55' 0-1 #4 Melhado clears a ball with left foot, catches studs in turf, comes up limping: left knee? 56' 0-1 #11 Richardson dribbles solo down the right, USA slide-blocks and cede a right corner. #5(c) Zadorsky comes up to take it, sends it to 6-top right post, headed wide.
58' 0-1 USA chip inside-out to #9 Ubogagu(?) at 18m box left, one-touch hopping header sends #11 Horan through Canada's line and box top left. She shoots on the run at 11m 6-left, low left post and D'Angelo sprawls and catches it. 60' 0-1 USA shoots from box top arc right(?), right post low but straight into D'Angelo's basket. Canada isn't giving us enough time to pick our shots. 61' 0-1 #11 Horan picks ball up at arc top right, squares to #6 Brian at arc top left. Left-foot shot in traffic, again sails high. Deflected, USA left corner.
63' 0-1 Canada have pulled back to midfield-and-below. USA's back 3 have no pressure on them when they backpass or clean up leakage. 64' 0-1 USA two longballs through box top center, nobody there and D'Angelo scoops them up. We can't keep chasing bad balls forever.
65' 0-1 Canada press forth up the right, #10 Oduro 1-v-1 on #15 Mewis, into the corner. Oduro nutmegs Mewis, gets endline and crosses. One player from each go sprawling backward at the spot, no call. USA clears. 67' 0-1 USA long low shot from box top right, doesn't trouble D'Angelo. 67' 0-1 #12 DiBernardo knocked down at 14m wide left, foul, microphones pick up Canada's protests. Before the FK ... 68' 0-1 USA susb in (2 of 3) #10 Mandy Laddish for #12 Vanessa DiBernardo.
69' 0-1 #6 Brian sends free kick in, cleared right. USA crosses to 6m left post, #11 Horan heads just wide left.
70' 0-1 USA up left, #20 Hayes to #9 Ubogagu(?) at 25m arc left. Through-ball into box turns Canada's line, #4 Melhado clears it over. 71' 0-1 Canada subs in (2 of 3) #9 Catherine Charron-Delage (MF) for #17 Nkem Eruzike (FW). 71' 0-1 USA left corner, to 6-top right post. D'Angelo unsure, leaps and punches it with some spin, curl takes it over for a right corner. #11 Horan eventually heads high.
Is this going to be one of those games where the freaking ball just will not go in for us? Just like how England usually chokes against lesser teams?
75' 0-1 USA win a left corner, cleared to white shirts at 9m, shot high. Right corner, cleared to white shirts at 12m, shot just wide. 75' 0-1 Canada play up box left, #2 Davis (MF) overlaps way up from her LB spot, shoots left post low, #1 Heaberlin smothers. 76' 0-1 USA subs in: (3 of 3) #7 Kealia Ohai (FW) for #2(<=c) Mollie Pathman (LB). #5(c<=) Kallman is now captain.
It took a UNC tarheel Ohai to come in and create some havoc to give Hayes a chance. Ironic that her teammate at Carolina Chrystal Dunn was the one that screwed up and gave Canada the goal.
78' 0-1 #9 Ubogagu slips in to 15m 6-left, shot smother-blocked, trickles harmlessly in. 79' 1-1 #7 Ohai chases ball through box top arc right(?) to 6-top right, hooks it back to 6-top center head-high. #20 Maya Hayes well-challenged, no header, ball clangs rightward. Hayes touches it to 8m right post, into a pocket with a semi-circle of 4 collapsing on her. Turns and pulls a shot through traffic, misses everybody and screens #1 D'Angelo, into left side netting low.
85' 1-1 Some midfield push by Canada has petered out. USA gradually re-establishes front-1/3 possesion. Various pings through box top center, we're not that good at fast passing when tired. But Canada have parked 9 behind midfield, clearances just reset USA. 86' 1-1 #4 Dunn carries to box top right, tries a quick right-instep pass-into-goal -- wide into the side netting.
87' 1-1 #21 Exeter receives at 25m box right, has a 1-v-1 and frontal position. Defender (#5 Kallman?) pulls her shoulders, reaching foot-duel, somehow hooks ball away. Exeter protests. 88' 1-1 #11 Richardson breaks alone through box top right, 2m lead on #5 Kallman(?) -- surely she'll blast one. Backpass to 15m center, nobody there -- not even USA USA recover, clear it. Canada win a right throw-in, fizzle.
89' 2-1 USA dumps ball down box left to 8m. #7 Ohai one-touch crosses to 6-top right post. #2 Kylie Davis chests ball down while fending #9 Chioma Ubogagu off her back. Ball trickles goalward at 5m, Ubogagu runs an arm-duel half-circle around/through Davis, streeeeetches with right toes -- out of reach! #1 D'Angelo leans forward to scoop ball up, Ubogagu plants right foot and throws herself forward into a Fosbury left-foot toe-poke, drives ball sharply into back right corner low. Get off your feet!
90+2' (of 2') #10 Oduro pokes ball from 12m center, rolls to #1 Heaberlin, not strong enough. FT. USA sprint to midfield circle left for flying group hug.
Chioma Ubogagu shows why we at Cal have a hard time beating Stanford during the collegiate season. We're going to play a spring match against them on Saturday April 21, I wonder if Steve Swanson is going to release Chioma to play against us?
Oh, a Cal fan (?). Go Bears! Also, congrats to the US U-20 WNT on pulling out the win and winning CONCACAF U-20.
good job u.s. but... watching 19 and 20 year old players play - even world class ones - is frustrating.
Can't the freakin' Stadium announcer at least read the player's names when they step up to receive their medals?
Medal ceremony: PA en español, bigwigs in suits. Medals: referees, Mexico, Canada somewhat downcast. "Estados Unidos" announced. Pause while field crew maneuvers a big-ass "CAMPEONAS" billboard in front of the podium
Stands are completely silent -- not even catcalls. Panama's home-match brass-and-percussion band is long gone. As USA receive their medals, they kneel down at the right end of the podium. Photo op? Huge trophy, PA announces "yadda yadda Mo-lee Pat'-man". USA promptly jumps off the platform and crowd up against the billboard. Fairly restrained -- we didn't sweat enough. No ticker tape streamers from the rafters. Barely 1m later, PA pop music resumes. USA permit Coach Swanson to lift trophy.