Rhinos Top Atlanta Again

A first half goal from Menyongar (assisted by Delicate) in the 29th minute was all the Rhinos would need as the early advantage stood up through 90 minutes and the Rhinos got the full 3 points on the road. The win, the Rhinos second straight over Atlanta, moved Rochester to 10-8-8 and a tie in third place with Charleston.

Additionally, the Rhinos also have recently signed former Minnesota forward Alen Marcina to add depth to the attack. Marcina has found the net 3 times and assisted twice so far this season.

Are the Rhinos poised to be dangerous in the postseason, or will they prove to still be a bit behind the best? Share your thoughts on the rebirth of the Rhinos below.

Friday Updates

I've been off the scene for awhile and wanted to post many things, so here is the condensed version:

Last Sunday the Red Bulls continued their strong play, totally dominating last year's champs, Houston Dynamo, en route to a 3-0 win. The win was New York's third straight, and they are now unbeaten in five straight.

Mac Kandji, the USL striker from Atlanta who had drawn interest from the Red Bulls, will apparently not be joining the MLS this year. The Red Bulls had sent Zach Thornton to Chivas USA for allocation money to be able to pay the $200,000 transfer Atlanta was asking, but reports have the league office blocking the deal as they don't want to see MLS pay so much for a USL forward. What happened to being able to use your money as you feel fit? Now, Ives Galarcep reports that Ivan Gazidis and Jeff Agoos (a worthless Red Bull suit) have both denied that the league blocked anything, but it seems very fishy to suddenly throw out a defense of the league office after Ives' initial report. UPDATE: In the wake of the Mac Kandji debacle, Sainey Touray of the Gambia has been signed to a developmental contract.

The New England Revs and Chivas USA each started their CONCACAF Champions league campaigns on the wrong foot, each falling in their away legs in Trinidad and Tobago and Panama, respectively.

Maurice Edu has officially joined Celtic and there are rumors of a Dutch interest in Sacha Kljestan, both of who will be playing for the US against Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba.

Speaking of qualifiers for the US Men, Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore and Kenny Cooper were all left off the roster, yet Eddie Johnson is again called in as an option for the two games. When will we be through with his futility?

Rhinos Blank Silverbacks

The above pictured Scott Vallow had a relatively simple night in the Rhino's nets on his way to a shutout as his team dominated play in a 2-0 victory over Atlanta. Ross Smith struck first, redirecting a Kreamalmeyer shot into the net in the 21st minute. The second goal came shortly after on a nice header by Tiger Fitzpatrick. There were a few flashes in the second half, such as Delicate receiving the ball all alone but splitting a pair of defenders to put himself in on goal (sadly his shot was straight at the goalkeeper), but most of the second half saw the Rhinos play possession soccer against an Atlanta team that failed to look threatening. The win moves the Rhinos to 9-8-8.

Also of note tonight was Macoumba Kandji's conspicuous absense from the line-up. The team's star forward made the trip, but never removed his track suit and seemed to be a man running out of time with the club. With him being withheld from the line-up I would suspect a deal is deep in the works to send Kandji elsewhere, presumably to the Red Bulls.

Share your thoughts on Saturdays game.

Top 3 Reasons to go to the Rhinos Game Tonight:

3. It's the home team, of course we should go!

2. There are many deals on tonights match, from family night buy one ticket get one ticket deals, to discounted prices for RDYSL teams that won their divisions. Also, the first 1000 through the gate will receive a free Scott Vallow disposable camera from Kodak. And lastly, on the way out after the game free Power Trip will be handed out again. Come take advantage, and if you show up early for the camera there will be music to enjoy!

1. Macoumba Kandji. The Atlanta striker is the most prolific in the USL with 10 goals and five assists. He is a major target of the New York Red Bulls to join Juan Pablo Angel up top, and Atlanta is asking for a $200,000 transfer fee. He is strong on the ball and incredibly fast. Sources in Atlanta claim he is good enough to draw serious European interest when he gets all his papers straightened out so he can travel overseas.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:35 at Paetec, hope to see you there!

It's About Time...

With the first week of high school preseason in the books, it's time for us to shift some of our focus over to the local scene. With the Olympics wrapping up, I will be doing player and team profiles over the course of the next couple of weeks for any local teams and local talents that I can find information about. Check back to familiarize yourselves with some of the brightest young talents. If you have any news about players or teams, please send me an e-mail to let me know so I can create a post.

Men's Gold Medal Game

After Brazil downed Belgium 3-0 to claim the bronze medal, all that is left in the Olympic tournament is the decision between silver and gold. Will it be mighty Argentina who boasts household soccer names such as Messi and Riquelme, or will the upstart Nigerians claim their spot on the highest platform? Don't forget Nigeria has a history of success with their younger teams. I still like Argentina tomorrow, they have too much class and it seems clear that they mean to win this. Don't forget to catch the match live on CNBC at midnight EST.

US Women Good as Gold

Quick, someone tell Hope Solo she came in first, not second!

In a gold medal match unlikely to have converted many outsiders to the soccer fanatic cult, the US did precisely what it needed to this morning (or night in China) to earn one of their most improbable championships. Tied 0-0 after 90 minutes of relatively ugly, tentative play from both sides (no one could make a quality pass consistently!) the game would be forced into extra time. From there it didn't take long for the US to stake their claim on the gold medals as Carli Lloyd struck in the 96th minute for the 1-0 lead. Brazil then pressured like crazy, but the US responded exactly the way I had hoped; they played a bend but don't break style of defense. Brazil is strong with the ball at their feet, but if you are content to let them dance but force them to less dangerous spots you give your keeper a chance. That's what the US did, and Hope Solo took care of the rest (making former coach Ryan look all the more idiotic). Lloyd almost sealed it with a nice move past the defense but her shot hit the far post. The insurance goal was not needed as the US weathered the final couple of minutes and got the win that many didn't think they could get. In the end we were treated with the shared joy of the team as well as Natasha Kai's best Brandi Chastain impression.

Earlier Germany downed Japan 2-0 to claim the bronze medals.

MLS Updates

From the seemingly unintentional and light elbow that earned Cichero a red card against Toronto, the league has handed him down an extra game suspension. This means Cichero will not only miss the Red Bulls game against Houston, but also against DC.

Houston mashed on Chivas tonight.

Revs beat DC tonight.

Bruce Arena is the LA coach.

His new acquisition was bloodied tonight in the US/Guatemala match.

Bruce Arena may be picking up where he left off with overaged stars surrounded by awful role players...

Nuff said!

US Men With Historic Night!!!

Eddie Johnson did not see the field!!!

And no, that is not what made this game in Guatemala historic. For the first time ever in WCQ's, the US team secured a win and 3 points in Guatemala.

Long story short:

Guatemala cheated. Guatemala took a dive. Guatemala whined about a call. Dempsey got a yellow for a light shove, but thankfully former Galaxy player Pando Ramirez also got a yellow for acting like Dempsey blasted him with a magnum. US got screwed on a throw-in call. Cherundolo got mad and got a yellow. Guatemala cheated some more. Guatemala took a dive and Cherundolo picked up a red. A Guatemalan came in way late lining up Eddie Lewis' head with his elbow, splitting Lewis open and earning a red. Guatemala cheated and cried several more time. Much to their chagrin, and Beasley corner found Bocanegra for a great header and a 1-0 win. Newly acquired (yay Toronto fans...) TFC forward Carlos Ruiz drew the ire of Tim Howard when Howard secured a ball only to be kicked by Ruiz. Howard told Ruiz what he though of him and go a yellow. Guatemala would continue to cry and complain while their fans spewed profanities...

GO USA!!! May Guatemala continue to suck and lose every game that Carlos Ruiz plays in!

For the US fans, don't forget to check out the women's team action in the gold medal game tomorrow at 9 AM EST! For good measure I offer Natasha Kai...

Abs!!! I knew I'd recognize them if I saw them!

US Women Down Japan, Will Play for Gold

The US Women overcame an early 1-0 deficit with a pair of goals late in the first half courtesy of Angela Hucles and Lori Chalupny, and finished strong with another goal from Hucles and a fourth coming from Heather O'Reilly to take the win by a final of 4-2. Ok, I admit it, Heather Mitts didn't score, I just wanted to get that picture into the post!

With Brazil romping a talented Germany side in the other semifinal, the US will certainly head into the Gold Medal match as underdogs. That said, I think anyone would have been happy to hear they would be playing in this match when Wambach broke her leg. Adding to the excitement will be the story of Hope Solo. Many will remember when Solo was unceremoniously benched by idiot head coach Ryan in favor of Scurry who was supposedly better equipped for Brazil's offense. Solo will now get her shot in a game where she will likely need to be sensational.

In other Olympic soccer action, Brazil will play Argentina in the men's semifinals at 9 AM EST tomorrow morning. Watch, or if you are working like me, dvr it! It is sure to provide some excitement as Messi goes head to head with Ronaldhino.

Red Bulls on the Charge

With Sunday's impressive defensive showing with Jeff Parke subbed off early and Cichero ejected early in the second half, the Red Bulls have consecutive victories for the first time after opening up their homestand with wins over DC and Toronto. Below is Metrofanatic's summary of the action.

"Coming into the homestand, Metro knew that wins were vital. So far, so good, as New York put on a defensive clinic against a morbid Toronto side. Even losing starting defenders Jeff Parke and Gabriel Cichero, the latter to a red card early in the second half, did not matter. Mike Magee scored the game-winner and Juan Pablo Angel added one in garbage time.
Juan Carlos Osorio trotted out the same lineup that trashed DC a week ago, but was forced to make an early change by putting in Andrew Boyens for the injured Parke just 25 minutes in. We usually trash on Boyens in this space, but the New Zealand behemoth had an unusually strong game tonight.
Metro dominated the entire first half; a give-and-go between Angel and Magee led to Toronto keeper Greg Sutton making a big save on the former and the on the follow-up by Dave van den Bergh. 37 minutes into the game, Metro broke through. With play deep in the Metro end, Seth Stammler cleared the ball a good 50 meters upfield. Angel, seeing he would have been offside, held off his run, but Magee didn't. Metro's longest serving citizen ran onto the bouncing ball, abused former Metro draft pick Marco Velez, and slotted the ball from the top of the box past the helpless Sutton.
The game changed just a minute into the second half, as Terry Vaughn gave a ridiculous straight red to Cichero for what looked to be a simple elbow on a jump ball. That there was no malice was obvious from any replay, but Vaughn did not have the benefit of that. And seeing how the game ended, we could give Terry the benefit of the doubt... but no. It was a terrible call.
So Metro bunkered for a bit. Kevin Goldthwaite went in the middle, van den Bergh and Luke Sassano shifted to become outside back. Soon after, Dane Richards, who was supposed to be out 4-6 weeks but came back much earlier after rehabbing in his native Jamaica, would come in for Sassano, with jack-of-all trades Stammler taking the right back spot.
Toronto had a couple of chance, the most dangerous off a long Chad Barrett shot of a corner kick, but this patchwork Metro defense made easy work of the obtuse Canadians. Two minutes into injury time, Richards broke through all alone and could have easily scored, but instead elected to pass to Angel, who tapped it in for the easiest of his Metro goals.
As we said above, so far, so good. Now let's keep it going."

Check them out at http://www.metrofanatic.com for all your Red Bull news with a humorous twist.

He's Back!!!

To the dismay of those of you hoping Cobi Jones would remain the LA Galaxy head coach following Ruud Gullit's departure, The Bruce will be named for the head coaching role. With the glass being half-full, the Galaxy land an experienced coach that many consider the best coach in US history. He has won several championships with DC United and knows the league very well. If you are more of a glass half-empty type like myself, you'll be quick to point out that everyone was saying just these things when Arena took the helm in New York. Will the frustratingly dismal fringe players rally around Landycakes, Goldenballs and The Bruce, or will it be yet another disappointing year where LA fails to reach the playoffs?

In unrelated MLS news, the Revs apparently will not land Benny Feilhaber as he has signed in Denmark, and Toronto may be looking for midfield help as they have reportedly agreed in principal to a $5 million dollar deal to send Maurice Edu across the pond to Scotland where he will join Demarcus Beasley at Rangers.

What do you think of these developments across the MLS?

US Men Eliminated

For those of you who woke up early today like myself, you were greeted with a very disappointing way to start your day. A mere 3 minutes into the United States critical match against Nigeria, Michael Orozco was sent off with a straight red card for an suspect elbow to a Nigerian player. It was a bit physical, but Orozco's extremely light elbow, normally unworthy of mention, was deemed to be a flagrant offense for the US left back. Thanks to some great acting by Solomon Okoronkwo, the Nigerian that dropped like he took a 12 gauge round to the chest, the US was forced to play a man short for the final 86+ minutes.

It looked like all was lost, but the American's put up a valiant effort for their part, with Rogers slid back to a left back roll (amazing for someone who lacks defensive skill even as a midfielder) and Jozy Altidore sliding back to left mid. Until late in the first half the US weathered the storm, but fell behind when Michael Parkhurst was beaten endline, allowing a ball played in to Promise for the easy finish. After some bizarre substitutions by coach Peter Nowak including Feilhaber for Altidore at the half, Szetela, who I loved, coming off for Dax McCarty (as opposed to Kljestan, the walking turnover who is a Nowak favorite coming off), and a good, but possibly exhausted Stuart Holden coming off, the US would fall behind by two. On a ball laid off to the left side of the box, a nice individual effort saw Parkhurst slip and fall while the Nigerian player finished well far post.

Charlie Davies (despite commentator Marcelo Balboa's insistance that he is Charlie Davis...) looked fabulous as a late game sub. I have seen him several times previously and thought of him as a fast player that will never succeed, as he goes to ground far too easily. Davies' response? Let's see what you've got Mr. Essig! Davies came on and made immediate impact, torching a the Nigerian defense and offering a dangerous cross, then setting up a penalty kick converted by Kljestan. He had his chance to place his name among US soccer heroes when in stoppage time he rose majestically for a header that fatefully found the crossbar instead of the back of the net.

Following 4 points in 2 games the US were not expected to have, and an unfortunate finish to tie the Dutch, this will certainly be seen as a huge disappointment and a blown opportunity for a US team that could have been dangerous in the knockout round. I had been down all day about the event and waited to write about it until now. In a more relaxed state, I will say that Orozco should not have been red carded, but also should have known better than to throw an elbow no matter how lighly in the opening minutes of a game. He left his fate for the ref to decide. After his departure the US team put forth an unbelievable effort and came oh so close to an improbably draw playing a man down for a full game.

Now we are left to wonder what could have been with Adu and Bradley playing and Orozco avoiding the red card. With a need to draw since the Netherlands would surely beat Japan (which they finally did in a game they were dominated and earned a very shake penalty kick late in the game to win 1-0 and seal the USA's fate) the US would have their olympic dreams ended. As a minority in the United States, we soccer fans cannot even mourn properly. When asked why I seemed sour today, I replied that I thought the most talented US olympic team ever blew their chance today. The response I received? "Oh, well did you see Michael Phelps last night?" Hopefully these young players will learn from this experience and make soccer more relevant to the masses in our country. For now, there's always the women's team to pull for!

USA vs Nigeria

Set those alarms again, after a sensational display against the Netherlands earned the United States only 1 point, it all comes down to this game against Nigeria. It's quite simple, secure a result and more on the the semis. Don't look for a US team that will be content to defend and play for a draw however. Nigeria has dangerous attacking play, and will be most vulnerable in the back where a pair of starting defenders will be out due to yellow card suspension. This is one of those games where the timeless ascertation that the best defense is a good offense might well fit the bill.

My question to you is without the services of Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley, who should the US turn to for a starting line-up? Think Szetela can fill Bradley's boots or do you prefer Feilhaber? Any predictions on this match? I like the United States to win 2-1 and follow their female counterparts into the knockout stage.

No Mas Sexy Futbol!

To the delight of fans in Galaxyland, Isiah... err, Alexi Lalas has been fired as GM. With a mixed reaction head coach Ruud Gullit also resigned. The Circus should now be over in LA as US legend Cobi Jones takes the reigns of the media crazed yet subpar club in salary cap hell. Tomorrow I will explain why I think the loss of both Lalas and Gullit will be great news for Galaxy fans.

Red Bulls Squash Scum!

Juan Pablo Angel and the New York Red Bulls turned in their best collective effort of the season in a 4-1 route of DC United at Giants' Stadium. It what was considered to be a crucial match to the team's playoff chances, a revamped Red Bull squad responded with their greatest victory ever over their biggest rival.

The Scum opened the scoring when Jaime Moreno scored on the NY franchise for the 1049283rd time and it looked like business as usual. NY vs DC, DC wins right? Not to be on this day, as Angel scored a sublime free kick goal, then added another on a nice touch over DC keeper Zach Wells. Between Angel goals was a Mike Magee goal... yes, Mike Magee still lives, and actually looked good in this match, perhaps he is back! Later in the match substitute Sinisa Ubiparipovic walked onto the field and scored almost immediately on a feed from Rojas to officially begin the party.

For a Red Bulls team with more home games coming up, this is a statement win that immediately positions them back among the playoff teams and based on this game has to give them the needed confidence. With Cichero and Rojas in the fold and looking strong, should we expect this team to secure a playoff spot, or is this just another fluke win that gives us fans encouragement between the frequent letdowns?

US Looks for Draw or Win to Advance

After one of the best Olympic performances in US Soccer history ended in a disappointing draw, the United States men now need to secure at least a draw against Nigeria to advance from the group stage to the quarterfinals. In a game the United States dominated for a good 65 out of 90 minutes against a Netherlands team considered a medal favorite, the US fought from a 1-0 deficit to earn a 2-1 lead courtesy of goals from Sacha Kljestan and Jozy Altidore. Unfortunately the scoreline did not hold, as a Kljestan turnover at midfield led to a foul and free kick for the Dutch about 45 seconds from full time. The subsequent drive from Gerald Sibon of the Netherlands went under a US wall that leapt, and found the back of the net. In what is still a fantastic result for the US, we were left with a bit of a sour feeling. Instead of looking at coasting into the quarters as group winner we now must beat or tie a tough Nigeria team, and do so without stars Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley who picked up yellow card suspensions.

I expect the US will be able to move on with Altidore and McBride up top and a capable Danny Szetela likely sliding into Bradley's midfield spot. Set those alarms and check out the deciding game at 5 AM Wednesday morning. Also don't forget the US women's match tomorrow morning at 7:45 AM (along with US men's hoops at 8).

Soccer Sunday- Wake Up and Watch the Nat's!

Sunday's Line-up:
7AM-USA v Holland
9AM-Breakfast
10AM-ManU v Portsmouth (Community Shield)
5PM-Red Bulls v DC United
6PM-Rhinos v Islanders
What a Sunday!

Set those alarms for Sunday morning whether you are out late Saturday night or not! Soccer fans unite and show that the US is a soccer nation. Get up and catch an enormous match for the US olympic team in their hunt for olympic glory on MSNBC. It is a much more reasonable hour than the Japan game at 4:55 AM last Thursday. For those who missed it, the US managed a 1-0 win against Japan, defending well and dodging a bullet with some bad misses by Japan. Combined with the Netherlands 1-1 draw with Nigeria, the US sits atop its group. They likely need one more win to advance. Up next, the star studded Dutch squad. The US will have their hands full with a team that is among the favorites to win the gold medal. The load will be lightened as forward Roy Makaay will be out with a foot injury and midfielder Evander Sno (Edgar Davids light) will be suspended after picking up a red card against Nigeria. The player to fear most will be Ryan Babel, the speedy winger who plies his trade in Liverpool and will line up against an American left side that looked suspect in their defending of Japan. Look for Jozy Altidore to start and have an impact against a Dutch side known more for their attacking football than their defending. If he needs any bulletin board material, the Dutch manager says "Nigeria is confident on the ball. They have two very good strikers. The Americans are more of a team on the same level. They don't have anybody extremely good. They're totally different than Nigeria, in my opinion."

If you are a soccer fanatic like me, you can then catch the Community Shield match on Fox Soccer Channel at 10 AM EST. Look for a Manchester team feeling extreme pressure to win this match and Cristiano Ronaldo going the full 90 (yes, that is a joke). Hey, it's still worth a watch if you want to make it a true soccer Sunday.

After lunch and a nap, tune in to MSG to catch the Red Bulls and DC United in one of the great rivalries of MLS. After a blowout in DC the Red Bulls look for revenge at home with a revamped squad featuring Rojas and Cichero while United hopes to welcome Gallardo back to their line-up. Expect a physical game that is fun for the fans.

Not an MLS fan and live near Rochester? Swing out to Paetec for a 6 PM kickoff as the Rhinos look for their own revenge from an away blowout as they host Puerto Rico. Similar to NYRB the Rhinos should be very motivated after losing badly on the road and now getting the same team at home.

Which matches will you be watching? Are you going to the Rhinos game? If you are getting up to watch the USA match where will you be watching?

Rhinos Fall in PR

In the away portion of Rochester's home and home series with Puerto Rico this weekend the Rhinos showed up, were shown up, and will now look forward to returning home to look for a better result. After a 4-0 drubbing courtesy of the Islanders the Rhinos should have all the motivation they need for an improved performance on Sunday. With very little positive to mention about this performance I will let it pass lightly by simply reminding everyone that if you can win at home regularly you will be a solid soccer team. Let's look forward to Sunday!

Barca Blasts Bulls

Those who watched Juan Pablo Angel and Thierry Henry walk side by side down the tunnel after the game were left yet another time in the dismal history of the New York club to think about the future. Will the two be playing up top together in a Red Bull uniform anytime soon? We can only hope considering the gap in talent between the two sides was evident from the earliest moments of the game until the final whistle.

In what became a 6-2 thrashing, the Red Bulls showed a lack of patience in possession, likely due to too few of players that are comfortable on the ball. Barcelona's star studded line-up danced and passed around the New York players seeming at will.

What I took away from the game:
A) Pietravallo is not looking like a good acquisition.
B) Angel needs help or he'll just be blanketed by opposing defenses.
C) Van den Berg can play with the big boys.
D) Mike Magee and Hunter Freeman didn't even see a minute in a game with additional substitutes being allowed.
E) Bojan Krkic should have become a US citizen.
F) At least Gabriel Cichero is now onboard hopefully spelling my last sights of Andy Boyens and Carlos Mendes this season!

First Round Knockout

No, team USA is not eliminated from the group phase, but I thought the title was an appropriate summation of a game that was decided in the early moments. Portrait of Passion provides this game report:

"QINHUANGDAO, China (Aug. 6, 2008) – The U.S. Women’s National Team fell to Norway, 2-0, in the first match for both teams at the 2008 Olympics as the Europeans stunned the U.S. with two goals in the first five minutes. The Americans pushed to pull a goal back in the second half, but an organized Norwegian side held on for the victory on a hot and steamy night at the Qinhuangdao Sports Center Stadium.

The loss was just the second-ever for the U.S. women in the Olympics, with the only other loss also coming to Norway in the 2000 Olympic Final in Sydney, Australia.Norway sits atop Group G with three points. Japan came back from a two-goal deficit to tie New Zealand, 2-2, creating a tie for second place with one point each. The USA will face Japan next in a critical match on Saturday, Aug. 9, at 5 a.m. ET live on USA Network and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel.

"My glass is always half full. For us, it is a new experience to lose a game and the fact we tried to turn around and create some chances in the second half is positive,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage, who suffers her first loss as the U.S. head coach. “I'm happy that this is the first game and not the last. We still have two more games to go. We will take the good part of the second half going forward to play against Japan and New Zealand.” Norway’s dream start came in the second minute. After Christie Rampone cleared away a long throw in, Norway captain Ane Stangeland Horpestad swung in a looping cross from the left wing. Lori Chalupny was good position to try to win the header, but U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo charged off her line and collided with Chalupny as Leni Larsen Kaurin got her head to the ball, popping it over both U.S. players and into the empty net.Two minutes later Norway scored again. The goal came after Kate Markgraf played a back pass from the right sideline into the middle of the field, but hit it too softly, and it was picked off in stride by Melissa Wiik who dribbled into the penalty area and curved a fantastic shot inside the left post around Solo.After a few early build-ups and corner kicks, the best chance for the U.S. in the first half came in the 26th minute and was created by midfielder Heather O’Reilly. With the U.S. pressing, O’Reilly dribbled to the end line and cut back a pass that deflected to Carli Lloyd, who touched the ball forward to Angela Hucles, but her curling shot flew over the crossbar. In the 15th minute, Sundhage was forced to make her first substitution as Chalupny departed the match due to a blow to the side of her head in the collision with Solo on the first goal. She was replaced by Stephanie Cox. In the second half, Norway was content to sit back and counter-attack while the U.S. picked up the pressure, eventually firing 20 shots during the game. Norway’s best chance of the second half came in the 49th minute off a free-kick that Marit Christensen flicked just wide of Solo’s right post. Forward Amy Rodriguez came on at halftime replacing Lindsay Tarpley and helped the U.S. build numerous attacks through the final 45 minutes, but the Americans struggled to solve Norway’s defense with the final pass. In the 61st minute, forward Natasha Kai put a shot over the bar from a tight angle and in the 78th Lloyd had a pair of chances denied after her first shot came back to her off a defender.The USA also had two good chances in stoppage time, the first when Hucles hit a blast from outside of the area that would have dipped into the net if not for a great leaping save from Erika Skarbøe. A minute later, Lloyd’s strike from nearly the same spot went just wide of the post.

This was the 44th meeting in a rivalry that dates to 1987, with Norway having more success against the U.S. than any other team. Going into the match the U.S. had won the 10 previous meetings dating to 2002, and the win was the 19th in the series for the Scandinavian side.The game marked the first Olympic appearances for Solo, Chalupny, Lloyd, Kai, Cox, Rodriguez and Tobin Heath, who came on late in the game for Cox. It was also the first Olympic starts for Hucles and O’Reilly. Chalupny is listed as day-to-day for the USA’s next match against Japan.In other Olympic action, Germany and Brazil played to a 0-0 tie in a rematch of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final. The hosts China were also victorious, surprising No. 3-ranked Sweden 2-1, and are tied for first in Group F with Canada who were 2-1 winners against Argentina."

Check out Portrait of Passion at their MySpace url, http://www.myspace.com/takeapictureofmesmiling for all your US Women's team news.