Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Opening day of the Olympics proved fruitful for 23 of the 31 current and former W-League players as all of the USL alumni, with the exception of the Americans, were able to secure a point in their first match of the tournament. Three struck for goals while leading Canada to victory and Japan to a draw.

The stunning development of the first day of the Beijing Olympic Games was the first four minutes of the US versus Norway match in which two defensive errors allowed Norway to build a commanding two-goal advantage that stood firm for the remaining 86 minutes.

A throw-in deep in the US end in the second minute that was played to the top of the six left goalkeeper Hope Solo in a difficult position, arriving late in her effort to punch the ball away. Leni Larsen-Kaurin was able to beat Lori Chalupny to send a header to the open net. A Chalupny back pass was intercepted two minutes later by Melissa Wiik, who sent a curling shot past Solo for a Women’s Olympic Tournament record for the two fastest goals.

In the other match of Group G, Japan and Norway battled to a 2-2 draw. Led by captain and former W-Leaguer Homare Sawa, the Japanese women found themselves on their heels in the opening portions of both halves with fast starts by the upstart Kiwis, but would take command of the play in midfield. Trailing 2-1 late in the match, Japan found an equalizer four minutes from time courtesy of Sawa when she redirected a free kick from the right wing by Aya Miyama, who had converted a penalty to cut a 2-0 deficit in half at the 72nd minute mark. Former W-Leaguer Emily McColl came off the bench for New Zealand.

In another tie, the Brazilians, led by former W-League players Daniela and Formiga, played Germany to a scoreless draw in Group F. The game was a rematch of the 2007 Women’s World Cup final in which Germany won 2-0.

The winners on the day were the Canadians in Group E, posting a 2-1 result against Argentina. Defender Candace Chapman, a four-year W-League player in Atlanta and Toronto, opened the scoring 27 minutes in when she rifled a low shot from 30 yards into the lower left corner.

The Canucks nearly pushed the lead to three only to have a Kara Lang goal called back for a foul and a free kick from Lang stopped by the diving Argentine netminder Vanina Correa. Lang would eventually find the back of the net in the 72nd minute when she rose to nod what proved to be the game-winner header inside the near post on a Rhian Wilkinson free kick.