BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Despite the benching of all-time top scorer Abby Wambach, the USA rediscovered their goalscoring touch to comprehensively beat a resilient Guatemala 5-0 and all but book their place in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
Tobin Heath was the unlikely hero with two goals, while the influential midfield duo of Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd, and center back Whitney Engen were also on target as Jill Ellis’ side followed up their lackluster opening 1-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago with a much more cohesive and clinical showing against Guatemala, who were beaten 1-0 by Haiti on Wednesday.
Guatemala, for their part, worked hard and showed plenty of endeavor throughout, but ultimately lacked the quality in attack to cause Hope Solo, a virtual spectator in the game, any real problems in the USA goal.
The main feature of the first half was the USA’s inability to break through the stubborn Guatemala defense who, after going a goal behind in the seventh minute, withstood several dangerous attacks to restrict their hosts to a series of ultimately fruitless crosses and a few long-range efforts.
Heath broke the deadlock early on when she tapped home from inside the six yard box following Ali Krieger’s right-wing cross to settle the home side’s nerves. However, the hosts had to wait until the 25th minute before seriously testing Navas again, this time with Lloyd providing the cross for Alex Morgan, but Guatemala goalkeeper Alicia Navas was equal to her net-bound header.
Lloyd and Morgan were busy throughout and both went close to doubling the USA’s lead, but both missed the target from difficult openings.
Morgan’s night came to a premature and painful end in the 39th minute when she rolled her left ankle, the same ankle that kept her sidelined for seven months earlier this year. After significant attention behind Navas’ goal, the 49-goal striker was stretchered off and replaced by Christen Press.
Press almost made an immediate impact when she headed the ball past Navas in the 45th minute from two yards out, only for referee Maurees Skeete to rule the goal out for an apparent offside.
The hosts began the second half on the attack and got a deserved second goal just a minute in when Sydney Leroux’s inviting cross from the left was headed home by Lloyd at the back post.
The USA doubled their two-goal advantage in two quickfire minutes just before the hour mark when Woman of the Match Rapinoe’s corner on the right was volleyed goalwards by Lloyd, before an opportunistic Heath got the slightest of touches to flick the ball past Navas.
That was in the 57th minute, and a fourth followed a minute later when another dangerous Rapinoe free-kick from the left was powered home by the head of the unmarked Whitney Engen.
Rapinoe added a fifth in the 66th minute to rubberstamp an impressively industrious evening on a personal level, collecting the ball on the edge of the area before unleashing an unstoppable right-footed curler for the goal of the night.
Despite chants of “One More Goal” from the expectant Toyota Park crowd, the USA failed to add to their haul but emerged comfortable winners.
The USA conclude the group phase on Monday, when they face Haiti at Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium. The Haitians lost 1-0 to Trinidad & Tobago in Friday’s earlier match at Toyota Park.
