U.S. Women’s National Team hosts Republic of Ireland for two-game set in Fan Tribute Tour

The U.S. Women’s National Team opens the second half of its 10-game Fan Tribute Tour when it hosts the Republic of Ireland for a two-game set, starting with a 7 p.m. PT match on Wednesday, Nov. 28, at JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore.

The USA then faces Ireland at 7:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, Dec. 1, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Both matches will be broadcast live on FOX Soccer, with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. PT on Nov. 28 and 7 p.m. MT on Dec. 1.

2012 U.S. WNT Schedule

+ CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament
++ 2012 London Olympics
& Algarve Cup
~ Kirin Challenge Cup
^^ Volvo Winners Cup

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Hope Solo, 18-Nicole Barnhart, 21-Jill Loyden
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Heather Mitts, 3-Christie Rampone, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O’Hara, 6-Amy LePeilbet, 16-Rachel Buehler
MIDFIELDERS (5): 7-Shannon Boxx, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 17-Tobin Heath
FORWARDS (5): 8-Amy Rodriguez, 11-Sydney Leroux, 12-Lauren Cheney, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach

TOM SERMANNI NAMED U.S. WNT HEAD COACH
U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announced on Oct. 30 the hiring of Tom Sermanni as the seventh head coach in U.S. Women’s National Team history. The former Australia women’s head coach will officially begin his tenure as the WNT head coach on Jan. 1, 2013. U.S. Soccer Women’s Development Director Jill Ellis is managing the team for the remainder of the Fan Tribute Tour, but Sermanni will be present at the final three matches against China in an observatory role.

U.S. ROSTER NOTES

• Alex Morgan (24 goals) and Abby Wambach (23 goals) have combined for 47 goals in 2012 – the second-most goals of any duo in U.S. WNT history. The record is 55 goals in 1991 when Michelle Akers scored a record 39 goals and Carin Jennings tallied 16 goals.
• Wambach scored her 23rd goal of the year in the 44th minute of the USA’s 2-2 draw against Germany on Oct. 23 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn.
• Only four players in U.S. WNT history have scored more than 20 goals in a calendar year: Akers (39 in 1991), Tiffeny Milbrett (21 in 1999), Wambach twice (31 goals in 2004, 23 in 2012) and Morgan (24 in 2012).
• Five players on the U.S. roster scored in the 2012 London Olympics and eight total players have scored in an Olympics: Wambach (4 goals in 2004; 5 goals in 2012), Carli Lloyd (2 goals in 2008; 4 goals in 2012), Heather O’Reilly (1 goal in 2004; 2 goals in 2008), Shannon Boxx (1 goal in 2004), Amy Rodriguez (1 goal in 2008), Morgan (3 goals in 2012), Megan Rapinoe (3 goals in 2012) and Sydney Leroux (1 goal in 2012).
• The London Olympics marked the first time the U.S. WNT won every game en route to the gold medal.
• Rapinoe and Morgan led the team with four assists apiece in the Olympics.
• Morgan, Rapinoe and Wambach each had 10 points in this year’s Olympics.
• Only three U.S. WNT players were on the field for all 570 minutes in the 2012 Olympics: goalkeeper Hope Solo, defender and team captain Christie Rampone and defender Kelley O’Hara.
• Morgan’s game-winning goal against Canada on Aug. 6 is the latest tally ever in a FIFA competition. Her strike hit the back of the net at 122 minutes, 23 seconds. Wambach’s memorable game-tying header against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup crossed the goal line at 121 minutes, 19 seconds.
• The USA has scored 103 goals this year (101 individual goals, 2 own goals), ranking fifth all-time in the program’s history. The 2000 campaign ranks first with 124 goals in 41 games, followed by 1991 (122 goals in 28 games), 1999 (111 goals in 29 games) and 2004 (104 goals in 34 games).

U.S. WNT IN PORTLAND

• The U.S. is 9-1-0 all-time in Portland and has won its only other game at JELD-WEN Field – a 3-0 victory against Canada on Sept. 22, 2011.
• In the 2011 win against Canada, Abby Wambach scored two goals and Alex Morgan added a tally in second-half stoppage time.
• The USA has outscored its opponents 42-6 in Portland.
• The United States’ lone blemish in Portland was a 3-0 loss to Germany on Oct. 5, 2003, in the semifinal of the FIFA Women’s World Cup at PGE Park. The two teams played more evenly than the final score indicated as the U.S. out-shot Germany 15-13 (6-5 on goal) and Germany only held a 1-0 lead before scoring twice in second-half stoppage time.
• Before last year’s trip to JELD-WEN USA’s most recent match was a 4-0 victory against Mexico on Oct. 17, 2007. Kristine Lilly, Wambach, Natasha Kai and Carli Lloyd were the USA goal scorers.
• World all-time caps leader Kristine Lilly (352) earned her 200th cap in Portland on May 7, 2000, in 4-0 victory against Canada. She was the first player ever to 200 caps.

USA vs. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SERIES

• The USA is a perfect 8-0-0 against the Republic of Ireland.
• The series dates back to the United States’ 5-0 win on Sept. 4, 1999, in Foxborough, Mass. Tiffeny Milbrett scored twice and assisted a Julie Foudy goal. Joy Fawcett and Kristine Lilly also struck the back of the net.
• The USA and Ireland most recently met on Sept. 20, 2008, with the U.S. posting a 2-0 win at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. That victory set a U.S. WNT program record as the team notched its 29th win of the year, breaking the previous mark of 28 wins in 2004. Defender Kate Markgraf tallied her first and only career goal (a 31st-minute penalty kick) and Lori Chalupny started the scoring with a 19th-minute goal.
• The U.S. has outscored Ireland 30-1 in the series and has posted five straight shutout victories.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

• U.S. defender and team captain Christie Rampone ranks fourth all-time with 271 caps and can tie Julie Foudy (272) for third all-time with her next appearance. Rampone is four caps behind Mia Hamm (275). Kristine Lilly holds the record with 352 caps.
• Rampone has 22 career Olympic appearances and moved six ahead of previous USA record holders Joy Fawcett, Foudy, Lilly and Kate Markgraf.
• Abby Wambach scored five goals in five straight games during the London Olympics, which is an Olympic record. She has nine-career Olympic goals and is atop the USA leaderboard in that category, surpassing the previous record of five held by Hamm and Milbrett.
• In her three years with the U.S. WNT, Alex Morgan already ranks 14th all-time with 34 goals and sits one behind April Heinrichs (35 goals from 1986-91).
• This year, Morgan leads the U.S. in goals (24), multi-goal games (8), assists (18) and points (66). Her goals total trails only Michelle Akers (39 in 1991) and Wambach (31 goals in 2004). Her points total also is third-best in U.S. WNT history behind Akers (86 points in 1991) and Wambach (75 points in 2004).
• Morgan’s 18 assists, which is tied for the fourth-best ever in a calendar year, is approaching a record. Mia Hamm had 22 assists in the final year of her career in 2004 and Carin Gabarra had 21 in 1991. Hamm also had 20 assists in 1998. Those are the only three times a U.S. player has reach or surpassed 20 assists in a calendar year.
• Hope Solo set a U.S. WNT goalkeeper consecutive minutes played record at 1,163, surpassing the previous mark of 990 set by Briana Scurry.
• Sydney Leroux set a U.S. WNT record for goals scored off the bench in a year with her 10th of 2012 against Australia on Sept. 19. Her 82nd-minute goal passed Debbie Keller’s nine-goal record off the bench in 1998. U.S. forward Amy Rodriguez has had a productive performance in a substitute role in 2012 with eight goals.

BY THE NUMBERS
1: USA’s FIFA ranking
5: Goals scored in a game by Sydney Leroux (Jan. 22, 2012), Amy Rodriguez (Jan. 20, 2012), Abby Wambach (Oct. 23, 2004), Tiffeny Milbrett (Nov. 2, 2002), Michelle Akers (Nov. 24, 1991) and Brandi Chastain (April 18, 1991)
9: Career Olympic goals by Wambach, a U.S. WNT record
11: Games this year in which Morgan and Wambach both contributed at least one goal (11-0-0 record)
18: Combined goals off the bench this year by Leroux (10) and Rodriguez (8)
22: Career Olympic appearances by U.S. captain Christie Rampone
32: Republic of Ireland’s FIFA ranking
95: U.S. victories when Abby Wambach scores a goal (95-2-7 overall)
103: Goals scored by the U.S. WNT in 2012 (101 individual goals, 2 own goals)

OLYMPIC GOLD OVER THE YEARS:
The Fan Tribute Tour embraces a U.S. Women’s National Team that has set a standard in the Olympics. No soccer team – men’s or women’s – has won four Olympic gold medals. Here is a look at all four gold medal-winning performances:

• Aug. 9, 2012: USA 2, Japan 1: U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd, the gold medal hero of the 2008 Olympics, once again led the way for the USA by scoring both goals to upend 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Japan in front of more than 80,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in London – an Olympic record crowd for women’s soccer and the largest crowd the U.S. WNT has played in front of outside the United States. Lloyd made a darting run in the eighth minute, heading home the game’s first goal. Then Lloyd unleashed a right-footed shot from 20 yards out in the 54th minute for what would prove to be the winning tally.
• Aug. 24, 2008: USA 1, Brazil 0 (OT): The U.S. held Brazil scoreless for 120 minutes and Carli Lloyd took the spotlight with a game-winning goal in the sixth minute of overtime in front of 51,612 at Worker’s Stadium in Beijing. Lloyd’s left-footed strike from just outside the box was the finishing touch for the USA’s third gold medal in four Olympic Games. Goalkeeper Hope Solo made six saves for the clean sheet.
• Aug. 26, 2004: USA 2, Brazil 1 (OT): Abby Wambach’s snap header from about 12 yards out in the 112th minute flew past Brazil goalkeeper Andreia for the winner as the young Wambach capitalized on Kristine Lilly’s corner kick. Lindsay Tarpley gave the USA a first-half lead in the 39th minute and Brazil’s Pretinha equalized in the 73rd minute. The Athens Olympics served as the final international championship for retiring players such as Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm.
• Aug. 1, 1996: USA 2, China PR 1: Tiffeny Milbrett scored off of a strong setup from Joy Fawcett in the 68th minute to give the USA its first gold medal in front of 76,481 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. Fawcett attacked down the right side into the penalty area, drew a China defender and slid the ball to a wide open Milbrett. Shannon MacMillan scored the first goal in the 19th minute, rebounding Mia Hamm’s initial shot that was saved by China goalkeeper Hong Gao and deflected off the post. China’s Lihong Zhao tied the score at 1-1 in the 32nd minute.

JILL ELLIS FACT FILE: Interim head coach Jill Ellis has managed two games for the U.S. Women’s National Team: a 1-1 draw against Germany at a sold-out Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., and a 2-2 stalemate in the rematch on Oct. 23 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. Ellis is managing the team for the remainder of 2012 before Tom Sermanni takes the reins at the start of 2013. The 46-year-old Ellis was appointed as the Development Director for the U.S. Women’s National Teams in January of 2011. She oversees the women’s youth national team program at the U-14, U-15 and U-17 levels. Below are some of her accomplishments as a player and coach.

• Ellis served as an assistant coach under Pia Sundhage, helping the U.S. Women’s National Team to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
• Ellis twice coached the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team, guiding the squad to the CONCACAF title in 2010 and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.
• She also had two stints as the head coach of the U.S. U-21 WNT, the second starting in the middle of 2005, after which she guided the team to the Nordic Cup in Sweden. Ellis also coached the U-21s to the Nordic Cup title in Germany in 2000.
• Ellis spent 12 years as the head coach of the UCLA women’s team, leading the Bruins to eight NCAA Final Fours, including seven in a row from 2003-09. She won six straight conference titles (2003-08) and compiled a 229-45-14 record.
• She also was the head coach at the University of Illinois in 1997 and 1998.
• Ellis grew up in Portsmouth, England, and came to the U.S. in 1981 at age 15. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William & Mary in 1988.
• The former Williams & Mary forward (1984-87) was a third-team All-American in 1987 and an honorable mention all-region selection in 1985.

IN FOCUS: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Football Association of Ireland
Founded: 1921 (Joined FIFA in 1923)
Head Coach: Sue Ronan
FIFA World Ranking: 32
Best FIFA World Cup Finish: Has never qualified
Best Olympics Finish: Has never qualified

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Emma Byrne, 16-Eve Gbadana
DEFENDERS (8): 2-Sophie Perry, 3-Megan Campbell, 4-Louise Quinn, 5-Yvonne Tracey, 7-Mary Therese McDonnell, 8-Meabh De Burca, 14-Shannon McDonnell, 18-Ciara Grant
MIDFIELDERS (4): 6-Niamh Fahey, 10 Julie Ann Russell, 11-Aine O’Gorman, 13-Diane Caldwell
FORWARDS (4): 9-Fiona O’Sullivan, 12-Denis O’Sullivan, 15-Ruesha Littlejohn, 17-Shannon Smyth

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ROSTER NOTES:

• Three players compete for Arsenal Ladies FC: goalkeeper Emma Byrne (91 international caps), defender Yvonne Tracey (69 caps) and midfielder Niamh Fahey (45 caps).
• Fahey was awarded the Irish International Player of the Year award in 2002.
• Midfielder Ciara Grant is the only player on the Ireland roster without a cap.
• The youngest player on Ireland’s roster is 19-year-old goalkeeper Eve Gbadana. She recently competed her second season with Drexel University in Philadelphia.
• Defender Mary Therese McDonnell formerly played in Women’s Professional Soccer with the Chicago Red Stars. Older sister Shannon McDonnell, a fellow defender, is also on the current Ireland roster.

LAST TIME
On the field for the USA:
Oct. 23, 2012 – Rentschler Field; East Hartford, Conn.
International Friendly
USA   2   Abby Wambach 44, Tobin Heath 67
GER   2   Dzenifer Marozsan 48, 85

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 6-Amy LePeilbet (2-Heather Mitts, 57) (11-Sydney Leroux, 84), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 5-Kelley O’Hara (16-Rachel Buehler, 57); 9-Heather O’Reilly (17-Tobin Heath, 63), 7-Shannon Boxx, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe (12-Lauren Cheney, 46); 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach
Substitutions Not Used: 18-Nicole Barnhart, 21-Jill Loyden, 8-Amy Rodriguez
Head coach: Jill Ellis

GER: 1-Nadine Angerer (capt.); 3-Saskia Bartusiak, 4-Babett Peter, 5-Annike Krahn, 15-Verena Faisst, 22-Luisa Wensing; 6-Simone Laudehr (17-Viola Odebrecht, 46), 10-Linda Bresonik, 20-Lena Goessling; 9-Alexandra Popp (14-Dzenifer Marozsan, 46), 11-Anja Mittag (24-Lena Lotzen, 78)
Substitutions Not Used: 2-Bianca Schmidt, 7-Melanie Behringer, 12-Almuth Schult, 16-Martina Muller, 18-Svenja Huth, 21-Laura Benkarth, 23-Leonie Maier
Head coach: Silvia Neid

vs. Republic of Ireland:
Sept. 20, 2012 – Toyota Park – Bridgeview, Ill.
International Friendly – Achieve Your Gold Tour
USA    2   Lori Chalupny 19, Kate Markgraf 31
IRL     0

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo (18-Nicole Barnhart, 46); 17-Lori Chalupny, 3-Christie Rampone (4-Rachel Buehler, 46), 15-Kate Markgraf, 2-Heather Mitts (14-Stephanie Cox, 46); 16-Angela Hucles (10-Aly Wagner, 46), 7-Shannon Boxx (capt.), 11-Carli Lloyd, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 5-Lindsay Tarpley, 6-Natasha Kai (21-Kacey White, 63)
Subs not used: 22-Briana Scurry
Head coach: Pia Sundhage

IRL: 1-Emma Byrne; 5-Yvonne Tracy, 4-Niamh Fahey, 3-Alisha Moran (12-Sharon Boyle, 90), 13-Ciara McCormack (14-Jemma Connor, 46); 7-Ciara Grant, 6-Sonya Hughes (2-Meabh De Burca, 46), 17-Mary McDonnell, 8-Aine O’Gorman; 10-Michele O’Brien, 11-Stefanie Curtis (18-Denise Thomas, 60)
Subs not used: 9-Katie Taylor, 15-Susan Byrne, 16-Lynn Bradley
Head coach: Noel King