The player’s aren’t the only ones exhausted after a grueling 2-1-overtime victory for the United States over Canada in their Olympic Quarterfinal. Those of us who saw it through from the 6:00 am kickoff, the weather delay, full time and two overtimes, four plus hours worth in all, deserve at least a nap. That includes U.S. coach, Pia Sundhage.

“I feel like I am a player. I am exhausted and happy,” she said.

The match started on time in a heavy downpour reminiscent of the United State’s World Cup match against Nigeria in the middle of Typhoon Wipha. The match was halted in the 21st minute due to lightening, but not before Angela Hucles got the U.S. on the board in the 12th minute.

The break was fortuitous for the Canadians. The U.S. clearly had them on their heels and were playing some of the best soccer we’ve seen from them all tournament. The 139-minute stoppage killed the American’s momentum and allowed Canada time to regroup after a shaky start.

Canada didn’t waste any time after the match resumed. Christine Sinclair capitalized on a casual U.S. throw in, launching a rocket past an outstretched Hope Solo in the 30th minute.

Canada’s coach, Even Pellerud was forced to make an early sub, replacing goalkeeper Erin McLeod with Karina LeBlanc after McLeod was injured attempting to defend Hucles’ goal. LeBlanc played an outstanding match and kept Canada in it into the first overtime when Natasha Kai connected with a beautiful ball from Shannon Boxx for the game-winning header in the 102nd minute.

In what in hindsight appears to be a brilliant move, Sundhage waited until the beginning of the first overtime to sub Kai in for Amy Rodriguez. A fresh Kai was able to run circles around a clearly gassed Canadian side.

“I thought we did well at forward with A-Rod because of her speed and with Angela Hucles,” explained Sundhage. “We switched Carli Lloyd to a more attacking role in hopes that she would get some more shots. With all due respect for Canada, which is a good team, we were thinking about extra time and that 30 minutes. We got 30 minutes out of Tash so I thought that was good timing.”

The U.S. could have managed the waning minutes better. Instead of settling for possession and killing time, they pressed for a third goal, which made the last few minutes a bit nerve wracking for the fans.

The match marked an outstanding effort by U.S. midfielder Shannon Boxx, who was justly named Sierra Mist Player of the Match. Boxx also happened to be celebrating her 100th cap. Lori Chalupny was dangerous and never gave up on any ball despite taking quite a beating from Kara Lang and company. Christie Rampone and Kate Markgraf held the U.S. backline together well to contain Canada. Really, the match was a great team effort.

The U.S. enters their semi-final with Japan spreading the goals around. Angela Hucles is the leading scorer with two.

“The cool thing about this Olympics so far is that we’ve had so many different goal scorers,” said Heather O’Reilly after the match. “I think that is what’s making us special right now. We’ve had six different goal scorers for seven goals, so that’s a pretty cool stat and that’s what’s making us so unpredictable.”

The U.S. has managed this tournament well, getting better every match, a trend they hope continues through to the gold medal.

* Photo of U.S. goal scorer, Angela Hucles, by Brad Smith/isiphotos.com

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.

FG spoke with U.S. captain, Christie Rampone after the final practice before the U.S. takes on Norway in their opening group match.

Is the team prepared for Norway?

Yeah, we’re ready. We’ve had seven months of preparation and I think everyone’s definitely ready. The last couple days of practice, the energy has been good. We’ve been kind of waiting around and we are ready to go.

Has the team had time to tactically adjust to the loss of Abby?

I think so. The good thing about Pia is that we’ve changed our formation so much throughout the year and players have been playing in different positions. It’s made it easier to adjust.

Emotionally?

It was definitely tough when it happened. Abby was great in the way that she reacted to her injury and not being able to play. That definitely helped the team realize that we can do it. We’ve lost three players this year and each time we’ve bounced back. They’re big losses, three veteran players, but at the same time we have to move on and we have to do the best we can. It is really important with those three gone that everyone has to step up their role, leadership wise and on the field.

Any predications on who is going to step up and fill the gap?

Hopefully, each one of us by the time the tournament is over. We can’t ask for one player to play that role for Abby. I think we all have to be her. We all have to step up and be more vocal and play better. I think you are going to see everybody shine.

This is your first major event as captain. Are you enjoying the role?

I’m excited. It’s been fun. We’ve been here 12 days now and it’s easy with this team. The energy is good and everyone is excited. They’re just ready. I feel like we’re a family right now and everyone is behind each other so it’s making my role easier. I don’t have to do too much, just make sure everyone is in the right frame of mind and they’re focused and just making sure they believe we can do it.

Is it added pressure on you?

I don’t think any added pressure, just making sure everyone is ready and prepared. I have little individual talks with players to make sure they know I believe in them and the team believes in them. That’s the only way you win big tournaments. I’ve shared my experience of when we’ve won and it’s been when we’ve struggled a bit.

Have family and friends started arriving yet?

Tash’s family arrived today and there are lots of people coming in late tonight and tomorrow. We’re all excited for that.

When does Rylie get in?

Rylie comes in tomorrow. She gets into Beijing at 9:00 tonight and I’ll get to see her on game day.

How are the conditions?

I’m glad we came over early because it is definitely hot over here and humid. We’re losing a lot of weight in practice and we’ve got to get it back. We’re realizing how much we have to hydrate here to be prepared for the games. We’ve been losing a lot of weight. It is really hot.

Not being in Beijing and the Olympic Village does it feel like you’re at the Olympics?

Everywhere you go there are Olympic signs. Our hotel is kind of a mini-Olympic village for football. There are eight teams here so you’ve got some of the feel. It’s not quite the same as the Olympic Village but it’s good enough for the start.

How is it different from the World Cup?

For players, you grow up dreaming of being in the Olympics. You watch the sports. You cheer for the United States. The Olympic rings are everywhere so you are reminded every day of why you’re here; you’re playing for your country. That energy has really connected with this team. We understand the stage we’re going to be on and that we’re doing it for our country.

What would you say the mood of the team is right now?

I think excited. Excited and ready. We’re just ready go.

In a few hours, I will be heading to Lisbon to catch a plane home. It has been an incredible week of soccer here in the Algarve and while I am anxious to get home to my family, I am sad to see it end.

It isn't often that you get the opportunity to see a team transform before your eyes and while they still have some work to do, I feel like the team I saw take on Denmark today was a better and different team than I saw against China just last week. They faced tougher opponents as the tournament wore on and while their new, more possession oriented style of play wasn't automatic when the pressure was turned on, they stuck with it and it looked better and more natural with each game.

During the opening minutes against China through the waning minutes of the final, I was struck by the chatter I heard out on the field. The team was communicating at a volume I haven't observed since Julie Foudy left the pitch. Sometimes it was captain Christie Rampone exhorting the troops. Other times it was Kate Markgraf shouting out instruction. Heather O'Reilly was frequently heard calling for the ball. At first I wondered if it was my imagination or if the chatter was more noticeable due to the lack of fan noise on the field, but Rampone confirmed my observation.

"The communication is just really good, better than I think it’s ever been," said Rampone. "It’s definitely something we’ve been working on in training because everyone is responsible out there. We’ve been working on being on the same page and having the same voice instead of making so many different commands and I think everyone is feeling more and more comfortable."

As to Pia Sundhage, other than a quick interview at the College Cup, this was my first real exposure to her. She has an enthusiasm that is contagious and while she is a very savvy coach, in some ways she is just a big kid that loves soccer. She talks a lot about belief, courage and confidence. Her team seems to have bought in and will leave the Algarve with more confidence in what they are doing as they have seen it work.

The team will get a week off when they get home although they have a running program to keep them on track, then they are back together to get ready for Olympic Qualifying.

As for me, they are still pictures to post, videos to edit and thoughts to share (as well as Issue 12 to pull together), but they will have to wait until I get back to Georgia and get a few hours sleep. Thanks for sticking with us during the 2008 Algarve Cup. Look for an update on Friday.

There is good news and bad news from today’s match against Norway. The bad news is that U.S. had a really rough first half. They had difficulty solving Norway’s pressure and had a tough time playing the ball through the midfield.

The good news is that the U.S. had a really rough first half, but stuck to the game plan, found a way to solve the pressure, and came back and spanked Norway 4-0 in the second half.

Yes, they had a little help from Norway’s ‘keeper, Ingrid Hjelmseth, but both goals that were in part the result of ‘keeper error wouldn’t have happened with out some pretty spectacular individual effort. Natasha Kai did well to read Hjelmseth’s casual ball placement and put herself in great position to take advantage.

“The big lift in the second half was Tasha Kai’s goal to start off our scoring streak,” said Heather O’Reilly. “Her energy and read on that play was just phenomenal.”

Amy Rodriguez’s shot was weak and should have easily been handled by Hjelmseth, but a nice ball from Wambach and some equally nice moves from Rodriguez put her in position to take the shot in the first place.

Wambach and O’Reilly’s goals were first class.

Pia Sundhage once again used all six subs (Tarpley, Whitehill, Heath, Rodriguez, Lopez and Osborne) and was pleased with the effort she got off the bench.

“The players coming off the bench, they did a great job and that’s a strength,” said Sundhage. “We will play the bench and that’s a message I want to send.”

This match was a better opportunity for Sundhage and the coaching staff to assess Nicole Barnhart and she looked good. Her performance here should keep her in the mix for the trip to Beijing.

Christie Rampone earned the Sierra Mist Player of the Match for the second game in a row. Rampone had an outstanding World Cup and just seems to be getting better and better.

I think it is pretty safe to assume that Natasha Kai, Amy Rodriguez, and Lauren Cheney are competing for two spots on the Olympic roster. They’ve each gotten a start in this tournament and so far, I can’t say that any one has distinguished herself one way or the other over the other two. We’ll see what happens on Wednesday when the U.S. takes on Denmark.

Today's 2-0 win over Italy wasn't as "pretty" as the 4-0 trouncing of China earlier in the week, but it was more exciting.

It was nice to see the team knocking the ball around so well and it's good for the ego to score a bunch of goals, but when a team rolls over like China did, there's no drama.

Italy didn't roll over, not for a moment. They pressured the U.S. from the opening kickoff to the final whistle and though it wasn't always "pretty", it made for an lively match.

“It was really a battle. The Italian team was definitely inspired and motivated for this game for the whole 90 minutes," said Heather O'Reilly whose second half goal was a beauty. "It’s not like they lost their desire at any point. It was a very intense game, so it was really a battle for us to calm it down, ping it around, and keep possession, and I don’t think we did that quite as much as we would have liked, but we won 2-0, it’s a great win and we’re moving on towards Norway.”

The midfield shined against China, but it was the back line, led by Christie Rampone, that stood out against Italy. They were tested by the Italians, especially number eight, Melania Gabbiadini, who was consistently dangerous. They came out unscathed, but had some help from the Italians who were frequently caught offsides.

“It was a great match for us because it challenges us. We seemed a little stressed at times…but we just have to stay composed," said Rampone. "We’re a good team. We’re good on the ball and we just have to believe that and I think these games test us, which is good going into qualifying because at times like that we have to compose ourselves and settle down.”

It is imperative to the development of this team to be put in uncomfortable situations before they get to the Olympics. It's easy to possess the ball when there is no pressure, but this was an opportunity to test themselves against some consistent pressure. It wasn't perfect, but it was an important step towards being able to handle the heat the next time they face down a Brazil or North Korea.

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.

Christie Rampone has been named captain of the U.S. Women's National Team. Christie has always been a great role model for her teammates, quietly leading by example on and off the field. In recent years, she has worked on finding her voice and becoming a vocal leader as well. Congratulations Christie, may you reign in peace!

The National Soccer Hall of Fame ballots are out and a handful of WNT veterans are up for election into the Hall. Joy Fawcett makes her second appearance on the ballot, having narrowly missed her opportunity to go into the hall last year with Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy. She should be a no-brainer this year. Shannon MacMillan makes her first appearance on the ballot and deserves serious consideration by the voters based on her heroics in the 1996 Olympic gold medal campaign alone. Danielle Fotopolous, also a first timer joins Cindy Parlow and Tisha Venturini-Hoch in rounding out the female candidates. If you have strong opinions about who should get into the Hall this year, shoot an email to any of your favorite soccer writers as they are likely voters.

The NSCAA Convention kicks off in Baltimore on Thursday of this week. It is a huge gathering of our soccer community. The new women's professional soccer league will be making some big announcements from there, including their name so we will finally know what to call them! I will be blogging amidst the mayhem and will do my best to post updates as they are made available.

The Four Nations Tournament begins tomorrow with the U.S. taking on Canada. To date, the only broadcasts I am aware of are on CCTV-5 and they are broadcasting all of China's matches. We should be able to catch U.S. v. China on the January 20th at 2:30 am (ET) in the morning. For some suggested ways to stream the broadcast, check out this Big Soccer thread. Give yourself plenty of time to get it working as it can sometimes be a bit laborious (especially if you don't read Chinese). And, beware of Chinese porn. ;-)

* Photo - New U.S. Captain, Christie Rampone takes time to reach out to some young fans.

For about the first 10 minutes of last nights match against Sweden, I felt like I had stepped right back on the roller coaster ride I had barely survived a few nights before. The Swedes came out firing and the U.S. was forced to defend almost exclusively in the opening minutes. Sweden earned four corners in the first four minutes of the match and five in the first 10.

“We did well (to hold off Sweden during the first few minutes). We held our ground when they came at us and we defended a lot more than we wanted to, but I think that the team stayed together and stayed strong,” said defender Christie Rampone who turned in another first rate performance.

Any doubt I had about Ryan’s choice to start Leslie Osborne as defensive mid over Shannon Boxx evaporated early in the match – about the time she boomed that header halfway up the field. That’s also about the time the match started to settle down for the U.S.

Not too long after, Kate Markgraf played what, according to her, was an uncharacteristically long ball over the Swedish defenders. It bounced over the keeper and into the path of Lori Chalupny who had timed her run perfectly. She was taken down near the goal line and earned a penalty kick, which was made by Abby Wambach.

“I saw (Lori Chalupny) holding a run so I just hit it and I kind of surprised myself with how well I hit it. I hit it how far Cat (Whitehill) hits it, and that’s kind of unusual. I think she inspired me to kick the crap out if it.” said Markgraf.

Boxx subbed in for Carli Lloyd at half time and erased any memory of the less than Boxx-like performance she turned in against North Korea. She took command, cleaning up messes all over the field.

Kristine Lilly and Wambach combined for an insurance goal in the 58th minute. Lilly sent in a beautiful ball to Wambach's chest which she settled and half-volleyed past the dumbstruck ‘keeper. It was a world-class strike

Wambach is having a great tournament Not only has she scored three goals, but she has also thoroughly entertained with fancy footwork, not often seen in a player of her size. She’s not the player she was in 2003. She is much, much more.

The U.S. survived Sweden’s attempt to get back into the match as time started to run down. It was another exciting match, but this one was a little bit easier on my blood pressure.

The U.S. goes into Tuesdays match against Nigeria dead even with North Korea. Both have four points and a two goals for goal differential.

What an awesome match last night! If I was less emotionally invested in the outcome, I'm sure I would have really enjoyed it. As it was, I was a nervous wreck! It was an emotional roller coaster.

After the first half, I was faced with the reality the U.S. could lose. I hadn't previously given that serious consideration and I was concerned that my plane fare to Tianjin was non-refundable. The North Koreans were bringing it and the U.S. didn't look like the best team on the field for the first 45.

I hurriedly shot off an email to my esteemed colleague Jen, who was in Shanghai awaiting the start of the England/Japan match. I included this passage:

Hope looks good especially as I am not sure she has ever been challenged like this. The ball is slippery though. I am nervous!

To which she responded today:

Enjoyed your portentous comment about Hope looking good and being tested and how wet it was.......!!!!!! Whoops!

I'm not English, so I don't exactly know what portentous means, but I'm assuming something like prophetic.

The second half started and while the pace was still frantic, it seemed more even and I was feeling better, especially after the goal. I was still on pins and needles, just hoping that they could hold on.

And then Wambach went down and left the field with blood streaming from her head. I was concerned when they didn't immediately replace her. They were having a difficult time containing North Korea with 11 on the field. How could they do it a man down? They couldn't and after the second goal, I was cursing Greg Ryan and our over-dependence on Wambach. In Ryan's defense, he thought the doctors would be able to get her on the field quicker. And, Wambach certainly contributed in the equalization and remaining minutes, so what do I know?

The last 20 minutes are a blur of ups and downs, big saves and near misses. I think my heart rate returned to normal at about noon today. I have mixed feelings about the result - disappointed at the loss, but grateful for a point in a match that could have easily been lost and thrilled to have been present at such an amazing match.

So, I haven't re-booked my flight from Tianjin to Wuhan. Especially after Sweden's result against Nigeria, everything is even and I'm betting on the U.S. to rebound in a big way and take the group.

Image is from Brad J. Smith (ISIPHOTOS.COM)