U.S. tops China, advances to FWWC semifinals

NEWS World Cup – Women

IMAGE: Carli Lloyd (#10) and Hope Solo celebrate after the USA defeated China in FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinals on June 26, 2015, in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo: FIFA via Getty Images)

OTTAWA — The United States earned a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinals for an unprecedented seventh consecutive time with a 1-0 win over China on Friday night.

Midfielder Carli Lloyd celebrated her 200th international appearance in style, connecting for the quarterfinal’s lone goal early in the second half, before 24,141 spectators at Lansdowne Stadium.

The CONCACAF champion will next meet Germany on Tuesday in Montreal. The Germans survived a nail-biter earlier in the day, outlasting France on penalty kicks, 5-4, after playing to a 1-1 draw.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo won her USA-record 134th game, while recording her fourth straight clean sheet. In fact, Solo and the Americans have allowed only one goal throughout the competition, while conceding none in the last 423 minutes.

The U.S. dominated action from the opening to the final whistle. Its efforts were finally rewarded six after the break.

Center-back Julie Johnston lofted a long, high pass into the area for Lloyd, who outjumped Rong Zhao at the penalty spot and headed the ball past goalkeeper Fei Wang into the lower right corner for her 65th international goal.

The Americans started the match without three regulars. Midfielders Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday served one-game bans and Wambach was on the reserves bench.

U.S. head coach Jill Ellis started Amy Rodriquez in Wambach’s place and slotted Morgan Brian, the youngest American at 22, alongside Lloyd in the middle of the midfield. Tobin Heath was flipped to left midfield in Rapinoe’s spot and Kelley O’Hara, normally a defender, started at right wing.

The strategy worked out to perfection as the two-time World Cup winner constantly pressured China, which struggled to get out of their own end.

England eliminates Canada from FWWC

NEWS World Cup – Women

IMAGE; Christine Sinclair (pictured) expresses her disappointment after Canada fell to England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals on June 27, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo: FIFA via Getty Images)

VANCOUVER – England capitalized on a pair of early defensive breakdowns to defeat Canada 2-1 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday at BC Place.

A record Canadian soccer crowd of 54,027 saw Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze net the goals that eliminated the host nation, which halved the deficit through Christine Sinclair before halftime.

The English will now meet defending-champion Japan in one semifinal on July 1 in Edmonton, while the United States and Germany will square off in the other a day earlier in Montreal.

Taylor gave England a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute after central defender Lauren Sesselmann puzzlingly ceded possession 15-yards inside her own end. The 29-year-old forward took control of the ball, dribbled up field and eluded Allysha Chapman, before placing a low, right-footed shot from the top of the box into the left side of the net.

Three minutes later, the advantage was doubled. Fara Williams hammered a right-sided free-kick to the left corner of Canada’s six-yard box. The wide-stationed Bronze got behind Chapman by running furiously at the ball to head it over goalkeeper Erin McLeod and off the underside of the crossbar.

Another English header almost put the game out reach, but Katie Chapman’s looping attempt crashed off the woodwork.

With urgency building, Sinclair – one of three players on the current Canadian roster to take part in the 2003 FWWC quarterfinal win over China – pulled one back with her second goal of the tournament and 155th of her career. England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley could not handle at the top of the six-yard box an Ashley Lawrence effort that was part shot, part cross. Sinclair reacted quickly and poked the loose home from four-yards out.

Second-half substitute Adriana Leon nearly set up the equalizer in the 83rd, but her left-sided cross was volleyed high by Sophie Schmidt from eight-yards out.

Just minutes earlier, McLeod pulled off one of the saves of the tournament, acrobatically getting a piece of her right hand on Taylor’s curling right-footer from the left side of the box.

“This is a real women’s football country,” said Canada head coach John Herdman in praise of the home supporters. “Those fans showed everyone around the world how to support the women’s game.

“Stick with us, that’s all I’m going to say. Stick with us. We’ll be back fighting. We’ll be back strong. We’ll learn from this and those youngsters have done you proud.”