U.S. women’s team cruises into Rio Olympics
Morgan’s hat trick tops Trinidad and Tobago, sets up match against Canada in the final
Clearly tired of discussing whether they would qualify for the Olympics, forward Alex Morgan and the U.S. women’s national soccer team hardly wasted any time exerting their dominance over Trinidad and Tobago to clinch a berth in the Rio Games on Friday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Tobin Heath scored the only goal the U.S. needed in the 12th minute, and Morgan added the third hat trick of her national team career to rout Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in the second semifinal of the CONCACAF women’s soccer Olympic qualifying championship.
“Well, today it’s excitement,” Morgan said. “Today we finally qualified. We don’t have to talk about qualifying anymore. This was the most important game we were looking forward to.
“We got the job done, and now we have some really good opponents to face coming up on Sunday against Canada.”
The 48th-ranked team in the world was no match for the defending Women’s World Cup and Olympic champions before a small but passionate crowd of 5,516.
The four-time Olympic gold medalists and threetime Women’s World Cup champions have qualified for all six Olympic Games in which women’s soccer has been played.
The U.S., which won gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012, will face Canada in the final of the CONCACAF championship at 4 p.m. Sunday at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Canada also punched its ticket to the Rio Olympics with a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica in the first game of the semifinal double- header.
The U.S. took the lead in the 12th minute when Heath slotted a shot into the right corner of the net. Morgan made it 2-0 in the 29th minute with a tap-in off Lindsey Horan’s header.
Dash teammates Morgan Brian and Carli Lloyd conspired to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead in the 43rd minute. Brian sent a brilliant corner from the right side to Lloyd, who powered a leaping header between goalkeeper Kimika Forbes’ legs.
Morgan made it 4-0 in the 70th minute when she followed her header off the crossbar with a shot into the back of the net. Three minutes later, she collected her hat trick with a leftfooted volley off Brian’s cross inside the 18-yard box.
“I think any time you can get your No. 9 three goals, I’m pleased,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “I think Alex is wanting to continue to push her game.
“We actually met with her, and she’s just hungry to evolve and talked about some things. She’s a poacher, man. She’s a goal scorer.”
Trinidad was so overwhelmed, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo never even faced a shot on goal.
“Personally, it’s very difficult,” Solo said. “I was so mentally focused and prepared and I was hoping for a little bit more from Trinidad.
“I was hoping that once we get up a couple of goals that they would actually come at us and they would press us and I’d be more involved in the game.
“I guess that’s the life of a goalkeeper. It’s not easy because I left the game feeling frustrated because I wanted to be a part of the game going into the final.
“I wasn’t a part of the game at all.”