University of North Carolina Athletics
U.S. Eliminates Germany; World Cup Final Next
July 1, 2015 | Women's Soccer
MONTREAL, Canada (June 30, 2015) - The U.S. Women's National Team downed FIFA No.1-ranked Germany 2-0 at Olympic Stadium to advance to the Final of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. It will be the fourth World Cup final appearance for the USA. The U.S. previously won World Cups in 1991 when Tar Heel head coach Anson Dorrance coached the American side and again in 1999, a U.S. team which included eight Tar Heel players.
Six former Tar Heel players will be in uniform Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia when the U.S. faces either England or Japan in the final. The American side includes starting midfielder Tobin Heath and starting defender Meghan Klingenberg as well as reserves Lori Chalupny, Heather O'Reilly, Ashlyn Harris and Whitney Engen. O'Reilly has won three Olympic gold medals and Heath has two and Chalupny one but all six Tar Heels will seek their first World Cup rings Sunday.
The first half was a balanced affair with both teams pressing and having opportunities to get on the board yet neither was able to capitalize. In the second half, things got going when U.S. defender Julie Johnston was called for a foul inside the penalty box in the 59th minute for pulling down Alexandra Popp. Celia Sasic stepped up to take the penalty kick but missed wide left to keep the game scoreless.
Almost 10 minutes later, Alex Morgan got fouled in the box and it was the USA's turn to attempt a PK. Carli Lloyd confidently netted the shot to give the USA the lead before assisting on Kelley O'Hara's 84th-minute strike - the first of her international career - to secure the U.S. win. Meghan Klingenberg sent the ball down the left flank to Lloyd on the second U.S. goal before Lloyd centered it to O'Hara for an easy putaway three yards in front of the goal line.
Hope Solo and the USA back line continued to shut down opponents and has now kept a scoreless streak for 513 straight minutes (a span of more than five-and-a-half matches) in this year's World Cup, the longest clean sheet streak in U.S. World Cup history.
The WNT will vie for its third Women's World Cup title on Sunday, July 5 at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET), when it takes on the winner of the other Semifinal between England and Japan, which will be determined tomorrow, at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada. The tournament Final will be broadcast live on FOX and Telemundo. Fans can also follow in-game updates on Twitter (@ussoccer_wnt and @ussoccer_esp). @ncwomenssoccer and @uncwomenssoccer will also be tweeting during the final.
Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA - Carli Lloyd (penalty kick), 69th minute: Germany's Annike Khran was called for a foul against Alex Morgan in the box, prompting the referee to point to the penalty circle. Carli Lloyd stepped forward and sent former FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Nadine Angerer the wrong way as she blasted her shot into the left side of the goal. USA 1, GER 0
USA - Kelley O'Hara (Carli Lloyd), 84th minute: Meghan Klingenberg played a great ball from the outside of the area to Carli Lloyd inside the right side of the Germany box. Lloyd made a strong move to the endline and played the ball across the face of goal where Kelley O'Hara tapped it in with her right foot to finish the opportunity cap a sterling team move by the USA with her first career WNT goal. USA 2, GER 0 (FINAL)
Five U.S. players have played all 540 minutes of the tournament so far: defenders Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Sauerbrunn, midfielder Carli Lloyd, and goalkeeper Hope Solo.
- U.S. Women's National Team Match Report -
Match: U.S. Women's National Team vs. Germany
Date: June 30, 2015
Competition: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup - Semifinal
Venue: Olympic Stadium; Montreal, Canada
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Attendance: 51,176
Weather: Indoor Stadium
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 2 2
GER 0 0 0
USA - Carli Lloyd (penalty kick) 69th minute
USA - Kelley O'Hara (Carli Lloyd) 84
Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 19-Julie Johnston, 22-Meghan Klingenberg; 12-Lauren Holiday, 14-Morgan Brian, 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.), 15-Megan Rapinoe (20-Abby Wambach,80), 13-Alex Morgan (2-Sydney Leroux, 90+3), 17-Tobin Heath (5-Kelley O'Hara, 75)
Subs Not Used: 3-Christie Rampone, 6-Whitney Engen, 7-Shannon Boxx, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 16-Lori Chalupny,18-Ashlyn Harris, 21-Alyssa Naeher, 23-Christen Press
Head coach: Jill Ellis
GER : 1-Nadine Angerer (capt.); 4-Leonie Maier, 5-Annike Krahn, 3-Saskia Bartusiak, 22-Tabea Kemme; 6-Simone Laudehr, 20-Lena Goessling, 11-Anja Mittag (10-Dzsenifer Marozsan, 78), 16-Melanie Leupolz, 18-Alexandra Popp; 13-Celia Sasic
Subs not used: 2-Bianca Schmidt, 7-Melanie Behringer, 8-Pauline Bremer, 9-Lena Lotzen, 12-Almuth Schult, 14-Babett Peter, 15-Jennifer Cramer, 17-Josephine Henning, 19-Lena Petermann, 21-Laura Benkarth, 23-Sara Daebritz
Head coach: Silvia Neid
Stats Summary: USA / GER
Shots: 12 / 15
Shots on Goal: 5 / 1
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 8 / 4
Fouls: 10 / 11
Offside: 1 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
GER - Leonie Maier (caution) 34th minute
USA - Becky Sauerbrunn (caution) 38
USA - Julie Johnston (caution) 59
GER - Annike Krahn (caution) 69
Officials:
Referee: Teodora Albon (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Petruta Iugulescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Sukenikova (SVK)
Fourth Official: Salome di Iorio (ARG)
