7 PM EST Pratt & Whitney Stadium; East Hartford, Conn. Fox Sports 1 First meeting of these teams since the 2015 Women's World Cup Round of 16, in which Colombia put up a pretty good fight until they found themselves outnumbered in the second half. Should be an interesting match.
Weather has turned on us a bit in the east...looking like low 40s and windy at match time in East Hartford...hopefully that improves
Columbia played the US quite well in the first half. That was the turn-around match in the WWC for the USA. Several things happened in that game that had overwhelming significance for good that were not appreciated at the time. Most important, Rapinoe and Holiday picked up their second cards, earning suspensions for the China game. This forced Ellis to start Morgan Brian, whose insertion into the lineup (a) allowed the defense to be able to pass the ball out of the backfield through someone who could turn it around and keep attacks going; (b) allowed Lloyd to be moved from defensive mid (where she had been ineffective in doing what Brian would do so well) to attacking mid (where she wreaked havoc); and (c) also freed Heath to roam more freely, from which vantage she played her best games of the WWC. Also, when Wambach missed a penalty (something I don't think she had done in a clutch moment before in her career), it gave Ellis license to move her to a substitute role (where, in fairness to Wambach, she excelled both as a teammate handling the benching and as a sub coming on to help control the ball in the last 20 minutes of games). It also made Lloyd the designated penalty kicker (she converted twice) and, in effect, the team leader (with the team's previous two captains having been benched for, in effect, shortfalls in performance). Because the US won and so many things turned around because of that game (the US should consider honoring the Colombia referee as a sentimental tournament MVP), the skill and flair that Colombia exhibited in the first half has been given short shrift.
Look out East Hartford Connecticut FS1 online link (limitations apply): http://www.foxsports.com/foxsportsgo/ The Kernal is right......41 degrees and sunny, winds at 15mph at kick......yikes. Ya see, this, this is why all USWNT matches in North America should be played in Dallas Hehehehehe 616 hours and 50 minutes since last final whistle. (My Dish Network DVR of the WWC matches has been getting quite a workout.) 52 hours and 35 minutes till kick-off. This train keeps rolling. 2016 WILL BE GLORIOUS
Frisco, TX: Windy with a few clouds from time to time. High 79F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. (according to weather.com) Don't think those 15 mph winds will be a problem.
Lotta snow here today.... I wonder if it will be played? This is why all qualifiers should be played in the north in the winter. IK this isnt a qualifier but the cold will freeze out the warm country foes
Unfortunately they were promised grass only leading up to the Olympics. So no Portland (or Seattle for that matter).
I heard from some local Conn fans are printing posters saying "EqualPay/Equal..WAIT, BETTER ! Play. This made me chuckle.
Gotta feel bad for most of the Columbians....first they havent been paid in a while and now they get a freeze out in Conn. On the other hand Andrade might be getting a weather upgrade.
There was a lot of speculation the Colombians might use the event to do something in protest, & I can't help but wonder if the weather would affect that.
Alex Morgan (hip) Morgan Brian (hamstring) will not play tonight due to minor injuries.Both could be available for April 10 match. #uswnt— Jenny Taft (@JennyTaft) April 6, 2016
it's funny because Taft actually tweeted that several hours ago. What does that say about her? I'm wondering who gets a look at center forward now, or if the combination of Brian & Morgan both going down will influence the formation where two forwards are used instead of 1. Part of me wants to see Sanchez get her first cap because first caps are so fun to watch, but another part of me, for various reasons, doesn't feel like it would be appropriate. We are supposed to be preparing for the Olympics... is this the right way to do it? Is this how we prepared for the World Cup? I seem to recall the starting line-up being pretty much guaranteed in the 6 months or so preceding the WWC.
Also, a bit surprised USSoccer/Ellis let that slip about Morgan on a night where people might still deciding on going because of weather.