Here’s the video of Tasha Kai’s goal for the USWNT in the 90th minute versus Iceland … thank you AMR (whomever you are!).
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxdCBQtJZ3o
Meanwhile, I guess Pia wasn’t so happy with the first half …according to the quote sheet …
On if she was pleased with the match:
“Yes and no. It’s great to be a winner, 1-0, on a fantastic goal by Natasha Kai coming off the bench, but the first half was crap, if I may say so.”
Tasha scored in the 90th minute – on what sounds like an absolutely brilliant goal (assist from Rampone). This pulls out the 1-0 win for the USWNT who continue undefeated in the 2009 Algarve. Hope somebody posts video of this goal soon – it sounds like a stunner!
“A spectacular late goal from substitute Natasha Kai gave the United States a 1-0 win over Iceland on Friday and sent the defending champion into the final of the Algarve Cup.
Kai received a cross from Christie Rampone in the final minute of the game, deftly flicked the ball over a defender and fired a left-foot volley from the edge of the penalty area into the corner of the goal.”
“The best part was the goal,” U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said. “I’ll try some fresh legs in the next game.” The US faces Norway on Monday and then will play the winnner of Germany v Sweden in the Algarve Final on Wednesday.
Still waiting for that video … ;>)
From the NCAA website …
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May have to sample one of HollyCornblog’s homebrews tonight!
First off, our friend Alice (who suffers good-humoredly my unrelenting pressure to become a JordanCornblog contributor) is off to tour Florence today. Happy travels, Alice!
Happily, she will not have to leave before the USWNT faces Iceland in their second game at the Algarve. She (and the rest of us) will be able to follow it on MatchTracker starting at 10AM ET! Natasha Kai (the second most important Hawaiian in MY world!) had a header bounce off the pole and lead to a goal (and an assist for Tasha) in Wednesday’s match. She has gotta be hungry today! All those Icelandic dottir’s better watch out (is all I can say in my nationalistic way)!
I just made myself the smoothest cup of coffee that I have ever had – really! I used the AREO PRESS MAGIC BREWER – a little product that Paula LR brought by when she visited on Sunday. HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew took one home (and HollyCornblog loves it, too)! You can purchase this little gem from Carpe Diem Coffee – a woman-owned and operated business that sells the coffee that we swear by. Check it out … great stuff!
In WPS news, Marta’s star power is the focus out in LA … where the Sol are gearing up for their season opener. Kobe Bryant gushes (somehow, I really, really like using that verb for Kobe):
“It’s big. It’s really big. Not only to have women’s soccer, but to wind up getting the best women’s soccer player in her prime. This is a special moment,” Bryant, who made it a point to watch Marta in Beijing, said.
Apparently Amway is gushing, too, as they are forking over bucks to be the presenting sponsor for the Sol. Never really understood Amway – and to be honest, I always have found it strangely depressing. But better Amway than GM or GE these days, eh?
Finally (for WPS news), the Breakers have officially signed Lil. Was there ever any question? Lil is back .. and things are good in Beantown. (I’m a little shaken to read that she has been playing soccer for 21 years … makes me guilty about the thousands of mornings that I have skipped the treadmill to grab more sleep!) Here’s a Breakers’ preview … as they get into the thick of training camp and head toward setting their final roster later this month.
Other news? The economy is really getting scary. I keep wondering what Bush thinks, as he clears brush. Or Cheney, in his undisclosed location. Hope that Patrick Leahy’s Truth Commission takes off. That, along with John Conyers’ good, steady work on the house Judiciary Committee may help to start uncovering the festering pile of crap that is the Bush legacy. Perhaps the only good to come of those eight terrible years will be the demise of the festering pile of Roveian, Limbaughian, Colterian, O’Neillian, Falwellian, NeoConian crap that the Republican party has become. (Not that I considered it all that inspiring to begin with …)
On a far more positive note … Ted Kennedy inspired at Day one of Obama’s Health Summit – while Michelle O continued to show genuine interest in reaching out to the DC Community, paying a visit to Miriam’s Kitchen to serve lunch. Using the word genuine in tandem with a reference to an occupant of the White House is so refreshing … I hardly know how to take it in!
The USWNT defeated Denmark 2-0 in their opening match at the Algarve. The goal scorers were Angie Woznuk and Tina DiMartino – DiMartino tallying for the first time in international play, and Woznuk for the second! Pia, it sounds like, is experimenting with lots of different players and configurations – most notably having Shannon Boxx in the center back spot, plying next to Christie Rampone. I like her size and experience back there – and it sounds like it worked well (both from Pia’s and from Hope’s perspective.)
Sorry to be brief today. In football news I see that the ‘boys have apparently released their biggest baby … TO. Who’s up next?
Oh, and I see that the Breakers are planning some double-headers with the Renegades. Nice exposure and a good double bill IMHO.
Tonight, the women’s college hoops scene starts to heat up considerably …
THURSDAY, MARCH 5 (Central Time)
ACC Tournament First Round 10:00am Fox/Comcast/NE Sports Net
Big Ten Tournament: No. 7 vs. No. 10 11:00am Big Ten Network
SEC Tournament 1st Round Game 12:00 Fox Sports Net
Big Ten Tournament: No. 6 vs. No. 11 1:30 Big Ten Network
ACC Tournament First Round 2:00 Fox/Comcast/NE Sports Net
SEC Tournament 1st Round Game 2:30 Fox Sports Net
Big Ten Tournament: No. 8 vs. No. 9 4:00 Big Ten Network
SEC Tournament 1st Round Game 6:30 Fox Sports Net
Oklahoma State at Texas A&M 7:00 Fox Sports Net
SEC Tournament 1st Round Game 9:00 Fox Sports Net
Oh, and Michelle Obama is getting more casual … I LOVE it .. fashion that I can marginally relate to (well, almost marginally relate to)!
Peace out …
Check out MatchTracker starting at 7AM ET to follow the USWNT’s opening game of the Algarve Cup. They start off against Denmark, in a match-up that could prove one of their more difficult of the tournament.
“It’s not a World Cup year or an Olympic year, so we can try different things and one thing we want to do is to get numbers around the ball carrier,” United States coach Pia Sundhage said. “We have some technical players here at the Algarve Cup and I think we will spend time attacking and focusing on getting players in front of and behind the opponents’ back line.”
Lori Chalupny will be taking the field for the first time in her new role as co-captain. Congratulations Chalupa! You’d have been my pick, too! Seriously.
Meanwhile the Canadian Women’s National Team (I guess that makes them the CWNT) is off to compete in the Cyprus Cup. It’s their first tournament under new head coach Carolina Morace … and check out all the WPS players on the roster! Speaking of WPS players, Kelly Smith and Alex Scott (soon-to-be-joining the Breakers) are in Cyprus playing for England in the Cup. Hopefully they will have time to bond with Candace Chapman before they all join their mates in Boston!
Marta is going to be on Ellen today (here’s the link to stuff about the show) … while Kobe Bryant will be introducing the Sol at an event tomorrow.
While we’re talking WPS, here’s Beulah’s commentary on the original player allocations … don’t know how I missed it all those long months ago. But there you are.
Here’s some video of the Red Stars’ first day of preseason work on Sunday … worth a look. And even better … the Breakers’ first day!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0gDyue3ckE
And an interview with head coach Tony DiCicco and defender Nancy Augustyniak Goffi after the team’s first practice on March 1, 2009.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMx6br9plSk
Meanwhile – here’s a link to that Jon Stewart Takes on Twitter bit that was taken off of YouTube yesterday. The piece is priceless – and Samantha Bee is her usual amazing self!
In the Class M Girls’ B-ball Tournament, I see that it’s Gilford vs. Campbell in the final (Dang!). The scores were …
No. 2 Gilford 52, No. 3 Conant 40
No. 4 Campbell 61, No. 1 Hillsboro 40
And in women’s college b-ball, most tournament play starts heating up tomorrow … and from there it just gets hotter and hotter!
I just added a lay-off tracker to the sidebar.
It stopped me in my tracks – thinking about the numbers of disrupted lives that this represents.
This morning it is NOT snowing – but there’s still plenty of digging out to do here in NH. It’s nice, light, fluffy snow – the kind where the rewards of shoveling far outweigh the costs. (Only challenge is finding some place to PUT the stuff – the mounds are so high.)
I find myself thinking often this morning (and yesterday, and the day before) about the tragedy of a local kayaker, Toby Wood, who appears to have been lost at sea. He was last seen paddling in from the Isles of Shoals on Friday. He is someone I knew only very peripherally from the local mental health world … and later from the soccer world, as his son and my daughter go to the same college. It is so very sad – and such a haunting tragedy for those closest to him – the “what if’s” echoing endlessly … my heart goes out to his family and friends. And I find my mind turning to the preciousness and the fragility of life, and of our connections.
HollyCornblog and CharlieHopbrew arrived safely home after a very long and snowy drive …
HollyCornblog has been sharing some photos since.
Here’s the crew at the chiminea on Saturday …
… and here is the chiminea as of yesterday afternoon … quite a different world out there. 
(You can see where I’ll be shoveling later today!) Yee hah!
So it’s March 3 – and hard to believe that in a scant 26 days (and counting) the WPS will field two teams for its inaugural match! There’s tons of news on-line as clubs start their preseason practice, finalize contracts, and the buzz grows. I was aggravated (although not surprised) to read the usual negativity from Jamie Trekker (whose love of women’s soccer knows no bounds). Here’s the article that he cites for his negative spin … a more balanced view than what he draws from it. Proving Jamie and his grim projections wrong would be a nice perk of a successful first season, wouldn’t it? Let’s go for it!
Meanwhile – moving to WPS news, I liked this story about Molly Uyenishi, a student at Colorado College how has taken time out from her senior year to try her hand at professional soccer. She impressed folks enough to be called into the Red Stars’ camp, and has until March 12 to make it onto the 24-woman roster. This group will be cut to 18 before the season starts (that’s the limit for WPS rosters). Keep your eye on Molly!
The Breakers (as in Boston Breakers) have announced their preseason roster and their cut dates. (Pleased to see Mary Frances Monroe in the mix!) The roster will be finalized on March 24th. The Herald had a nice piece about the Breakers’ training camp …
The Breakers will also try to build a following off the field in the midst of a severe economic downturn. The goals and the business models are more modest from the heady, Hamm-fueled WUSA days, but the dollars available have shrunk, too.
For now, those worries are distant as training camp begins and the promise of a new start beckons.
“It’s great to be out here and know that the season is right around the corner and the Breakers are back,” Lilly said.
The WPS is capturing attention around the world, as in this piece from Sowetan … balanced reporting about the promise and perils of this venture (Mr. Trekker, please take note).
Like the Breakers (but without snow) the LA Sol have opened their camp. Here are Johanna Frisk and Marta warming up … Frisk is a Swedish international who apparentl came to the Sol with a thumbs up from Pia. (There are also rumors that she was a necessary ingredient in their signing Marta … but I’ve no iea if that’s true or not.)
The Red Stars continue to sign some nice players, having recently finalized arrangements with Megan Rapinoe, Marian Dalmy, and Ella Masar. Meanwhile, the Sky Blue have a new blog (or maybe not-so-new … let’s just say new to us) and have finalized their contract with Heather O’Reilly (and boy do they look happy about it!).
Finally, in Nordic Soccer News I’m reading about an unfortunate schedule conflict. The Swedish national team was scheduled to play the Brazilian nationals on April 25th to celebrate the opening of the new “Gamla Ullevi” stadium in Göteborg. This is to be the new home of the national team – and an event that women’s soccer fans around the world surely want to support and celebrate. BUT – the date coincides with a packed slate of games for the Brazilians in the WPS. Sounds like the preferred back-up would be the USWNT – but they are also engaged with their WPS clubs. My vote goes to Germany … since they’re not being allowed to play in the WPS anyway. You want someone of their caliber – and presumably they are available (and their travel would involve a smaller carbon footprint, to boot!)
Gotta run … I hear the low coming. Back later to check for typos! 😉
Wow – it’s been a busy first part of the day, between working on the snow … and recovering from an afternoon/evening of beer-tasting, chiminea-watching, and hanging out. Paula LR and HollyCornblog discussed the finer points of ffootball … and we marveled at the intricacies of the game. We all reminisced about growing up years, college years … all the moments that weave together into lifetimes.
Today we wish CharlieHopbrew a happy b-day as he and HollyCornblog make their way home via the “northern route” – avoiding the worst of the storm, we hope!
Now I am either going to shovel somemore or … errr … do some reading.
JordanCornblog 