USA Women 2 vs 0 Colombia Women

Women's World Cup 2015: USA 2-0 Colombia: Goals from Morgan and Lloyd seal the win

USA booked their place in the quarter-finals where they will face China after a 2-0 triumph over Colombia.

USA

2 0

Colombia

USA: SOLO (GK), SAUERBRUNN, LLOYD, KRIEGER (CHALUPNY, MIN. 81), HOLIDAY, MORGAN, RAPINOE (PRESS, MIN. 75), HEATH, JOHNSTON, WAMBACH - C (BRIAN, MIN. 69), KLINGENBERG

COLOMBIA: PEREZ (GK), GAITAN (C), OSPINA, MONTOYA (SANTOS, MIN. 85), VIDAL (CASTANO CARDOSO, MIN. 49), VELASQUEZ, RINCON (USME, MIN. 71), CLAVIJO, N. ARIAS, ANDRADE, C. ARIAS

SCORE: 1-0, MIN. 53, MORGAN. 2-0, MIN. 66, LLOYD.

REFEREE: STÉPHANIE FRAPPART

INCIDENTS: RAPINOE AND HOLIDAY PICKED UP YELLOW CARDS WHICH MEANS THEY WILL MISS THE QF CLASH WITH CHINA. COLOMBIA GOALKEEPER PEREZ SENT OFF FOR HER FOUL ON MORGAN WHICH RESULTED IN A PENALTY.

USA are through to the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup after a less then comfortable 2-0 victory over Colombia. 

Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd's first goals of the tournament for USA set up a quarter-final game against China.

Despite what looks like a standard victory by the US, it was far from easy as they struggled to break down a tough Colombia side.

USA won 3-0 in both of the pair’s previous engagements which came at the 2011 World Cup and the 2012 Olympic Tournament. 

Colombia brought a different type of contest for the USA as they are a strong, physical side who like to counter - which is proven by the fact that three of their four goals scored in this tournament have come in the last eight minutes of play plus stoppage time, including two after the 90th minute.

A great start from USA saw them dominate the early possession and camp inside the Colombia half, pushing for a vital early goal.

Plenty of chances for USA

Abby Wambach saw her goal in the third minute ruled out for offside after Tobin Heath's strike was pushed out wide and Wambach's rebound effort was crossed off by the officials.

Following Brazil's surprise exit to Australia on Sunday, Wambach has the chance to equal Marta's World Cup goal scoring record and even break it in what is to be her last World Cup tournament.

Wambach then saw her volley from the edge of the box spectacularly saved by Perez in the Colombia net who went on to make a finger-tip save to deny Morgan.

USA began to pile on the pressure and earned back-to-back corners which produced half-chances but no goals came.

Colombia gain a foothold in the game

The South Americans started to get into the game as the half went on and struck the near post from a free-kick before having two corners in quick succession.

Colombia wouldn't have wanted the half-time whistle to come as they were on top going into the final minutes, having the majority of possession and looking for the opening goal.

Applying the pressure

Colombia couldn't have started the second half any worse as Morgan was instantly played through on goal with just the keeper to beat. She was too fast for the keeper who brought her down on the edge of the area. A penalty was awarded and Perez sent off.

Wambach stepped up to take the spot-kick but her effort was well wide of the goal - a huge opportunity missed.

However it wasn't long until the US capitalised on their player advantage, with Morgan's shot beating substitute keeper Castano Cardoso at the near post, to give USA  the lead.

Another penalty for USA

USA were rightly awarded a second penalty after Megan Rapinoepoked the ball past the defender in the box only to be upended.

This time Lloyd stepped up to take the penalty and she made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way to double the US lead.

Winning is winning

Not a vintage display by any means from the US team, but they got the job done to set up a quarter-final clash with China which will take place in the early hours of Saturday morning.

However the US will be without Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday as they picked up yellow cards which sees them suspended for the game.

usa 2 vs 0 colombia

Two-time champions United States secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup after overcoming a stubborn Colombia.

After a goalless first half, Colombia had goalkeeper Catalina Perez sent off for a foul in the area, although Abby Wambach missed the resulting penalty.

Alex Morgan drove in the opener soon after and victory was sealed when Carli Lloyd converted a spot-kick after Megan Rapinoe was fouled.

The USA will next play China on Friday.

It was far from a comfortable win for the USA, who are ranked second in the world, as they struggled to break down Colombia side in the first half.

Colombia produced one of the shocks of the tournament by beatingworld number three France 2-0 in the group stage and they were clearly determined to create another upset as they set about unsettling their opponents.

They restricted the USA to just one notable shot on goal before half-time, Wambach's vicious strike from the edge of the area that forced Colombia goalkeeper Perez into a fine one-handed save.

Perez, though, undid her good work soon after the restart, receiving a red card when she brought down Morgan just inside the area. That presented Wambach with the chance to score a record-equalling 15th World Cup goal but she hooked the spot-kick wide.

Colombia's reprieve lasted for a matter of minutes, however, as the USA quickly set about making amends, with Morgan making the breakthrough when she broke free of the defence before driving the ball into the net at the near post.

The goal broke Colombia's resolve and the win was cemented when Rapinoe drew a foul from tired legs inside the box and, with penalty-taking duties handed to Lloyd, the midfielder made no mistake.

LINEUP, BOOKINGS (4) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)

USA Women

• 01 Solo
• 11 Krieger (Chalupny - 81' )
• 19 Johnston
• 04 Sauerbrunn
• 22 Klingenberg
• 15 Rapinoe Booked (Press - 75' )
• 12 Holiday Booked
• 10 Lloyd
• 17 Heath
• 20 Wambach (Brian - 69' )
• 13 Morgan

Substitutes

• 02 Leroux
• 03 Rampone
• 05 O'Hara
• 06 Engen
• 07 Boxx
• 08 Rodriguez
• 09 O'Reilly
• 14 Brian
• 16 Chalupny
• 18 Harris
• 21 Naeher
• 23 Press

Colombia Women

• 22 Perez Dismissed
• 17 Arias
• 14 Arias Pena
• 13 Clavijo Booked
• 09 Velasquez
• 03 Gaitan
• 06 Montoya (Santos - 85' )
• 04 Ospina
• 10 Rincon Torres (Usme Pineda - 72' )
• 16 Andrade
• 07 Vidal (Castano Cardoso - 49' )

Substitutes

• 01 Castano Cardoso
• 02 Arbeláez
• 05 Granados
• 08 Pineda
• 11 Usme Pineda
• 12 Sepulveda
• 15 Ariza
• 18 Cuesta
• 19 Santos
• 20 Cosme
• 21 Echeverri
• 23 Gonzalez

Ref: Stéphanie Frappart

MATCH STATS

Shots

128

On target

62

Corners

83

Fouls

2212

Women's World Cup: USA beat 10-woman Colombia to make quarter-finals

• USA 2-0 Colombia
• US will face China in the last eight
• Rapinoe and Holiday will miss match after bookings

It was hardly a resounding victory but the United States moved into the last eight of the Women’s World Cup with a 2-0 win over Colombia at the Commonwealth Stadium on Monday.

China are next up in Ottawa on Friday with a place in the semi-finals at stake and it will take a more imaginative approach than witnessed here if the Americans are to progress.

After an unimpressive first half from Jill Ellis’s team, the game turned on an incident two minutes after the break when Alex Morgan was brought down by Colombia keeper Catalina Perez. Although Abby Wambach missed the penalty, the Colombians never recovered from going down a player and the loss of University of Miami keeper Perez cost them dear with her replacement at fault for the opening goal from Morgan in the 53rd minute.

It was clear from the outset that the United States thought their best hope was in hitting balls from deep and wide into the penalty area towards Wambach. It was an approach that was not without logic against an uncomfortable Colombian defence but it was, nonetheless, a rather one-dimensional tactic that hardly played to the strengths of technical players such as Morgan.

The 35-year-old Wambach, playing in her last World Cup, has lost the pace and power that once characterised her game, but she was still a nuisance to an inexperienced Colombian defence and she forced Perez into a superb reflex save with a snap shot in the 14th minute. Julie Johnston blasted over from close range, as the US enjoyed some early pressure and Morgan saw a header, which bounced up off the artificial turf, well tipped over.

But in between those spells of American pressure, the Colombians, made up of mostly amateur and semi-professionals, played some clever passing football that was pleasing on the eye, if not particularly threatening to the US defence.

Lady Andrade, who had been at the centre of the pre-match talk as she suggested the Americans were belittling her team, taunted the American defence at times with her clever footwork. But the main cost of the half had come through yellow cards to the two American players who came into the game one booking away from a suspension – Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday – who will both miss the quarter-final.

Goalless at the break, the feeling was that the US, while hardly justifying their ranking of second in the world, would probably find a way through and the opportunity came just two minutes after the restart.

Morgan broke free, racing on to a ball over the top from Rapinoe, and burst goalward with Perez rushing off her line and tripping her on the edge of the area. The french referee, Stephanie Frappart, ruled the foul was inside the box and also sent off Perez for stopping a clear scoring opportunity. But Wambach made a mess of the penalty, floating it well wide of the post, and leaving Colombia still on level terms – albeit down to 10 players.

Three minutes later though the US got in front with Morgan firing in a shot to the near post and Colombian substitute keeper Stefany Castano was unable to push it wide. Castano should have done better – both with her positioning and her reaction – and Perez would surely have done better but the Americans were now in charge of the game.

It was hard to see how the Colombians, lacking potency in attack, were going to get back on level terms and the game was put beyond them in the 66th minute when Meghan Klingenberg played a delightful pass with the outside of her foot into the area to the on-running Rapinoe who was brought down by Angela Clavijo.

This time, Carli Lloyd took over penalty duties and made no mistake from the spot, confidently sending Castano the wrong way and wrapping up the contest.

It wasn’t a performance that would have pleased those looking to see the United States play the kind of progressive football that has been demonstrated in this tournament by the impressive French but for Ellis it was all about the result.

“This is the World Cup, I am really satisfied with advancing,” said Ellis when asked if she was pleased with the way the game unfolded. “Most of the goals in World Cup tournaments, the majority of them come on set-pieces, we have been brilliant. It is about finding a way. I thought we stroked the ball around pretty well at times. So I am pleased with where we are,” she said.

And if there was a major positive for the US it was the goal and the performance of Morgan, looking back to her best after her struggles with injuries.

“I am pleased that Alex got a goal today, she has worked very, very hard to come back from significant injuries and worked hard to be able to be on the field. I’m happy with her tonight and excited to move on” said Ellis.