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Brazil Women’s Soccer Team

July 7, 2011 by · Comments Off on Brazil Women’s Soccer Team 

Brazil Women's Soccer TeamBrazil Women’s Soccer Team, Old habits crept back into play the women’s team USA soccer Wednesday. Family weaknesses were on display, too. And they were victims of bad luck. Therefore, after a 2-1 defeat by Sweden forced the Americans in a difficult match quarterfinal against Brazil on Sunday in Dresden, how the U.S. players respond?

He smiled and was optimistic. They follow the example in this respect the coach Sundhage walk from sunlight Pia.

Sundhage How to respond? He predicted that U.S. women, who lost in the game of World Cup group for the first time ever, play in the final July 17.

Why, of course he did. “We will play the final,” Sundhage said in a press conference after the match, repeating a statement he made to her players in the locker room. “This is a bit different from what they say. But that’s what you need when you take a different path. I really want to embrace the pressure.”

Embrace it or not, the pressure on.

Despite the loss, despite the bumpy road U.S. strangely did in the preparations for this tournament, losing three games in five months, Americans certainly did not seem to have a confidence problem.

Hardly. Goalkeeper Hope Solo watching her teammates gets knocked her sand game the Swedes early in the game. She saw who have repeated problems trying to advance the ball. So then basically told to take the Brazilian superstar forward Marta, regarded as the best player in the world.

“We knew this could happen, and definitely not a nightmare,” said Just the fight against Brazil, who beat the U.S. 4-0 in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup and finished second in the last three major tournaments in the world. “I think Brazil is a great team with great players. I think we’re a better team.

“Of course, they have the best individual player. But there are holes. You can find holes in their defense. You can find holes in their midfield. I hope that if we play well, is not a close game. I ‘am hoping that put a pair of goals and really takes you to Brazil. ”

Impatience Perhaps the pain in Sweden led to the Americans? Sundhage, despite her optimistic view about almost everything, acknowledged that there were significant problems with the way her team played.

The main problem is that the Americans came under pressure for Swedes, who could match the U.S. team physically, the Americans turned to a style that Sundhage, hired in 2007, has spent years trying to change. That style is to rely on long passes over the defense, especially the veteran striker Abby Wambach.

“We could have been more patient,” said Sundhage. “We were very eager to send the ball into the area.”

Sundhage would have liked to see the game through the midfield, except that the midfielders Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd were having physical problems with the Swedes. She also would have liked to see more balls to the sides of the flank midfielders Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Cheney.

That worked better, he said, although the midfielder Heather O’Reilly had been in the game, but O’Reilly was out for a groin injury and her availability for the game in Brazil is uncertain.

“O’Reilly has made a difference, the way it runs at players and is all,” said Sundhage.

Only agreed. She could see the impatience and the consequent lack of cohesion in attack.

“The engine of our team is our midfield, Boxx and Lloyd,” said Solo. “When we can not get the ball through them, we do not know what to do, but too long. You can say that we returned to our way of old-school game.

“That will not work, and it was good to see because we have to stick with our game plan and we must continue with what we are.”

The other important factor in the loss was the inability of Americans continues to score more often in an excellent opportunity. That beat the Swedes in general shots (20-9) and shots on goal (6-5), but only Wambach was able to score, hitting her shoulder in a corner on 67 minutes.

“We are making shots,” said Lloyd. “At some point, the shots are going to turn into goals.”

Wambach, like O’Reilly, a participant was questionable before the game. He had sat the last two practices after chronic Achilles tendinitis lit. But she started and was active in the first half and then in the U.S. final 2-0 in the second half, he said.

That ended a long series of frustrating failures in finishing Wambach, who was the longest scoring crisis of her career. Wambach, 31, is the U.S. team the third leading scorer of all time with 119 goals, but had scored only once this year.

“There was much talk at halftime about the possibility of replacing Abby, after 45 minutes,” said Sundhage.

“Football is feelings and decisions. I have great respect for Abby Wambach. She said she wanted to play. I think it was the right decision.

“She had a goal and I think that is important in the future.”

Wambach made it clear after the party intends to remain in the field, no matter the pain in the right Achilles.

“I tell you, I will not go off the court unless I removed Pia,” he said.

“This is the world championship. This is what we all live.”

Sweden becomes the pressure

Both teams entered the game with 2-0 records and guarantee a place in the quarterfinals and U.S. women only needed a draw to win the group. But from the beginning it was clear that the Swedes, despite missing captain and major owner Caroline Seger (serving a one-game suspension for having drawn two yellow cards), seriously.

Pressure was maintained on principles of Solo. In the seventh minute, Sweden forward Lotta Schelin was behind the U.S. defense on a breakaway and fired a low blast from the goal, but only exceptionally made a stop with her leg to keep the game scoreless.

In 14 minutes, was again released when defender Amy LePeilbet, who continued the fight in the tournament, shot down Schelin from behind. She has had trouble sticking with the opponents, and her passes have not been strong. The result was a penalty, and an interesting clash between the family and Lisa Dahlkvist midfielder, who lined up to take the shot.

Just moved up from the baseline, looking even smiled a little as Dahlkvist mocked in return. The referee finally stepped in, so just take their place in line.

“I was thinking that the hope was to make the psychological things,” said Dahlkvist. “But I was thinking she is smaller than I right now, I afraid.”

Just guessed correctly, diving to her right and almost reaching the ball, but Dahlkvist had risen too high and put too much into it to just to get it.

Sweden made it 2-0 on 35 minutes a free kick that deflected Nilla Fischer in the thigh and bounced LePeilbet on the network, just by moving in the opposite direction.

“That’s the life of a goalie, I guess,” said Solo. “I felt as if I had the opportunity to make a play in each of the goals and that is frustrating. They did not score in the game logic.”

Defender Christie Rampone was a young U.S. team that won the World Cup at home in the summer of 1999. Since then he has played on teams that finished third in 2003 and 2007 World Cups.

Now she is 36, mother of two, and the team captain. It is also the only player on this team to win a World Cup. And she is optimistic.

“I think we put a second half very well together, and I think it looks good to go to Brazil,” he said. “We will have to face Brazil. We could meet them from the beginning.”

From the beginning? Maybe so. Moreover, it could be early afternoon.

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