The U.S. Women's National Team's 2-0 loss to Norway today marks the first time the women have lost a group match in a world championship, ever. The U.S. dug themselves in a hole early and were unable to dig themselves out.

Leni Larsen Kaurin opened the scoring for Norway in the second minute, heading the ball into an empty net. Hope Solo came off her line to challenge Kaurin and collided with Lori Chalupny who was defending the header. Stephanie Cox subbed in for Chalupny shortly after the collision in which she took a shot to the head. Chalupny is listed as day to day. She took significant time off in 2007 after a suffering a string of concussions. Hopefully her removal from the game was a precaution.

Norway's Melissa Wiik capitalized on an ill advised back pass from veteran defender Kate Markgraf moments later and in less than five minutes, the U.S. was down by two. After the match Markgraf took ownership of her uncharacteristic mistake.

"The second goal was totally my fault. I didn’t play the ball back hard enough to Hope (Solo) and I didn’t see the player either," she said.

The start of this match reminded me a bit of the 1999 World Cup quarter-final against Germany when the U.S. went down early on an own goal by Brandi Chastain. Chastain came back and scored the equalizer and the U.S. went on to win 3-2. I was hoping for a similar outcome today (and wouldn't it have been a great story for Markgraf to score the equalizer as her first goal), but it was not to be. The U.S. settled down and pretty much contained Norway for the rest of the match, but could not get anything going offensively.

Critics of Greg Ryan ball will not be impressed with the team's first significant match under Pia Sundhage. There were plenty of errant long balls and final passes to lament and we only saw glimpses of the beautiful possession soccer we were hoping for. Still, there were glimpses and I'm not ready to start the funeral march yet. While a Wambach-less offense at times seemed to lack passion and direction, the play of Heather O'Reilly was a bright spot as was Tobin Heath's when she subbed in late in the match.

A part of me is screaming that this result is an unprecedented disaster, but I'm going to write it off as Olympic jitters and assume this team will come back strong against Japan on Saturday. I hope I'm not in denial. Coach Sundhage and Captain Christie Rampone have to help the team put this rocky start behind them.

“We have a choice right now. You can imagine (what it can do to a team) to give up two early goals playing in your first game," said Sundhage. "What is very important is to keep our style and that is something we as coaches will emphasize. We can look at bad things, and we will adjust, but also look at good parts in the game where we created chances and where we kept possession and played pretty good soccer.”

The U.S. has two group games to win and the result today sets up a potential meeting with Germany or Brazil in the quarter-finals.

Greetings from Albufeira, Portugal. I arrived last night, just in time to catch a decent nights sleep and hit the U.S. match with China.

This was my first time to see the team play since the Pia era began, unless you count the teeny video stream from the Four Nations Tournament in China. They looked good – definitely different – but really good.

Possession was the name of the game and they played it well. One touch passes ping-ponged around the pitch, starting at the back and working their way through the midfield to the forwards. There was the occasional long ball thrown in, just to keep China guessing, but the U.S. dominated the match exploring the angles of the pitch with short passing.

After the game, Abby Wambach was pleased with the team’s performance.

“The first half of that game is one of the best halves we’ve played in a long time, not even these past four games, but the past couples years. Things are starting to feel right, where it’s not a struggle. We’re learning how to play the game in angles, “ she said.

Of course, China didn’t put up much of a fight. They were content to stay packed in for most of the match, I can only assume in hopes of breakaway chances, which were few and far between and for which they seemed ill equipped to take advantage of. If China’s new coach, Elizabeth Loisel was looking to use this tournament to get a Chinese Federation that already seems disenchanted with her off her back, she didn’t get off to a good start.

The back line has undergone a bit of a makeover, at least for this match. Kate Markgraf was back in the center in her first match since the World Cup. Captain Christie Rampone joined her there with Lori Chalupny at left back and newcomer Rachel Buehler on the right. Buehler put in a more than solid performance in her first cap, which lasted a full 90.

Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd were both outstanding today in the midfield and earned a nod from head coach Pia Sundhage who called their play “tremendous”.

Lindsay Tarpley added another goal to her already impressive tally for 2008 to get her team off to a good start. That was it for the first half. Tobin Heath, who subbed in for Tarpley at half time, recorded her first full international goal just minutes into the 2nd half. Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd rounded out the scoring giving the U.S. their biggest win against China, ever.

That’s it for tonight. I’m going to post some pictures in the Photo Gallery before I get kicked out of the internet cafe which is already closed! I will report in tomorrow after practice.

I wouldn't trade my World Cup experience for anything, but I have to confess that it was nice to be on the field for a home game when the U.S. took on Mexico yesterday in St. Louis. I wasn't sure what to expect heading into the game. There has been a lot of negative press surrounding the team in the aftermath of the loss to Brazil and the ensuing Hope Solo soap opera. I was a little apprehensive about whether the fans might stay home in protest or come out booing with nasty signs.

In the end, there were a few nasty signs, very little booing and a boisterous crowd of 10,861 strong that overwhelmingly supported the USWNT. Mexico had cheering sections throughout the stadium which added some flavor, but they could not match the volume of the the U.S. fans. The shrill post-match cheering and autograph seeking hit a level I haven't personally witnessed post-Mia. And speaking of Mia, there were tons of kids and adults wearing U.S. jerseys, but very few of them were Mia's. Lori Chalupny's #17 was definitely the jersey of choice as St. Louis honored their hometown hero, but I saw plenty of Wambach, Boxx, Solo and Lilly kits as well. I'm hoping that's a good sign that this is no longer "The Greatest Team You've Never Heard Of".

It took about 20 minutes for the U.S. to shake off the cobwebs from the long trip back from China and nearly two weeks off, but they recovered from an early deficit to put on an entertaining 5-1 win.

Hope Solo did not dress for the match, but gamely supported the team from the bench in street clothes, hopefully a positive step in closing this chapter in USWNT history.

After the match, Abby Wambach acknowledged that she hadn't had an opportunity to read the statement Solo issue before the match, but said, "As a team, we're just ready to move forward."

The next move is to Portland, where the U.S. will meet Mexico again before finishing off the series and probably the year on Saturday in New Mexico.

Last night was a breakout World Cup performance for Lori Chalupny. She scored a goal in the first minute and didn’t stop running until the final whistle blew. She was dangerous on several occasions and actively tracked back to help her team defend.

For Chalupny, it was just another day at the office, one in which she just happened to score the winning goal that took the U.S. out of Group B in first place.

“The goal yesterday, being my first World Cup goal, was an amazing feeling and I’m glad that I was able to help the team win,” said Chalupny.
Chalupny was the obvious choice for Player of the Match, but was overlooked in favor of Nigeria’s Perpetua Nkwocha, in what could only be a consolation prize for going home without a win.

Chalupny’s University of North Carolina and U-19 teammate, Heather O’Reilly also impressed with her speed and work rate. She ran down seemingly impossible to retrieve balls to the end line and cut them back to create nice scoring chances for her teammates, and was an active participant in team defense.

“I just think that I’m not the biggest player. I’m not the most tactically aware player, but work ethic is something that you can always bring. That’s just been part of my upbringing, and playing at University of North Carolina, its just ingrained is us that you can have the worst day technically, but as along as you leave it on the field and use your work ethic you can walk away feeling good about yourself,” O’Reilly explained when asked about her work rate and competitive fire.

Chalupny agreed.

“Not only at UNC, but also on the youth teams, the U-19 team, it’s just kind of been an attitude and a mindset that we’ve grown up with. That’s something that I look forward to in the games; running around and playing defense,” she said.

Chalupny, O’Reilly and the U.S. team escaped group play with no suspensions or major injuries. They’ve been getting better every match, but haven’t quite hit their stride yet. They take on England in a quarterfinal on Saturday, which promises to be an exciting match – especially for the Fair Game US and Fair Game UK crew who will be watching together in Tianjin. The trash talk has already begun!

Photo by Robyn McNeil