USWNT qualifies for Rio Olympics with 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago
The United States women’s national team is going to the Rio Olympics.
This isn’t exactly a shock.
The USWNT has played in every Olympic Games since 1996, but Friday’s 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago clinched the berth and now gives the U.S. a chance to win four consecutive gold medals (and five out of the last six Summer Olympics).
The U.S. joins Canada as the CONCACAF representatives for the 12-team tournament at the Rio de Janeiro Games. The two teams will meet Sunday in the final of the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship at Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium. The game is essentially meaningless, but it will be the best competition either team has faced during this tournament. Also, the tense rivalry between the two countries should make the contest interesting.
“I think it’s going to be a great game,” U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd said of the Canada game. “I think you’ll see a lot of transition. I think both teams are going to go at one another, so it should be really good. We’ve got to be ready to play and take this one home.”
While the U.S. playing in the final isn’t a surprise, the players that helped get it there made the lopsided game interesting.
Sure, World Cup heroes like Lloyd and Alex Morgan were on point, but it was the play of younger players such as Mallory Pugh, Lindsay Horan and Morgan Brian that gave the USWNT a fun energy that has been lacking at times with the more seasoned squad.
Pugh was probably the best of the group as she found herself involved in nearly every offensive play in the first half. It was her cross in the 12th minute that found Tobin Heath for the game’s first goal. Pugh, who is 17 and the youngest member of the squad, also had several opportunities for her own goal, including missing an empty net wide right.
Horan assisted Alex Morgan's first of three goals and had one of the best moves of the game.
And Brian had two assists — one on Carli Lloyd’s header that found its way through the legs of goalkeeper Kimika Forbes, and one on Morgan’s third goal. Morgan’s hat trick was the third of her career and her first since November 2012.
The U.S. also got a strong performance from Crystal Dunn, who scored five goals against Puerto Rico in the last game but came off the bench against Trinidad and Tobago.
"I take a large satisfaction in knowing our youth national team is working," USWNT coach Jill Ellis said after the game.
Make no mistake, these younger players are playing for spots on the Rio roster.
While Sunday’s final might not mean anything in the grand scheme of Olympic qualifying, it might provide some valuable insight into the thinking of Ellis, who must cut her qualifying roster from 20 to just 18 for the Rio Games.
That decision won’t be easy as players from last summer’s World Cup roster currently occupy 13 of those spots and another spot is reserved for a backup goalkeeper.
But Ellis has to like the energy the younger players have brought to the team. Considering a lack of energy was one of the criticisms of the World Cup squad (at least early in the tournament), don’t be surprised to see several younger players get their opportunities to play a pivotal run in the U.S.’ gold medal run.
