venue: Tiajin Olympic Center Stadium; Tianjin, China
Date: August 10, 2008; Kickoff – 7:45 p.m. local / 7:45 a.m. ET
Attendance:  45,016
Weather: 82 degrees, humid

Scoring Summary:
          1   2   F
USA  0   2   2
NED 1   1   2

NED – Ryan Babel                                     16th minute.
USA - Sacha Kljestan (Freddy Adu)        64.
USA - Jozy Altidore (Michael Orozco)      72.
NED - Gerald Sibon                                   93+.

Lineups:
USA: 18-Brad Guzan; 2-Marvell Wynne, 6-Maurice Edu, 15-Michael Parkhurst, 3-Michael Orozco; 7-Stuart Holden, 4-Michael Bradley, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 14-Robbie Rogers (12-Jozy Altidore, 65); 11-Freddy Adu (Benny Feilhaber, 80), 17-Brian McBride – Capt.
Subs Not Used: 1-Chris Seitz, 5-Dax McCarty, 8-Danny Szetela, 9-Charlie Davies,13-Patrick Ianni
Head Coach: Peter Nowak

NED: 18-Kenneth Vermeer, 2-Gianni Zuiverloon, 3-Dirk Marcellis (Roy Makaay, 75), 4-Kew Jaliens, 7-Jonathan de Guzman, 8-Urby Emanuelson, 12-Hedwiges Maduro, 15-Royston Drenthe (Gerald Sibon, 75), 17-Otman Bakkal, 11-Ryan Babel, 16-Roy Beerens (Calvin Jong-a-Pin, 69)
Subs Not Used: 1-Piet Velthuizen, 5-Erik Pieters, 6-Kees Luijckx, 14-Evander Sno
Head Coach: Foppe De Haan

Statistical Summary: USA / NED
Shots: 12 / 9
Shots on Goal: 8 / 4
Saves: 2 / 6
Corner Kicks: 2 / 2
Fouls: 11 / 14
Offside: 2 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Maurice Edu (caution)        54th minute.
NED - Marcellis Dirk (caution)      60.
USA - Freddy Adu (caution)           78.
USA - Michael Bradley (caution)   91+.
USA - Stuart Holden (caution)       93+.

Officials
Referee: Michael Hester (NZL)
Assistant Referee: Tevita Makasini (TGA)
Assistant Referee: Michael Joseph (VAN)
Fourth Official: Khalil Al Ghamdi (KSA)

Sierra Mist Man of the Match: Sacha Kljestan

2008 Olympic Men's Soccer Tournament Standings
Group A
Team   W   L   T  Pts  GF  GA  GD
ARG      2    0   0   6      3     1   +2
CIV        1    1   0   3     5      4    +1
AUS      0    1   1   1     1      2    -1
SRB      0    1   1   1     1      2    -1

Aug. 7
Australia 1, Serbia 1
Ivory Coast 1, Argentina 2

Aug. 10
Argentina 1, Australia 0
Serbia 2, Ivory Coast 4

Aug. 13
Ivory Coast vs. Australia, 7:45 a.m. ET
Argentina vs. Serbia, 7:45 a.m. ET

Group B
Team   W   L   T  Pts  GF  GA  GD
USA      1   0    1    4     3     2   +1
NGA      1  0   1    4      2     1    +1
NED      0   0   2    2     2     2     0
JPN       0   2   0    0      1     3   -2

Aug. 7
Japan 0, USA 1
Netherlands 0, Nigeria 0

Aug. 10
Nigeria 2, Japan 1
USA 2, Netherlands 2 

Aug. 13
Netherlands vs. Japan, 7:45 a.m. ET
Nigeria vs. USA, 7:45 a.m. ET

Group C
Team   W   L   T  Pts  GF  GA  GD
BRA      2    0   0    6     6     0   +6
BEL      1    1   0    3     2     1    +1
CHN     0    1   1    1     1     3     -2
NZL      0    1   1    1     1     6     -5 

Aug. 7
Brazil 1, Belgium 0
China 1, New Zealand 1

Aug. 10
New Zeland 0, Brazil 5
Belgium 2, China 0

Aug. 13
China vs. Brazil, 7:45 a.m. ET
New Zealand vs. Belgium 7:45 a.m. ET

Group D
Team   W   L   T  Pts  GF  GA  GD
ITA        2    0   0    6     6     0    +6
CMR     1    0   1    4     2     1    +1
KOR     0    1   1    1     1     4     -3
HON     0    2   0    0     0     4    -4

Aug. 7
Honduras 0, Italy 3
South Korea 1, Cameroon 1

Aug. 10
Cameroon 1, Honduras 0
Italy 3, South Korea 0

Aug. 13
South Korea vs. Honduras, 7:45 a.m. ET
Cameroon vs. Italy, 7:45 a.m. ET

- www.ussoccer.com -

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U.S. Women's Olympic Soccer Team Charges Back with 1-0 Victory vs. Japan in Second Match of Olympics

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

USA CHARGES BACK WITH 1-0 VICTORY AGAINST JAPAN
IN SECOND MATCH OF 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES

•    Carli Lloyd Scores Her First Goal in Olympic Games
•    U.S. Improves Record Against Japan to 18-0-3 All-Time
•    U.S. Closes Out Group G Play Against New Zealand on Aug. 12 in Shenyang

QUIHUANGDAO, China (August 9, 2008) — The United States Women's Olympic Team rode a Carli Lloyd goal and a solid defensive effort to a 1-0 victory against Japan in the second match of Group G action at the 2008 Olympic Games.

With the shutout win, the U.S. secured a vital three points as they seek a place in the knockout phase, moving into second place in Group G behind leaders Norway. The top two finishers in each of the three groups advance to the second round along with two best third-place finishers based on points.

"I am very happy about our performance today against a very technical, talented Japan team," said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. "Besides a great goal by Carli Lloyd, I am very happy about our tactics with a fast player up top, Amy Rodriguez, and the way Heather O'Reilly played on the right side. But the bottom line is that the team that won today."

• More Quotes | ussoccer.com Women's Olympic Home Page
  

The U.S. will close out group action against New Zealand on Tuesday, Aug. 12, in Shenyang. Kickoff is set for 7:45 a.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on MSNBC and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. Fans can also follow along live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

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.

The U.S. attack created its first opportunity in the eighth minute thanks to a nice passing exchange. Lindsay Tarpley played a lovely diagonal switch to O'Reilly on the right flank, who beat her marker to the endline. Her cross was narrowly cleared by a sliding Japanese defender as Angela Hucles lurked on the back post. Less than a minute later, Tarpley took a crack on her own, forcing her way through two defenders and ripping a left-footer from 20 yards that goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto did well to smother.

Japan's first good chance came at the quarter-hour, and it was nearly trouble. Mizuho Sakaguchi received a pass inside the area and smacked a low drive that just skimmed by the far post.

The U.S. continued to press the game, seeking to exploit their speed on both flanks with quick passes played forward into space. Both Rodriguez – making her first Olympic start – and O'Reilly worked tirelessly throughout the night to keep the Japanese on their heels with their willingness to take on defenders.

Japan got another good look at the midway point of the first half when veteran Homare Sawa found space at the left corner of the box. Spying the far post, she tried to a curl a shot to upper corner, but Solo calmly rose to tip the ball over the bar.

The decisive moment came in the 27th minute as the result of hustle from the U.S. team. Tarpley fought for possession near the midfield stripe and played a through ball to Stephanie Cox, who had overlapped from the left back position. Cox raced to the endline and hit a left-footed cross towards the top of the box. The ball bounced past a defender and found Lloyd at the top of the box. Lloyd stepped up and unleashed a wicked half volley that sailed above Fukumoto and rippled the back of the net. The goal was Lloyd's 18th in her international career and her first in Olympic play.

The pace mellowed a bit around the 30-minute mark as the heat and humidity began taking its toll, but both sides still probed for opportunities. In the 33rd minute, Yuki Nagasoto penetrated the U.S. penalty area by getting past Kate Markgraf. She slotted a ball across the six-yard box that appeared to be dangerous, but the U.S. defense stood well positioned and the effort skipped harmlessly through.

Just three minutes before the halftime whistle, the U.S. nearly broke through again. From near the center circle, Hucles started a quick counter by slipping a through ball between the Japanese defense and sending Rodriguez racing through towards goal. Charging into the box, she tried to pick out the far post but the Japanese 'keeper stood her ground to thwart the attempt.

The second half began a bit more measured for the U.S. as Japan came out pressing for the equalizer. The U.S. did well to absorb the early pressure and shortly snatched the momentum.

Shannon Boxx – who traded moments of getting forward with her midfielder partner Lloyd - got a pair of chances three minutes apart. In the 56th minute, she took a first-time strike from the top of the area, only to see the well-struck effort keep rising over the Japanese goal. Three minutes later, she made a quick turn 25 yards out and slammed a left footer towards the near post that forced a diving save from Fukumoto.

The U.S. looked in control through the middle phase of the half, denying Japan a good look at goal while patiently seeking out counter-attacking opportunities in search of an insurance goal. They had a golden chance to double the lead in the 80th minute when O'Reilly delivered a penetrating pass to Rodriguez near the top right corner of the area. She fought off her defender and earned a clear look at goal. With the 'keeper off her line, she let go a curling shot destined for the far post, but the ball bent agonizingly wide.

With minutes remaining, Japan turned up the heat as they probed for the equalizer. In the 88th minute, Shinobu Ohno beat three U.S. markers and dribbled to the endline. Her delivery into the six-yard box found Karina Maruyama first to the ball, but U.S. captain Christie Rampone bodied the Japanese attacker enough to force an off balance header that fell wide. Rampone earned her 199th international cap in the victory.

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT

Match-up: USA vs. Japan
Competition: 2008 Olympics
Venue: Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium; Qinhuangdao, China
Date: August 9, 2008; Kickoff – 5:00 p.m. local / 5:00 a.m. ET
Attendance: 16,912
Weather: Hazy, Humid, 78 degrees

Scoring Summary:
                1     2     F
USA        1     0     1
JPN         0     0     0

USA – Carli Lloyd (Stephanie Cox)         27th minute

Lineups:
USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts, 15-Kate Markgraf, 3-Christie Rampone – Capt.,14-Stephanie Cox (4-Rachel Buehler, 83); 9-Heather O'Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 5-Lindsay Tarpley (13-Tobin Heath, 73); 16-Angela Hucles, 8-Amy Rodriguez (6-Natasha Kai, 86)
Subs not used: 1-Nicole Barnhart,10-Aly Wagner, 12-Lauren Cheney, 17-Lori Chalupny
Head Coach: Pia Sundhage

JPN: 1-Miho Fukumoto; 2-Yukari Kinga, 3-Hiromi Ikeda (9-Eriko Arakawa, 82) 4-Azusa Iwashimizu, 7-Kozue Ando (12-Karina Maruyama, 62); 5-Miyuki Yanagita, 8-Aya Miyama, 10-Homare Sawa, 15-Mizuho Sakaguchi (13-Ayumi Hara, 65); 17-Yuki Nagasato, 11-Shinobu Ohno.
Subs not used: 6-Tomoe Kato,14-Kyoko Yano, 16-Rumi Utsugi, 18-Ayumi Kaihori
Head Coach: Norio Sasaki

Statistical Summary: USA / JPN
Shots: 18/9
Shots on Goal: 6/4
Saves: 4/5
Corner Kicks: 9/4
Fouls: 7/6
Offside: 5/2

Misconduct Summary:
JPN – Homare Sawa (caution) 74th minute

Officials:
Referee: Pannipar Kamnueng (THA)
Asst. Referee: Widiya Shamsuri (MAS)
Asst. Referee: Ja Daw Kaw (MYA)
4th Official: Christine Beck(GER)

Sierra Mist Woman of the Match: Carli Lloyd

2008 Olympic Women's Soccer Tournament Standings
Group G
Team     W     L     T     Pts    GF    GA GD
NOR      2       0     0     6         3     0     +3
USA       1       1     0     3        1      2     -1
NZL        0       1    1     1         2     3      -1
JPN        0       1     1     1        2     3      -1

Aug. 6
Japan 2, New Zealand 2
Norway 2, USA 0

Aug. 9
USA 1, Japan 0
New Zealand 0, Norway 1

Aug. 12
Norway vs. Japan, 7:45 a.m. ET
USA vs. New Zealand, 7:45 a.m. ET

Group E
Team     W     L     T     Pts    GF    GA GD
CAN       1     0      1     4         3       2    +1
CHN       1     0      1     4         3       2    +1
SWE       1    1       0     3         2       2     0
ARG       0     2      0     0         1       3    -2

Aug. 6
Argentina 1, Canada 2
China 2, Sweden 1

Aug. 9
Sweden 1, Argentina 0
Canada 1, China 1

Aug. 12
China vs. Argentina, 7:45 a.m. ET
Sweden vs. Canada, 7:45 a.m. ET

Group F
Team     W     L     T     Pts    GF    GA GD
BRA        1     0     1     4         2        1     +1
GER        1     0     1     4         1        0   +1
PRK        1     1     0     3         2        2    0
NGA       0     2     0     0         0         2    -2

Aug. 6
Germany 0, Brazil 0
North Korea 1, Nigeria 0

Aug. 9
Nigeria 0, Germany 1
Brazil 2, North Korea 1

Aug. 12
North Korea vs. Germany, 5 a.m. ET
Nigeria vs. Brazil, 5 a.m. ET

- www.ussoccer.com -

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U.S. Men's Olympic Soccer Team Ready to Take on the Netherlands on Sunday in Olympic Group Play

U.S. Men's Olympic Team
2008 Olympic Games
August 8, 2008

OFF IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: The U.S. Men's Olympic Team is ready to continue its journey at the 2008 Olympic Games, taking on the Netherlands in the second game of Group B play on Sunday, August 10 at 7:45 p.m. in Tianjin. The Americans head into the game holding on to the top place in one of the most difficult groups in the tournament after picking up the full three points from a 1-0 victory against Japan on August 7. If the U.S. earns three points for win vs. the Netherlands, they will book a place in the knockout round. Sunday's match will be broadcast live on the USA Network and on the NBC Soccer Channel at 7:45 a.m. ET. Fans can also follow the action live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.

Group B Standings
Team   W   L   T  Pts  GF  GA  GD
USA      1    0   0    3     1     0    +1
NED      0   0   1    1     0     0      0
NGA      0    0   1    1    0     0      0
JPN       0    1    0    0   1     2     -1

Aug. 7
Japan 0, USA 1
Netherlands 0, Nigeria 0

Aug. 10
Nigeria vs. Japan, 5 a.m. ET
USA vs. Netherlands, 7:45 a.m. ET

Aug. 13
Netherlands vs. Japan, 7:45 a.m. ET
Nigeria vs. USA, 7:45 a.m. ET

ONCE IN A LIFETIME: The U.S. Men took a break from training on Friday to attend the Opening Ceremonies. The team took a bus about 70 miles to Beijing, went through their post-game regeneration and lined up at the Bird's Nest with the more than 500 other athletes representing the United States of America at the 2008 Olympic Games.

2008 U.S. Men's Olympic Team Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (4): Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Brian McBride (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

QUICK HITS:

• The 47th minute goal scored by Stuart Holden was the first scored by the U.S. Men's Olympic Team since September 26, 2000 when Peter Vagenas scored in the team's 1-3 semifinal loss to Spain in Sydney.
• The USA and the Netherlands have never met in the Men's Olympic Football Tournament.
• Americans Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley and Brad Guzan received yellow cards against Japan. If they receive another yellow card before the semifinals, they will be forced to sit one game. For this competition, yellow cards will reset after the quarterfinals, so that any player with one yellow card at that time will have a clean slate going into the semifinals.
• The Beijing Games are the 13th Olympic tournament for the U.S. Men, more than any nation except Italy (15).
• Midfielder Dax McCarty was a late addition to the U.S. roster, joining the team on July 24 after defender Nathan Sturgis suffered a hamstring injury. Kansas City Wizards defender Michael Harrington was added to the team's list of alternates.
• McCarty, who is one of 12 players who helped the team qualify for the Olympics in March, joined midfielder Freddy Adu, and defenders Maurice Edu and Michael Orozco on the Qualifying Tournament Best XI. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan earned an Honorable Mention.
• Of the four players named as alternates to the U.S. team, only goalkeeper Dominic Cervi will travel with the team throughout their stay in China.
• Seven players were part of the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. Jozy Altidore was among the leaders of that tournament with four goals, Adu had three and Michael Bradley scored the overtime winner in the Round of 16 match against Uruguay.
• Six players participated in the 2005 edition of the U-20 World Cup, including Adu and Danny Szetela, the only players to have appeared for the U.S. more than once. Other members of the 2005 team included Benny Feilhaber, Patrick Ianni, Sacha Kljestan and Marvell Wynne.
• The U.S. team ranges in age from 18 (Altidore) to 36 (Brian McBride). The other two overage players – Brad Guzan and Michael Parkhurst - were both born in 1984, making them less than a year too old to be considered Under-23.
• Parkhurst was named Major League Soccer's Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 at just 23 years old, while Guzan was last year's MLS Goalkeeper of the Year at the same age. Edu was also an award winner last year, as he was named the league's Rookie of the Year.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: U.S. captain McBride is not only the oldest footballer at the 2008 Games, but also the oldest player since the current format (Under-23 +3) was adopted for the 1992 Games. At 36 years and two months, the American forward is the eighth oldest to ever compete in the Men's Olympic Soccer Tournament. The oldest was Guatemala's Ricardo Piccinini who played in the 1988 Games in Seoul at 39.

FRIENDS AND FOES: U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley has spent the better part of two years playing for Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie, where he has learned Dutch and studied their national team. Read what Bradley had to say about the upcoming clash with the Netherlands squad that includes three of his Heerenveen teammates at ussoccer.com.

GLIPMSE AT THE NETHERLANDS: The Netherlands are participating in their first Olympic Games in 56 years, but qualified for the Beijing Games in style. They won the 2007 European Under-21 Championship on their home turf, scoring 10 goals in five games. Head coach Foppe de Haan has called in strikers Roy Makaay and Gerald Sibon and defender Kew Jaliens as an overage players to bolster his squad. Of the 18 players on the roster, 13 play domestically in the Netherlands and the remainder are spread between England (Ryan Babel, Gianni Zuiverloon), Spain (Hedwiges Maduro, Roy Drenthe) and Scotland (Evander Sno). The Dutch will be looking to move up in the Group B standings after a scoreless draw in their opening game against Nigeria. They will have to do so without the service of forward Sno, who was issued a red card in the team's opener and will serve a one-game suspension.
Netherlands Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse Arnhem), 18-Kenneth Vermeer (Ajax)
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Gianni Zuiverloon (West Bromwich Albion), 3-Dirk Marcellis (PSV Eindhoven), 4-Kew Jaliens (AZ Alkmaar), 5-Erik Pieters (PSV Eindhoven), 6-Kees Luijckx (AZ Alkmaar), 13-Calvin Jong-a-Pin (Heerenveen)
MIDFIELDERS (4): 7-Jonathan de Guzman (Feyenoord), 8-Urby Emanuelson (Ajax), 12-Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia), 15-Roy Drenthe (Real Madrid), 17-Otman Bakkal (PSV Eindhoven)
FORWARDS (4): 9-Roy Makaay (Feyenoord), 10-Gerald Sibon (Heerenveen), 11-Ryan Babel (Liverpool), 14-Evander Sno (Celtic), 16-Roy Beerens (Heerenveen)

Last Time Out:
USA
August 7, 2008 - Olympic Center Stadium, Tianjin - Olympic Games, Group B
USA       1      Holden, 47
Japan      0

USA: Guzan; Wynne, Edu, Parkhurst, Orozco; Holden (Feilhaber, 83), Bradley, Kljestan, Rogers (Szetela, 87); Adu, McBride, (Altidore, 74)
JPN: Nishikawa; Mizumoto, Nagatomo, Morishige, Uchida; K. Honda, Kajiyama (Lee, 64), Taniguchi, Kagawa (Okazaki, 84), T. Honda; Morimoto (Toyoda, 73)

Netherlands
August 7, 2008 - Olympic Center Stadium, Tianjin - Olympic Games, Group B
Netherlands     0
Nigeria              0

NED: Vermeer; Zuiverloon, Marcellis, Jaliens, Jong-A-Pin; Maduro (Sno, 46), Emanuelson (Bakkal, 81), De Guzman, Drenthe; Babel, Makaay (Sibon, 46)
NGA: Vanzekin; Okonkwo, Apam, Adeleye, Adefemi; Kaita, Isaac (Ekpo. 88), Ajilore, Obinna; Okoronkwo (Ogbuke, 70), Odemwingie (Amichibe, 80)

LOOKING BACK AT JAPAN: Though the players have shifted their focus to Sunday's contest, you can still check out behind-the-scenes footage from Thursday night's affair. For exclusive audio and video content following the first Olympic win for the U.S. Men in eight years, check out ussoccer.com.

NBC TO PROVIDE CHANNEL EXCLUSIVELY FOR OLYMPIC SOCCER COVERAGE: NBC Universal has launched a channel exclusively dedicated to full coverage of Men's and Women's Soccer at the 2008 Olympic Games. A total of 32 Men's and 26 Women's Soccer Games will be shown in their entirety on the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel, in addition to coverage on USA Network, MSNBC and live streaming on NBCOlympics.com. The seven NBC Networks — NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, Telemundo and Universal HD — will provide an unprecedented 3,600 hours of coverage, all in high definition. NBCOlympics.com will also provide over 3,000 hours of on-demand access to full event replays and extensive highlights. The NBC Olympic Soccer Channel is available on most major cable, satellite and telephone companies and distributors.

STUDIO 90 IN FULL EFFECT: The Studio 90 crew is splitting time between Tianjin, Qinhuandao and the home offices in Chicago, and you can come along on the journey. Watch Carli Lloyd and Angela Hucles talk about the need to bounce back from their opening day loss, while Michael Bradley gives a scouting report on a Netherlands squad that boasts four players from his club team, SC Heerenveen, as well as leading Dutch marskman Roy Makaay. Don't forget to check back on ussoccer.com all weekend long where U.S. Soccer's all_access video will have post-match reaction and all the news and updates from China.

JOIN U.S. FANS TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS AT A LOCAL WATERING HOLE: What's better than being surrounded by jersey-clad fans that live and die with every breath-taking goal, nerve-racking foul and brilliant save? If that's the tradition that you're looking for - and some great food to boot - head to the Official U.S. Soccer Bars to take in the USA's matches as they search for Olympic Gold. Summer's Grill and Sports Bar in Arlington, Va. is showing the game live at 7:45 a.m. ET with replays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET. Nevada Smith's will be the place to watch the game in New York City, with a live viewing at 7:45 a.m. ET and repeats all day. The Globe in Chicago will be the place to catch the action in the Midwest, starting at 6:45 a.m. with the live kickoff.

BUSY BLOGGING: The Olympic Team is back in blog action since making the journey to the Far East. You can read all about the trip and keep up on the latest happenings and behind-the-scenes news on the YNT Blog. Click on http://ynt-ussoccer.blogspot.com/ to keep up with the action.

- www.ussoccer.com -

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2008 ST. LOUIS SOCCER IN THE SAND

click to enlarge

Did you sleep in? Don't worry NBC's got you covered.

Olympic Soccer Match Report: U.S. Women vs. Norway in First Match of 2008 Beijing Games

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center: NORWAY TOPS U.S. WOMEN, 2-0, IN OLYMPIC OPENER ON TWO GOALS IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES Japan Up Next for U.S. Women on Saturday at 5 a.m. ET Live on USA Network QINHUANGDAO, China (Aug. 6, 2008) – The U.S. Women's National Team fell to Norway, 2-0, in the first match for both teams at the 2008 Olympics as the Europeans stunned the U.S. with two goals in the first five minutes. The Americans pushed to pull a goal back in the second half, but an organized Norwegian side held on for the victory on a hot and steamy night at the Qinhuangdao Sports Center Stadium. The loss was just the second-ever for the U.S. women in the Olympics, with the only other loss also coming to Norway in the 2000 Olympic Final in Sydney, Australia. Norway sits atop Group G with three points. Japan came back from a two-goal deficit to tie New Zealand, 2-2, creating a tie for second place with one point each. The USA will face Japan next in a critical match on Saturday, Aug. 9, at 5 a.m. ET live on USA Network and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel. "My glass is always half full. For us, it is a new experience to lose a game and the fact we tried to turn around and create some chances in the second half is positive," said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage, who suffers her first loss as the U.S. head coach. "I'm happy that this is the first game and not the last. We still have two more games to go. We will take the good part of the second half going forward to play against Japan and New Zealand." Post-Match Quotes | Photos | U.S. Women's Olympic Soccer Page Norway's dream start came in the second minute. After Christie Rampone cleared away a long throw in, Norway captain Ane Stangeland Horpestad swung in a looping cross from the left wing. Lori Chalupny was good position to try to win the header, but U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo charged off her line and collided with Chalupny as Leni Larsen Kaurin got her head to the ball, popping it over both U.S. players and into the empty net. Two minutes later Norway scored again. The goal came after Kate Markgraf played a back pass from the right sideline into the middle of the field, but hit it too softly, and it was picked off in stride by Melissa Wiik who dribbled into the penalty area and curved a fantastic shot inside the left post around Solo. After a few early build-ups and corner kicks, the best chance for the U.S. in the first half came in the 26th minute and was created by midfielder Heather O'Reilly. With the U.S. pressing, O'Reilly dribbled to the end line and cut back a pass that deflected to Carli Lloyd, who touched the ball forward to Angela Hucles, but her curling shot flew over the crossbar. In the 15th minute, Sundhage was forced to make her first substitution as Chalupny departed the match due to a blow to the side of her head in the collision with Solo on the first goal. She was replaced by Stephanie Cox. In the second half, Norway was content to sit back and counter-attack while the U.S. picked up the pressure, eventually firing 20 shots during the game. Norway's best chance of the second half came in the 49th minute off a free-kick that Marit Christensen flicked just wide of Solo's right post. Forward Amy Rodriguez came on at halftime replacing Lindsay Tarpley and helped the U.S. build numerous attacks through the final 45 minutes, but the Americans struggled to solve Norway's defense with the final pass. In the 61st minute, forward Natasha Kai put a shot over the bar from a tight angle and in the 78th Lloyd had a pair of chances denied after her first shot came back to her off a defender. The USA also had two good chances in stoppage time, the first when Hucles hit a blast from outside of the area that would have dipped into the net if not for a great leaping save from Erika Skarbøe. A minute later, Lloyd's strike from nearly the same spot went just wide of the post. This was the 44th meeting in a rivalry that dates to 1987, with Norway having more success against the U.S. than any other team. Going into the match the U.S. had won the 10 previous meetings dating to 2002, and the win was the 19th in the series for the Scandinavian side. The game marked the first Olympic appearances for Solo, Chalupny, Lloyd, Kai, Cox, Rodriguez and Tobin Heath, who came on late in the game for Cox. It was also the first Olympic starts for Hucles and O'Reilly. Chalupny is listed as day-to-day for the USA's next match against Japan. In other Olympic action, Germany and Brazil played to a 0-0 tie in a rematch of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. The hosts China were also victorious, surprising No. 3-ranked Sweden 2-1, and are tied for first in Group F with Canada who were 2-1 winners against Argentina. - U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT - Match-up: USA vs. Norway Competition: 2008 Olympics Venue: Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium; Qinhuangdao, China Date: August 6, 2008; Kickoff – 7:45 p.m. local / 7:45 a.m. ET Attendance: 17,673 Weather: Hazy, Humid, 83 degrees Scoring Summary:         1    2    F USA                                0   0   0 NOR                               2   0   2 NOR – Leni Larsen Kaurin (Ane Stangeland Horpestad)    2nd minute. NOR – Melissa Wiik                                                                     4. Lineups: USA: 18-Hope Solo; 2-Heather Mitts, 15-Kate Markgraf, 3-Christie Rampone – Capt., 17-Lori Chalupny (14-Stephanie Cox, 15, 13-Tobin Heath, 78); 9-Heather O'Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx, 11-Carli Lloyd, 5-Lindsay Tarpley (8-Amy Rodriguez); 16-Angela Hucles, 6-Natasha Kai Subs: 4-Rachel Buehler, 10-Aly Wagner, 12-Lauren Cheney, 18-Nicole Barnhart Head Coach: Pia Sundhage NOR: 1-Erika Skarbøe; 2-Ane Stangeland Horpestad – Capt., 3-Gunhild Følstad, 7-Trine Rønning, 12-Marit Christensen; 4-Ingvild Stensland, 6-Marie Knutsen (5-Siri Nordby, 88), 13-Lene Storløkken; 10-Melissa Wiik (17-Lene Mykjåland, 69), 8-Solveig Gulbrandsen, 11-Leni Larsen Kaurin (14-Guro Knutsen, 67) Subs:, 9-Isabell Herlovsen, 15-Marita Skammelsrud Lund, 16-Elise Thorsnes, 18-Christine Nilsen Head Coach: Bjarne Berntsen Statistical Summary: USA / NOR Shots:                                  20 / 12 Shots on Goal:                   11 / 6 Saves:                                   6 / 8 Corner Kicks:                       4 / 1 Fouls:                                  12 / 11 Offside:                                  2 / 3 Misconduct Summary: None. Officials Referee: Nicole Petignat (SUI) Asst. Referee: Cristini Cini (ITA) Asst. Referee: Karine Vives Solana (FRA) 4th Official: Dagmar Damkova (CZE) Sierra Mist Woman of the Match: Christie Rampone 2008 Olympic Women's Soccer Tournament Standings Group G Team  W L  T   Pts GF GA GD NOR   1   0  0   3     2     0   +2 NZL     0   0 1   1      2     2    0 JPN     0   0 1   1      2     2    0 USA     0  1  0   0      0     2   -2 Aug. 6 Japan 2, New Zealand 2 Norway 2 USA 0 Aug. 9 USA vs. Japan, 5 a.m.. ET New Zealand vs. Norway, 7:45 a.m. ET Aug. 12 Norway vs. Japan, 7:45 a.m. ET USA vs. New Zealand, 7:45 a.m. ET Group E Team  W  L   T Pts GF GA  GD CAN     1   0   0    3    2    1   +1 CHN    1    0  0    3     2    1   +1 SWE    0    1  0    0    1     2    -1 ARG     0   1   0    0    1    2     -1 Aug. 6 Argentina 1, Canada 2 China 2, Sweden 1 Aug. 9 Sweden vs. Argentina, 5 a.m. ET Canada vs. China, 7:45 a.m. ET Aug. 12 China vs. Argentina, 7:45 a.m. ET Sweden vs. Canada, 7:45 a.m. ET Group F Team   W     L     T    Pts  GF  GA   GD PRK     1       0     0      3     1     0     +1 BRA      0      0     1      1      0    0       E GER      0      0     1     1      0     0      E NGA      0      1      0     0      0     1     -1 Aug. 6 Germany 0, Brazil 0 North Korea 1, Nigeria 0 Aug. 9 Nigeria vs. Germany, 5 a.m. ET Brazil vs. North Korea, 7:45 a.m. ET Aug. 12 North Korea vs. Germany, 5 a.m. ET Nigeria vs. Brazil, 5 a.m. ET - ussoccer.com - **************************************************************** U.S. Soccer Federation, 1801 S. Prairie Ave, Chicago IL 60616 ****************************************************************

UMSL HIRES TOM CHAMPION AS INTERIM WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH

UMSL HIRES TOM CHAMPION AS INTERIM WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH     ST. LOUIS, MO. , August 4, 2008 – Thom Champion, a well-known and successful coach on the St. Louis soccer scene, has been named interim head women's soccer coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis as announced today by Athletic Department officials.   Champion succeeds Beth Goetz, who served as head coach for 11 years before being named Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance/Senior Women's Administrator at Butler University on July 25.   "We are very excited for the players on our women's soccer team that Coach Champion has agreed to fill our coaching vacancy," said Lori Flanagan, senior associate director of athletics. "Based on his resume and reputation, he not only has the experience, but the knowledge and passion to successfully lead off program to reach its potential this season."   Champion began his collegiate coaching career as the head men's soccer coach at Harris-Stowe State in 1979. His first stint in women's soccer was at Cardinal Newman, where he served as the assistant coach for the Jets' NAIA national runner-up team, while also guiding the men's program as head coach.   He then spent two seasons at McKendree as head coach of the men's team. He posted a 36-4-1 record, reaching a No. 3 ranking in the NAIA national poll. From there, he served three years as the head coach at Lindenwood, leading the Lions to a mark of 42-20 and an NAIA national top-10 ranking. He was selected as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Midwest Coach of the Year and NAIA Region Coach of the Year in 1992. Champion later returned to Lindenwood in 2003 as the women's coach, guiding the program to the NAIA national quarterfinals and a national top-10 ranking during his two-year tenure. He also spent the 2000 season at Saint Louis University as a women's assistant.   Champion has also coached soccer extensively at the prep level, recording a 207-111-25 career mark as head girls coach at Notre Dame high School during 1983-2000. He guided his squads to the 1986 state championship, a 2000

Vendor Information Packet.pdf - Adobe Acrobat Professional

 

US Olympic Schedule

Hall of Fame Honors Anson Dorrance and Hugo Perez

 

NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

Public Relations Contact: Jack Huckel

Jack@soccerhall.org

(607) 432-3351 ext. 209  

 

 

Hall of Fame Honors Anson Dorrance and Hugo Perez

 

ONEONTA, NY (August 3, 2008) – In front of a standing room only audieince in the National Soccer Museum, Builder Anson Dorrance and Veteran Player Hugo Perez were  inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Ike Kuhns, formerly of the Newark(NJ) Star-Ledger, was also honored as the recipient of the Colin Jose Media Award. "As the culmination of a fabulous weekend, the ceremony was very special," Hall of Fame President Steve Baumann said. "It captured all the values that we believe is the best of sport, hard work and perseverance, balance in life and dedication to success. We hope our audience left inspired as we celebrated the achievements of these extraordinary people."

 

Kuhns highlighted his reporting on the Cosmos in his acceptance address, saying "…in the stroke of a pen, everything changed…" referring to Pele's signing with the team, a landmark event in American soccer history. "Suddenly soccer was an easier story to get into print," he added. "I thank the Hall of Fame for this honor," he said in conclusion.

 

Nelson Perez, who presented his brother Hugo, stated, "As the younger brother I had to do all the cleaning and picking up in the house because Hugo was always playing soccer. Today it was all worth it!" In return Hugo thanked his family for their love and support as he pursued his soccer dream. "It was what I wanted – to play soccer like my grandfather – to be honored by the Hall of Fame for doing that is overwhelming. I am most grateful."

 

Anson Dorrance was presented by his most famous star player Mia Hamm. The two reversed roles at Induction 2007 when Anson presented Mia for her induction into the Hall of Fame. Mia was asked which was harder. "By far this one!" She said. "I had the responsibility to represent all the players whom Anson has touched; whom Anson has helped become mature, intelligent, competitive, dedicated, and confident women…." and, after a pause to gather herself "…also emotional."  In rejoinder Dorrance recognized that growing up in household where the athletes were the women of the family had uniquely prepared him for his coaching role. "My sister was by far the best athlete and she delighted in demonstrating that fact. And my Mother regularly beat the pants of my Dad in any athletic contest." About his star pupil Mia he said he was most thankful for, "her big sister role to my two daughters… and all her congratulatory calls over the years." He concluded by thanking his family and noting his wife's encouragement as he pursued the "… a life that has exceeded my dreams."

 

Induction photography is available at www.isiphoto.com

 

About the Hall of Fame

 

The Mission of the National Soccer Hall of Fame is to Celebrate the History, Honor the Heroes,

Inspire the Youth and Preserve the Legacy of Soccer in the United States.

 

Located in Oneonta, NY, the National Soccer Hall of Fame opened a new 30,000 sq.ft., state-of-the-art multimedia museum in 1999. The Hall of Fame tells the story of soccer in America through artifacts, photographs, video and written narratives. The main VideoWall portrays some of the greatest moments and the greatest goals in soccer history as well as live soccer action from the World Cup, MLS, and U.S. Soccer matches. The Hall features an extensive interactive, youth oriented Kicks Zone, including a kid-sized indoor field, where visitors have fun kicking, heading and playing video soccer games. Unique and rare artifacts on exhibit range from The Dewar Cup, the oldest team trophy in U.S. Sport, to the Women's World Cup won by the USA in 1999, the uniforms of Pele and Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly's golden shoes, NASL championship rings, and MLS championship trophies.  That and so much more are all at the National Soccer Hall of Fame. In addition to the interactive Museum, the National Soccer Hall of Fame's 61-acre complex boasts the Kicks Hall of Fame Museum Store, a research library, four world-class soccer fields and office/meeting facilities. Visit the Hall of Fame at www.soccerhall.org

 

WRIGHT NATIONAL SOCCER CAMPUS

18 STADIUM CIRCLE

ONEONTA, NY 13820

(607) 432-3351  FAX (607) 432-8429

www.soccerhall.org

 

 

Beach Soccer Comes to the Heartland!

FW: from http://www.soccadelic.com/blog/2008/07/29/beach-soccer-comes-to-the-heartland/

Sand soccer is here in STL! Check out this bit from SOCCADELIC.com about Dan Ehrenreich and the dream he is making a reality.

"Who woulda thought they could have a beach soccer tournament in St. Louis… St. Louis?! Yeah, man… the cat putting this thing together is Dan Ehrenreich and he's bringing the beach to St. Louis. For years the St. Louis area has been renowned for its soccer so its only fitting that this crop of Midwest talent should get a shot at playing on the sand. Mark my words, people: what Ehrenreich is doing here is going to be copied all over the place. In essence, whole soccer parks and indoor facilities around the country will begin to add sand pitches for the legions of people looking to play beach soccer who don't live near a proper beach. It's coming and it needs to. Hats off to Dan and his vision… this helps to promote beach soccer in a big way"

by Jed Thurman owner of Soccadelic

For more information and to register your team for this league visit http://www.allamericansfc.org/