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Women’s World Cup: U.S. Shows Unease

Manitoba — The United States appeared nervous Monday when it opened the Women’s World Cup, often tattered in defense, frequently inert and faltering in attack.

But Hope Solo settled an unnerved team with three gymnastic saves in the first half, and Megan Rapinoe delivered two goals with her creativity and daring. In the end, the Americans prevailed, 3-1, over Australia, the victory being more important than elegant.

“It was a little bit of a shaky game for us, especially the first 30 minutes,” Rapinoe said. “Hope came up absolutely huge for us. I think she had, like, three saves that I don’t think anybody else in the world can make.”

Solo is facing new revelations by ESPN, suggesting that she was the aggressor, not the victim, in a misdemeanor case of domestic violence last year involving her half sister and nephew.
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She is said to have slammed her nephew’s head to the floor and to have been so argumentative that police officers forced her to the ground. She cursed the officers and told one that her necklace cost more than his yearly salary, ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” reported Sunday.


Solo has said that it was she who was injured, with a concussion. Charges against her were dropped on procedural grounds in January, but prosecutors have filed an appeal. Still, if Solo is troubled off the field, she remained impervious on the field Monday. And it seems unlikely that the United States could win the World Cup without her.

Rapinoe, too, appears indispensable in midfield as the team’s most inventive player. With the Americans not fully confident or steady, she scored the match’s first goal, on a deflected blast in the 12th minute, and delivered another with a long, dazzling run in the 78th minute.

“I was doing my best Messi impression,” Rapinoe said, referring to the Argentine star Lionel Messi. “A much slower version of it.”

Things could not have played out more invitingly before an announced crowd of 31,148 as the United States tries to win its group.

“A couple bits of class in the end from Rapinoe changed the game,” said Alen Stajcic, the Australian coach.

The United States will play Sweden here Friday. A co-favorite in the group, Sweden got off to its usual slow start in the World Cup, leading by two goals at halftime before hanging on for a 3-3 tie against Nigeria’s expert passing, one-on-one skill and speed.

“No team in this tournament is a pushover,” said Edwin Okon, the Nigerian coach.

That was definitely true of Nigeria and Australia. And the Americans still face numerous questions in trying to win their first World Cup since 1999: Can they get reliable scoring at forward? Can the midfield and the back line regain cohesiveness?

Sydney Leroux and Abby Wambach started at forward, with Leroux finding inspiration with an assist. But Wambach appeared rusty and awkward with her specialty, heading the ball.

Alex Morgan came in late, after the game was decided, having not played since April 11 because of a bone bruise on her left knee.

As the match opened, Australia pressed the Americans, repeatedly stripped them of possession and attacked down the left flank with speed and insistence. In the fifth minute, Emily Van Egmond hit a heavy shot from about 15 yards that a diving Solo parried off the crossbar.

Then, in the 12th minute, with the American attack still lacking movement, the United States forged a 1-0 lead from the alertness and cleverness of Rapinoe.

After a long pass was headed by Wambach, Rapinoe deftly turned on the ball from 22 yards and blasted a shot that cannoned off the Australian defender Laura Alleway, ricocheting inside the right post.

“I probably shoot too much,” joked Rapinoe, who challenged goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri from the early minutes with shots that at first seemed to bear more hope than threat. “It doesn’t matter what kind of shot it is for me — I’ll take it,” Rapione said.

A minute later, Australia nearly leveled the score, but Solo dived to her left and pushed a volley by Samantha Kerr beyond the right post.

Still, the American defense remained vulnerable. A ball into the box in the 27th minute left Australia’s captain, Lisa De Vanna, alone to tie the score at 1-1 with a left-footed shot that Solo had no chance of diverting.

In the 45th minute, Australia might have scored again when a free kick found its way uninterrupted toward the far post, but Solo intervened at the last moment with a theatrical save.

In the 61st minute, the United States got the decisive goal when Rapinoe started a bountiful sequence for a 2-1 lead. She played the ball to Leroux, who ran down the left wing and, sliding on the artificial turf, cut a splendid pass back for Christen Press, who slotted a low shot from 12 yards inside the right post.

In the 78th minute, Carli Lloyd stole the ball and Rapinoe dribbled nearly half the length of the field on a counterattack before deftly placing a low shot inside the far post.

“Megan thrives in these big games, big moments,” Coach Jill Ellis said. “She’s got ice running through her veins, but a lot of passion inside of her. She’s a game-changer. And that’s what makes her special.”