Arab Times

Aussies hold perfect US

Brazil edge Japan

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EAST HARTFORD, Conn, July 30, (AP): Lindsey Horan scored in the 90th minute to give the United States a 1-1 draw with Australia on Sunday night in the Tournament of Nations.

Horan scored on a bouncing header off a well-placed corner kick from Megan Rapinoe. The tie extended the Americans’ undefeated streak to 18 games.

“I actually thought performanc­ewise, I thought we played pretty well,” Rapinoe said. “We had a lot of chances, exposed them quite a bit in the wide areas, we were able switch the ball quite a bit. We had some good chances.”

It was Horan’s sixth internatio­nal goal.

Alex Morgan had three goals for her fourth career hat trick in the team’s tournament opener Thursday against Japan in Kansas City, Kansas. Rapinoe added a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory.

The United States, ranked No. 1 in the world, is gearing up for World Cup qualifying in October. The Americans hope to defend their title next summer at the World Cup in France.

But eighth-ranked Australia, which has already secured a spot in France, struck first when Lisa De Vanna charged the ball upfield before passing off to Chloe Logarzo for a goal in the 22nd minute.

Australia won its tournament opener 3-1 over Brazil. The Matildas, the defending Tournament of Nations champions, beat the United States 1-0 last year.

That was the US team’s last loss. They’ve gone 15-0-3 since.

The result put the US and Australia atop the tournament standings with four points apiece.

“These are the kind of games we’re going to see into qualifying and obviously going in to the World Cup next year,” Rapinoe said. “I mean, I love these games. I wish obviously that we would have won, but (it was) a competitiv­e environmen­t, great stadium tonight. It was a good match for us, good in a lot of ways, good performanc­e and good preparing us going forward.”

Attendance for the match was announced a 21,570.

Earlier Sunday at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, five-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta scored in the 76th minute and Beatriz added a goal before the end of regulation for a 2-1 victory for seventhran­ked Brazil against Japan.

Moeno Sakaguchi scored in the third minute of stoppage time for sixth-ranked Japan, which has also secured a spot in the World Cup.

The tournament wraps up on Thursday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. Japan faces Australia in the opening match followed by the United States against Brazil.

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