Oct 17, 2014
U.S. women crush Guatemala; Morgan injured
The United States women's national team rolled a 5-0 victory over Guatemala on Friday in their second CONCACAF Women's Championship group stage match, but suffered a major loss as star forward Alex Morgan was injured in the first half at Toyota Park.
The Sports Network
Bridgeview, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - The United States women's national team rolled a 5-0 victory over Guatemala on Friday in their second CONCACAF Women's Championship group stage match, but suffered a major loss as star forward Alex Morgan was injured in the first half at Toyota Park.
Tobin Heath hit for a brace, while Megan Rapinoe, Whitney Engen and Carli Lloyd all found the back of the net as the U.S. earned its second win of the tournament.
Jill Ellis' team struggled in their opening match before being rescued by an Abby Wambach goal to top Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday, but Friday's match began with a much different tone.
The home side opened the scoring after just seven minutes when Ali Krieger drove to the end line on the right flank and whipped a cross into the box where Heath got to it, stabbing it past Guatemala goalkeeper Alicia Navas.
The visiting side bunkered in after the goal and sat back, absorbing pressure, and hoping to hit on the counter-attack. The U.S. continued to apply pressure as the first half wound down, creating several scoring chances, but lacking the final touch.
The injury bug struck for the U.S. in the 38th minute as Morgan got tangled up with a Guatemala defender while going for an aerial ball and went down with a left ankle sprain.
The Portland Thorns forward, who missed seven months with an injury to the same ankle, was carried off the pitch and substituted in the 42nd minute, with Christen Press coming on in her place.
Things really opened up for the U.S. in the second half and Ellis' side doubled its lead just moments into the second 45 minutes when Sydney Leroux fired a great cross to the back post from the left flank that was nodded back across and home by Lloyd.
The hosts made it 3-0 in style in the 57th minute as Rapinoe sent an excellent corner kick into the box that was flicked on goal by Lloyd and touched past Navas by Heath for her second goal of the night.
Two minutes later it was 4-0 through some more set-piece magic as Rapinoe sent another perfectly-struck corner kick into the area and Engen rose highest to nod home her third career international goal.
After playing provider on two goals, Rapinoe got into the scoring mood in the 67th minute as she latched onto a loose ball outside the box and smashed it past Navas with pace into the top right corner for a 5-0 margin and her 28th career international goal.
Hope Solo had very little to do in goal on her way to a 75th career clean sheet in international competition.
The Americans will continue their CONCACAF Championship slate on Monday against Haiti.