U.S. WNT Continue Victory Tour

Published: Monday, 17. September, 2012 in category U.S. National Team

The U.S. Women's National Team takes on Australia in the third match of the Fan Tribute Tour presented by Panasonic. The USA gold medal-winning team from the 2012 London Olympics hosts Australia at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., with a live broadcast on ESPN2 and available through WatchESPN.

The match against Australia on Wednesday, Sept. 19, marks the final match in charge of the U.S. Women's National Team for head coach Pia Sundhage. On Sept. 1, Sundhage announced her decision to step down from the position and has since accepted the head coaching post with the Sweden Women's National Team and will return to her home country. Sweden is preparing to host the Women's European Championships next summer.

The Women's National Team presented head coach Pia Sundhage with a surprise gift following a 2-1 win against Australia on Sept. 16 as a way to thank the outgoing head coach for her service to the team. Sundhage announced her decision to step down as head coach of the Women's National Team on Sept. 1 prior to the first match of the Fan Tribute Tour in Rochester, N.Y. Following the match at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., Christie Rampone and the players presented their head coach with a Taylor guitar, which was signed by the entire squad, before Sundhage used her new instrument to serenade the crowd with a rendition of the classic Elvis Presley hit "Jailhouse Rock."

Fans can follow both matches via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt. On Sept. 16, the U.S. WNT earned its 13th consecutive victory dating back to early April of this year in a 2-1 win against Australia in front of 19,851 fans at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. It was the first of two matches between the two countries and the first meeting between the USA and the Matildas since 2008.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Hope Solo, 21-Jill Loyden
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Heather Mitts, 3-Christie Rampone, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O'Hara, 6-Amy LePeilbet, 19-Rachel Buehler
MIDFIELDERS (5): 7-Shannon Boxx, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 17-Tobin Heath
FORWARDS (5): 8-Amy Rodriguez, 11-Sydney Leroux, 12-Lauren Cheney, 13-Alex Morgan, 20-Abby Wambach

U.S. ROSTER NOTES:

  • Five players on the U.S. roster scored in the 2012 London Olympics and eight players on the USA roster for the Fan Tribute Tour have scored in an Olympics: Abby Wambach (4 goals in 2004; 5 goals in 2012), Carli Lloyd (2 goals in 2008; 4 goals in 2012), Heather O'Reilly (1 goal in 2004; 2 goals in 2008), Shannon Boxx (1 goal in 2004), Amy Rodriguez (1 goal in 2008), Alex Morgan (3 goals in 2012), Megan Rapinoe (3 goals in 2012) and Sydney Leroux (1 goal in 2012).
  • Rapinoe and Morgan led the team with four assists apiece in the Olympics.
  • Morgan, Rapinoe and Wambach each had 10 points in this year's Olympics.
  • Only three U.S. WNT players were on the field for all 570 minutes in the 2012 Olympics: goalkeeper Hope Solo, defender and team captain Christie Rampone and defender Kelley O'Hara.
  • Boxx's game-winning goal against Australia on Sept. 16 was just her second career goal scored when coming into a match as a substitute. The only other time Boxx scored after coming off the bench was on July 21, 2004 - a 3-1 win against Australia in Blaine, Minn.
  • In her next appearance, Boxx will earn her 173rd cap and a tie for 10th place overall on the all-time list with former goalkeeper Briana Scurry.
  • Morgan marked her 50th career international cap on Sept. 16 against Australia with her 32nd career international goal. Among the USA's 2012 London Olympics roster, 15 players have already surpassed 50 appearances, and before Morgan, Tobin Heath earned her 50th cap during the thrilling come-from-behind victory against Canada in the Olympic Semifinals on Aug. 6.
  • Morgan's game-winning goal against Canada on Aug. 6 is the latest goal ever in a FIFA competition. Her strike hit the back of the net at 122 minutes, 23 seconds. Wambach's memorable game-tying header against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup crossed the goal line at 121 minutes, 19 seconds.
  • Morgan leads the U.S. with 22 goals in 23 games played, and she has seven multi-goal games this year.
  • The USA has scored 94 goals in 24 matches this year (which includes two own goals). That 94-goal total currently is the fifth-highest for a calendar year and the most since the USA scored 102 goals in 2004. This year's scoring rate (3.83 goals per game) is currently the third-best, with the record being 4.38 goals per game in 1994 (57 goals in 13 games). Also ahead of the current scoring rate: a mark of 4.35 goals per game in 1991 (122 goals in 28 games).

Match Information from U.S. Soccer