USWNT opens Algarve Cup with 2-1 Victory against Norway

NOR – Ada Hegerberg (Kristine Minde), 43rd minute: Against the run of play, Norway’s Minde crossed the ball in from the right side to an unmarked Hegerberg in the middle of the box. Hegerberg rose up with a crisp header from seven yards out toward the center of the goal frame. U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo got a glove on the ball, but the deflection was not enough as it clipped the crossbar and crossed the goal line for the Norway lead. USA 0, NOR 1

USA – Carli Lloyd (Christen Press), 55th minute: Press’ through ball down the right side to Lloyd was partially deflected by Norway’s Inger Ane Hole, but Lloyd quickly gained possession. Lloyd spun counter clockwise to create a gap and from 18 yards out, ripped a shot into the left of the frame to tie the score. It was Lloyd’s first goal of 2015. USA 1, NOR 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Carli Lloyd (penalty), 62nd minute: Christen Press drew a penalty kick when her shot from outside the box struck Norway defender Trin Ronning’s right arm. Lloyd took the subsequent penalty and placed it perfectly into the upper right corner of the frame for her second tally in a seven-minute stretch. In addition to her first two goals of the year, Lloyd is now up to 63 for her career. USA 2, NOR 1 (FINAL) (SEE GOAL) 

Key Saves and Defensive Stops:
USA – Ali Krieger, 4th minute: Norway crossed the ball into the box from the right side and USA goalkeeper Hope Solo was unable to corral through traffic. Norway’s Emilie Haavi had a couple chances to score with Solo off of the line. Her first attempt struck teammate Ada Hegerberg. The second chance was then blocked by Krieger near the goal line as the U.S. surrendered a corner kick and came away unscathed.

NOR – Silje Vesterbekkmo, 9th minute: Carli Lloyd stepped up to steal the ball from Norway in the midfield. She juked to the left to evade Norway captain Trine Ronning at the edge of the box and then shot left-footed toward the far right post. Vesterbekkmo alertly saved with her left foot to give up a U.S. corner kick.

NOR – Silje Vesterbekkmo, 32nd and 33rd minutes: Norway’s goalkeeper faced an onslaught of USA scoring chances during this stretch, opening with a Lauren Holiday corner kick from the left side. Holiday’s delivery threatened the goal and Vesterbekkmo punched it away. Shortly after, Christen Press drove a low, long-range shot that ricocheted off of the left post. Then in the 33rd minute, Alex Morgan tried to flick the ball over Vesterbekkmo, but she sacrificed her body to deflect it away.

USA – Hope Solo, 54th minute: Off of a Lene Mykjaland corner kick from the right side, the ball bounced among a scrum in the box and then was up for grabs as Solveig Gulbrandsen had space with a left-footed shot. Gulbrandsen fired toward the left of the frame, but Solo was up to the task with a close-range reaction save.

Milestone Watch:

• Abby Wambach made her 235th appearance and ranks sixth on the all-time WNT list, four games behind fifth-place Joy Fawcett (239 games from 1987-2004).
• Defender Lori Chalupny and midfielder Megan Rapinoe earned their 97th-career caps. They are three appearances away from hitting the century mark, which 30 other WNT players have reached.
• Goalkeeper Hope Solo earned her first win of the year and 125th of her career. She trails only Briana Scurry (133) on the all-time list.

Next on the Schedule:
The U.S. WNT faces Switzerland in Group B play at the 2015 Algarve Cup on Friday, March 6. Kickoff is at 12 p.m. ET at Vila Real de Santo Antonio.
Broadcast information: FOX Sports 1
Social: Twitter (@ussoccer_wnt; @ussoccer_esp); Facebook; Instagram

Additional Notes:

• The USA moved to 28-19-2 all-time against Norway.
• The U.S. is now 2-1-0 in 2015.
• Head coach Jill Ellis’ lineup featured a 4-4-2 formation, anchored by goalkeeper Hope Solo who returned from a 30-day suspension to make her first appearance of 2015.
• In front of Solo was a defensive line that included Ali Krieger at right back, Lori Chalupny at left back and the center back tandem of Becky Sauerbrunn and Julie Johnston. Johnston made her first appearance of the year and earned her sixth-career cap.
• The USA midfield featured the same four players for a third straight game, with Lauren Holiday and Morgan Brian playing centrally, Carli Lloyd on the right side and Christen Press on the left.
• Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach were paired up top, with Wambach wearing the captain’s armband.
• To open the second half, Meghan Klingenberg replaced Chalupny at left back.
• In the 78th minute, Tobin Heath entered for Press and then in the 79th minute, Sydney Leroux made her first appearance of the year when she replaced Morgan.
• In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Megan Rapinoe subbed in for Holiday.
• Lloyd recorded the eighth multi-goal game of her WNT career. She had four multi-goal games in 2014 alone.

– U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report – 

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Norway
Date: March 4, 2015
Competition: 2015 Algarve Cup – Group B
Venue: Municipal Stadium; Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Portugal
Kickoff: 2 p.m. ET
Attendance: 500
Weather: 63 degrees, cool and clear 

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                            0          2          2
NOR                            1          0          1

NOR – Ada Hegerberg (Kristine Minde)                    43rd minute
USA – Carli Lloyd (Christen Press)                            55
USA – Carli Lloyd (penalty kick)                                62 

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 26-Julie Johnston, 16-Lori Chalupny (25-Meghan Klingenberg, 46); 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Holiday (15-Megan Rapinoe, 90+1), 14-Morgan Brian, 23-Christen Press (17-Tobin Heath, 78); 13-Alex Morgan (2-Sydney Leroux, 78), 20-Abby Wamach (capt.) (8-Amy Rodriguez, 56)
Subs Not Used: 5-Kelley O’Hara, 6-Whitney Engen, 7-Shannon Boxx, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 19-Rachel Van Hollebeke, 22-Crystal Dunn, 24-Ashlyn Harris
Head coach: Jill Ellis

NOR: 12-Silje Vesterbekkmo; 6-Maren Mjelde, 7-Trine Rønning (capt.), 2-Marita Lund, 3-Inger Ane Hole; 17-Lene Mykjåland, 8-Solveig Gulbrandsen (14-Gry Tofte Ims, 74), 20-Emilie Haavi (19-Marie Markussen, 69); 18-Kristine Minde, 8-Isabel Herlovsen, 21-Ada Hegerberg
Subs Not Used: 1-Ingrid Hjelmseth, 4-Melissa Bjånesoy, 5-Hedda Gardsjord, 10-Maria Thorisdottir, 11-Ida Elise Enget, 13-Ingrid Moe Wold, 15-Anja Sønstevold, 16-Andrine Hegerberg, 22-Cathrine Dekkerhus, 23-Cecille Fiskerstrand
Head coach: Even Pellerud 

Stats Summary: USA / NOR
Shots: 12 / 5
Shots on Goal: 7 / 4
Saves: 3 / 4
Corner Kicks: 8 / 3
Fouls: 5 / 11
Offside: 4 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
NOR – Trine Ronnin (caution)                        62nd minute

Officials:
Referee: Esther Staubil (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Belinda Brem (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Kung (SUI)
Fourth Official: Gladys Lengwe (ZAM)

Budweiser Woman of the Match:  Carli Lloyd