• Welcome to SD Soccer Talk the newest and greatest place for all your Soccer Discussions! Our aim is to provide you with an awesome space to talk, share and discuss what's going on in the San Diego Soccer Community. To be able to join in the discussion, you do need to register a free account. Registration is easy, and it only takes a few minutes! Click here to register!

In-Game Blog: USA vs. Korea DPR

SDSoccer

SDSoccer

Administrator
Staff member
The U.S. Women’s National Team looks to take first place in Group G when it wraps up the group stage of the 2012 London Olympics against Korea DPR at 12:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 31, at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. The match will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network, the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and streamed on NBC Live Extra. Fans can follow the match via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt.

WIN OR TIE TOPS THE GROUP: The USA needs either a win or a draw to clinch first place in Group G as the team carries a three-point advantage over France and Korea DPR and holds a plus-2 goal differential on its nearest competitor France. The U.S. defeated France 4-2 on July 25 and is coming off a 3-0 win against Colombia on July 28. The USA has already assured itself a spot in the Olympic quarterfinals on Friday, Aug. 3.

PRE-GAME NOTES:
  • Seven players on the U.S. roster have scored in an Olympic tournament: Abby Wambach (4 goals in 2004; 2 goals in 2012), Carli Lloyd (2 goals in 2008; 2 goals in 2012), Heather O’Reilly (1 goal in 2004; 2 goals in 2008), Shannon Boxx (1 goal in 2004), Amy Rodriguez (1 goal in 2008), Alex Morgan (2 goals in 2012) and most recently Megan Rapinoe (1 goal in 2012), who had the game-winning tally against Colombia on July 28.
  • Morgan leads the U.S. WNT with 19 goals in 17 games and she has seven multi-goal games this year. Following her two-goal effort en route to a 4-2 win against France on July 25, Morgan moved into a tie for seventh place on the all-time U.S. WNT list for goals scored in a calendar year with April Heinrichs (1991), Mia Hamm (1995) and Cindy Parlow (2000).
  • The U.S. and Korea DPR have faced each other four previous times – all in FIFA Women’s World Cup competition – with the USA posting a 3-0-1 record. The team has outscored North Korea 10-2 in the series.
  • This Tuesday’s Olympic group match will mark the first time the USA and North Korea will face one another outside of the Women’s World Cup.
  • The head-to-head series debuted on June 27, 1999, in Foxborough, Mass. The USA earned a 3-0 victory to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals and eliminate Korea DPR in Group A play. Tisha Venturini had two goals and Shannon MacMillan had a goal and two assists for the U.S., with all three goals coming in the second half. Christie Rampone (known as Christie Pierce at the time) was a 73rd-minute sub for Tiffany Roberts in that game.
  • The last time the two countries faced each other, the USA opened Group C competition in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a 2-0 victory on June 28 in Dresden, Germany. Lauren Cheney had the game-winner in the 54th minute and defender Rachel Buehler scored her second career goal in the 76th minute.
  • Among the other appearances, the USA blanked Korea DPR 3-0 on Sept. 26, 2003, in Columbus, Ohio, and the two sides played to a 2-2 draw on Sept. 11, 2007, in Chengdu, China. During the World Cup-opening draw in 2007, Korea DPR held a brief 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute, but Heather O’Reilly notched an unassisted equalizer in the 69th minute to earn a point.

2012 OLYMPICS GROUP STANDINGS

Group E Group F
Great Britain 3-0-0 5 0 +5 9pts. Sweden 1-0-2 6 3 +3 5pts.
Brazil 2-1-0 6 1 +5 6pts. Japan 1-0-2 2 1 +1 5pts.
New Zealand 1-2-0 3 3 0 3pts. Canada 1-1-1 6 4 +2 4pts.
Cameroon 0-3-0 1 11 -10 0pts. South Africa 0-2-1 1 7 -6 1pts.

Group G
United States 3-0-0 8 2 +6 9pts.
France 2-1-0 8 4 +4 6pts.
Korea DPR 1-2-0 2 6 -4 3pts.
Colombia 0-3-0 0 6 -6 0pts.

LINEUP vs. KOREA DPR
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 6-Amy LePeilbet, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 16-Rachel Buehler, 5-Kelley O’Hara; 9-Heather O’Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Cheney, 15-Megan Rapinoe; 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach

Subs not used: 2-Heather Mitts, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 7-Shannon Boxx, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 11-Sydney Leroux, 17-Tobin Heath, 18-Nicole Barnhart

PRK: 18-O Chang Ran; 2-Kim Nam Hui, 3-Kim Myong Gum, 14-Pong Son Hwa, 20-Choe Yong Sim; 7-Ri Ye Gyong, 8-Jon Myong Hwa, 6-Choe Un Ju, 11-Kim Chung Sim (capt.); 10-Yun Hyon Hi, 16-Kim Song Hui

Subs not used: 1-Jo Yun Mi, 5-Yun Song Mi, 15-Ri Nam Sil, 12-Kim Un Hyang, 13-O Hui Sun, 9-Choe Mi Gyong, 21-Kim Su Gyong

IN-GAME NOTES:
  • Korea DPR did not put a shot on goal during the match as the USA held an 8-0 advantage in that category.
  • Christie Rampone tied Joy Fawcett for fourth on the U.S. WNT all-time list with her 234th career start.
  • U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe played in the first half and was replaced by Tobin Heath at halftime.
  • Sundhage made one change from the lineup that started against Colombia in the second group match, inserting Amy LePeilbet at right back in place of Heather Mitts.
  • U.S. center back Becky Sauerbrunn saw her first ever Olympics minutes as a 75th-minute substitution for Rachel Buehler.
  • U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage has now played 17 of the 18 players on the roster as only back-up goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart hasn’t seen the field.
  • The USA improved to 91-2-5 all-time when Abby Wambach scores a goal.
  • Abby Wambach has scored seven goals in the USA’s past seven games this year, starting with the team’s 4-1 win against China on May 27. She has scored at least one goal in every game except the 2-1 win against Canada on June 30 during this current stretch.
  • For a third straight game, Amy Rodriguez came off the bench when she replaced Lauren Cheney in the 84th minute.
  • The USA improved to 4-0-1 all-time against Korea DPR with the previous four meetings all coming in Women’s World Cup play.

Continue reading...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top