Americans again advance to World Cup final
Morgan scores, Naeher saves in win over England; Sweden or Netherlands next
An evening that began with intrigue concerning Megan Rapinoe’s absence ended in high drama and full glory for the U.S. national soccer team Tuesday as it defeated England, 2-1, and advanced to the Women’s World Cup final for the third straight time.
With the brilliant and controversial forward sidelined by an apparent injury, the reigning champions rallied around Rapinoe’s replacement, Christen Press; received a go-ahead goal by Alex Morgan; and turned to Alyssa Naeher to stop a penalty kick in the waning moments.
On Sunday, in this suburb of Lyon, they will play the Netherlands or Sweden in a quest for a fourth world title. The other semifinal will take place here Wednesday.
Press scored in the 10th minute — the sixth straight time the United States had gone ahead before a dozen minutes had expired. Ellen White equalized for England moments later, but Morgan, on her 30th birthday, provided the go-ahead header in the 31st for her sixth goal of the tournament.
The Americans have not lost since January and haven’t been beaten in regulation time of World Cup in a record 16 matches. Each of their victories in the knockout stage have come by the same score.
England, a semifinalist four years ago in Canada, was seeking its first trip to a World Cup final.
Before the match, as her teammates warmed up, Rapinoe watched from the sideline, arms folded and not wearing shin guards.
U.S. Soccer Federation officials said they could not share any details and referred questions to Ellis after the match. They did say, though, it was not a disciplinary issue.
Later, word began to circulate that Rapinoe had suffered a hamstring injury and was not fit enough to play.
She had absorbed several hard challenges against France, though she ended up playing 87 minutes and was named the player of the match after her second straight two-goal performance.
In her place, Press started for the second time in the tournament. She had also entered as a sub in the other four matches.
While Rapinoe’s production would be missed, Press is a dynamic, unpredictable attacker who would start for most teams in the world.
Press was not the only change. Lindsey Horan returned to the midfield lineup, in place of Samantha Mewis.
England also made a major change: Carly Telford started in place of injured goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (four starts).
The Americans crackled from the opening whistle, threatening to score before five minutes had passed.
Rose Lavelle provided the first highlight, pushing the ball between Jill Scott’s legs — a nutmeg, in soccer parlance, of the tallest order — inside the penalty area. Lavelle tested Telford with a rising bid.
The pressure continued without much pause, and in the 10th minute, Tobin Heath played the ball forward toward Lavelle. Instead of taking possession, Lavelle dummied it, allowing it to roll behind her and through to the overlapping Kelley O’Hara.
The right back lofted a cross to the back side. Lucy Bronze, England’s celebrated defender, had lost track of Press, who, with perfect placement, headed the ball into the near top corner for her first goal of the tournament.
For the sixth consecutive match, the Americans had gone ahead early. The previous ones had come in the 12th, 11th, third, seventh and fifth minutes.
Badly outplayed to that point, England answered in the 19th minute on a terrific sequence. Beth Mead’s left-side cross bounced nicely for Ellen White. Slipping into a channel between centre backs Becky Sauerbrunn and Abby Dahlkemper, the striker flicked the ball well out of the reach of Naeher and into the far side of the net for her sixth goal of the tournament.
Both teams threatened during the balance of a lively half. Telford blocked Lavelle’s bid and Sauerbrunn’s miskicked clearance almost ended up in the net.
The Americans reclaimed the lead in the 31st minute. It began far from behind the centre circle as Dahlkemper launched a magnificent, 40-yard ball to Press’s chest at the sideline.
Press connected with Horan. As Horan turned, Morgan made her run into the heart of the penalty area. She gained inside position on Demi Stokes and met Horan’s pinpoint delivery for an eight-yard header past Telford.
England was unbowed. Keira Walsh’s smashing bid from distance forced Naeher to make a terrific leaping save.
The halftime whistle allowed the big crowd and the unrelenting players to exhale.
The United States kept control through the early stage of the second half, creating some promising chances and conceding few. In the 69th minute, however, White appeared to score another equalizer.
In the run of play, White appeared to have been a whisker offside. As England celebrated, the video assistant referee went to work. Referee Edina Alves Batista delayed the restart and waited for the video assistant referee to review the sequence.
The infraction was clear enough that Batista did not need to see it for herself. The VAR ruling erased the goal.
VAR came to the forefront again near the end. White had howled for a penalty kick after Sauerbrunn clipped her from behind as she tried to finish a cross in the six-yard box. Initially, play was allowed to continue. But a moment later, the VAR suggested Batista review it. She did, and came back onto the field pointing at the penalty spot.
Captain Steph Houghton stepped up. Her attempt was not imaginative or authoritative. Guessing correctly by moving to her right, the goalkeeper smothered the shot and did not allow a rebound.