Megan Rapinoe, a recent Twitter target of President Trump, scored two goals to give the U.S. a hard-fought 2-1 win over France.
Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. celebrates after scoring her second goal of the match during a Women's World Cup quarterfinal against France on June 28 in Paris. in recent days, brought the focus back to the soccer field Friday, scoring a goal in each half to give the U.S. a hard-fought 2-1 win over host France in a Women’s World Cup quarterfinal played before a raucous sellout crowd of 45,595 at Parc des Princes stadium.
Trump had criticized Rapinoe over a 6-month-old interview that surfaced last week in which the U.S. co-captain said she would not visit the White House if the team was invited after the World Cup. Rapinoe didn’t answer the president’s criticism in his favored form of conversation — social media — saving her answer for the fifth minute Friday, when she sent a low free kick from the left wing into traffic in front of the net.
The U.S. defense was brilliant, blocking balls all night — and sometimes paying the price for that. Outside back Kelley O’Hara took a point-blank shot in the chest in the 63rd minute and dropped to the grass. She stayed in the game.Wendie Renard of France scores her team's first goal. France isn’t done yet. Wendie Renard, the player the U.S. most feared, makes it 2-1 on the play the U.S. most feared: a set piece.
The attendance at Parc des Princes was just announced at 45,595. It’s the largest crowd of the tournament, one person more than the U.S. drew for a group-stage game with Chile at the same stadium.Megan Rapinoe scores again in the 65th minute, giving the U.S a 2-0 lead in its Women’s World Cup quarterfinal with France.
But it also goes into the intermission with concerns about Alex Morgan, who has finished just one game in this tournament and appeared to take a knock midway through the opening 45 minutes. She sat on the field during the hydration break and was attended to by trainers but stayed in the game.The French have swung the possession battle in their favor; the shots are equal at 5-5. But the French have put none of those tries on target while the U.S. have put three on frame.
Tobin Heath for the most part has been invisible in the U.S. attack, which has gone up the left side behind Rapinoe and Morgan.Referee Maryna Striletska talks to Griedge Mbock Bathy of France following a foul on Alex Morgan of the U.S. In the 30th minute, U.S. captain Alex Morgan looks to be in some distress. She hasn’t played a full game since the opener, when she scored five goals and had three assists in a 13-0 win over Thailand.
Griedge Mbock Bathy had no choice but to reach out and grab Morgan, who went down easily, resulting in a yellow card and free kick. French keeper Sarah Bouhaddi never saw Rapinoe’s low drive into traffic from the left wing, and the ball somehow got through a half-dozen players before hitting the side netting on the right side.
The U.S. is wearing white uniforms with red and blue trim and blue numbers, the same kit it wore in the win over Spain in the round of 16. Goalie Alyssa Naeher is in all yellow.
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