Preview and Prediction: Tonight’s #USWNT Game will be Closer than Many Expect #USAvCOL

By, Kyle Gibson 

Yes, Colombia is talking trash. 

Yes, they aren’t exactly used to the big stage.

Yes, ESPN’s Paul Carr tweeted that Abby Wambach has almost as many goals with her head (77) as Colombia has career goals (82). 

That still doesn’t mean that tonight won’t be a close game.

For all the confidence we have given the United States women’s national team this Women’s World Cup, there has not been a lot of cohesiveness and ability, let alone consistency to back up any of that confidence in this team. 

Sure, there are the bright spots: Hope Solo, Meghan Klingenberg, Julie Johnston, Becky Sauerbrunn and Megan Rapinoe. However, they are the only players that have shown a great deal of consistency for the side. 

Frankly, if the United States is going to win the World Cup, it will need to find some consistency and desire from its attacking players. Looking at Carli Lloyd, Christen Press, Morgan Brian and Sydney Leroux here. (I’m giving Alex Morgan a pass here due to injury and Abby Wambach gets a bit of one because she scored last game.) 

Colombia is not a foe to be taken lightly. They beat France in the group stage. Yep, the France, which advanced to the Quarters in real style and are in the small group of front runners. 

Lady Andrade is cocky and in form (two WWC 2015 goals) and I truly think she will score tonight. 

The U.S. Will need its A game tonight. 

Prediction: USA 2-1 Colombia US goals by Rapinoe and Wambach. Colombia goal by Andrade. 

New Post! Here are my three stars from #USvAUS. Hint, Megan Rapinoe may be on this list. #USA

By, Kyle Gibson

The U.S. Women’s national team got off to one heck of a start at the women’s World Cup Monday with a 3-1 win against Australia. Here are the three brightest stars for the U.S.

Ranked from third to first

3) Christen Press/ Sydney Leroux

Press scored the goal that Leroux created, but both were really able to do good things from the midfield as the game progressed. Carli Lloyd didn’t make a lot of noise in this game, but she didn’t have to with Megan Rapinoe playing lights out and these two making increasingly stellar plays. Seeing these two play so well is a reassuring sign for US fans going forward.

2) Hope Solo

I think many fans were nervous about how hope would react to the recent allegations that have come forth from the Outside the Lines report by ESPN. She more than demonstrated her tunnel vision and focus, making two world class saves early.

We can talk all day about Solo’s shot stopping — which is superb — but that isn’t all she has in her game. Watch her positioning next time out. No other keeper in the women’s game is as good at either of these key aspects of keeping.

That was a master class in goalkeeping by Hope Solo.

1) Megan Rapinoe

Who else? Rapinoe may have just made herself a household name by scoring two of the three goals tonight. The first was an unlucky deflection. The second was a thing of beauty, a more than 50 yard solo run and a calm slot past the keeper from the top of the box.

Rapinoe proved to Jill Ellis and her teammates tonight that she can lead an attack on the big stage. With the sharpness and fitness of Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan in question, that’s huge.