The pit that settled in my stomach after Norway's goal in the second minute of Wednesday's clash dissipated in the opening moments of the USWNT's contest with Japan this morning. The U.S. came out fired up, yet composed, pinging the ball around the field nicely and putting Japan immediately on their heels. This was a team I recognized, unlike the one that took the field on Wednesday.

The midfield looked much stronger today and the team did a good job of getting the ball out wide to Heather O'Reilly and Lindsay Tarpley. It was another strong outing for O'Reilly, who was singled out for kudos, along with first time Olympic starter Amy Rodriguez, by coach Pia Sundhage.

"I am very happy about our performance today against a very technical, talented Japan team," said Sundhage. "Besides a great goal by Carli Lloyd, I am very happy about our tactics with a fast player up top, Amy Rodriguez, and the way Heather O'Reilly played on the right side. But the bottom line is that the team that won today."

Rodriguez will need to do a better job of finishing her chances going forward, but her combination of speed and savvy made for an overall impressive performance up top and I expect we will see more of her as a starter.

The match's only goal was a nice team effort. Tarpley won the ball and played Stephanie Lopez in. Lopez did well to run the ball down at the end line and get the cross off. For a split second it appeared that her effort was wasted as the ball sailed just over the head of Rodriguez. It skipped to the top of the box where Carli Lloyd cracked her half volley into the back of the net.

“It happened so quickly. It kind of came off of a cross, " said Lloyd. "Amy Rodriguez tried to go for it and it came over her head and my eyes lit up. I was at the top of the box and just made sure I hit a nice smooth stroke.”

The team defended well and Hope Solo came up with a couple of big saves to preserve the 1-0 result. The backline was active on offense as well. Christie Rampone had a chance early, Heather Mitts had two, and of course, Lopez notched the assist on Lloyd's goal.

It wasn't a perfect outing. There were too many long balls sent directly to Japan, Lopez and Mitts being early perpetrators. And, the U.S. should have finished more of the sweet chances they created. Still, it was a night and day performance from the Norway disaster and a good first step towards peaking during the knock out round.

If I were cutting the highlight video of this match besides the obvious goal, these are some moments I would be sure to include:

• Kate Markgraf pulling off a bicycle kick in an attempt to keep the ball in play on our attacking end.
• Hope Solo tipping Homare Sawa's shot just over the net for an awesome save.
• Heather Mitts' almost goal, well, both of them.
• In about the 80th minute, O'Reilly made a nice run, played a beautiful ball through to Rodriguez who shook off her defender. The shot was wide, but still the sequence is definitely highlight worthy.
• Christie Rampone could have her own highlight reel as she put on a master class in defending in the last 15 minutes of the match - snuffing out attacks, defending corners and generally making good decisions on when to possess and when to just clear it.

In closing I will say after shuffling through the match again to dig out some of my match highlights I'm even more impressed with Rodriguez than I was at first glance.

If the volume level coming from the team bus during my phone interview with Amy Rodriguez very early this morning is any indication, the U.S. Women's National Team has put their loss to Norway behind them. I heard singing, laughing, screaming, all of which sounded incredibly upbeat. Unfortunately, it was so noisy I've had difficulty transcribing my interview with Rodriguez off my recorder. So, here are some very brief highlights from our conversation:

This is Rodriguez's second trip to China. Her first was for the Four Nations Tournament early this year where she scored her first goal. She is hoping that means China is lucky for her. A theory she hopes to test beginning tomorrow against Japan.

She was excited to enter the Norway match and earn her first Olympic cap in spite of the pressure that comes with a two-goal deficit.

"Unfortunately it didn’t turn out how we would have liked but I was happy to be able to get out there and play," she said.

Rodriguez feels like the team has moved on from the loss and is ready for redemption against Japan. She couldn't offer any hints as to any changes we might see in the match tomorrow, as the team hadn't had their pre-match meeting yet, but felt confident they were ready.

"We’re going to come out on fire," she said. "I have a lot of faith in my team and myself and I think we are going to be able to pull through."

The team has been sticking pretty close to the hotel since the games began just relaxing and focusing on the job ahead of them.

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.

Christie Welsh has been so close to being a core member of the U.S. Women’s National Team. She’s been an Olympic alternate and been one of the last handful cut right before a big event more than once. In 2005 she was the team’s leading scorer and seemed a shoo-in for the 2007 World Cup. Then in 2006 without much of an explanation she fell off the radar. She wasn’t with the team again until late April of 2007 and was one of the last three cuts from Greg Ryan’s World Cup roster. She’s been invited in to the February mega-camp and is looking forward to another chance to prove she belongs.

Welsh talked candidly with Fair Game about the ups and downs of her National Team career a few days before heading to California to try and prove herself again.

You gave me a little hint in Baltimore that you had been talking with Pia, and you’ve officially been called into the Feb 1 camp, I guess we can talk about it now.

Basically they are bringing a large group in and there’s two groups and I’m part of the larger group that’s, I guess you could say, battling it out in the first week to try and get to stay for the second. There are 37 people total.

Let’s talk about your career as a whole. You’ve been in and out since 2000 with a lot of ups and downs. Back in 2005, you were on fire, you were the leading scorer and then 2006 you were kind of off the radar again.

I have been doing this since 2000 and it’s been up and down the entire time. Looking at this camp right now, I’m extremely excited to go in. As you get older and after you’ve been in and had the experience, all you want is a chance again. Every time you go in you think, “Alright, this is it.” I thought last spring when I went in was it. I thought, “If I don’t do this now this is it.” And I thought the year before this is it. Every time you go in, you have to make the most of it because you never know when it’s going to be over.

With that, as you go in and you’re let go, all you want is another chance. It’s been up and down. I think back in 2000, I was extremely young and I had no idea what was going on. I think I played well during that time because, my expectations on my self are always high, but the expectations of others was low so you just went out and played. You didn’t worry and you didn’t even know what was going on. You’re like, “Okay, I get to play more soccer. This is fun. The chance to play in the Olympics, wow. Okay.”

And gradually my expectations became more and the expectations of other people on myself definitely increased. I think 2005 was a great year for me. 2006, I went into residency and had a few injuries. I got diagnosed with spondylothesis, which is like slippage of your vertebrae. I got diagnosed with that and I was having major back issues, which I had never really had before. It slowed me down for a bit and I wasn’t able to regroup. In the eyes of Greg (Ryan), I wasn’t able to regroup and get back to where I was supposed to be. At the end of that year, he released me from contract.

In 2007 I knew that I was basically going to have one chance and that was it. At the beginning of 2007, I had been in touch with Greg all the time saying, “Bring me in. Bring me in. Bring me in.” I went in and I think I played the best that I’ve ever played and basically at the end of it, I was told, “Well it’s too late. You did a great job but I’m pretty solid with what I have.”

I wondered at the time, because it was so late and you hadn’t been in for a while, if you were getting a legitimate shot or if he was strictly brining you in to help prepare the team.

I didn’t know either. He constantly reminded me, “You had a great Algarve Cup in 2005 when I was trying to get the job. You performed great. I know what you are capable of. I need you to play like that.”

That’s all I kept hearing in 2006 as I was kind of slipping off. Sometimes there is kind of a downward spiral with players and coaches. Once you’re not doing well, you kind of fall off the radar and it’s hard to get back on. Especially at that level when there are some great players competing around you. When he moved Tarp (Lindsay Tarpley) up to forward as well, that really hurt me. He made that move at the end of 2006. She was playing great and Natasha Kai coming in, she’s got some qualities that are above and beyond a lot of players. You have to compete.

It just came down to performance. You don’t perform well and you kind of slip off the coach’s radar and it’s hard to get back in there, especially when other people are performing. I don’t think my level dropped that much, I just think that it dropped enough for me to not have that spot. All I thought about last year going into residency again was, “I’ve got to be ready because if I don’t go in there and make a huge impact, it’s not going to matter.” I was pushing as hard as I could to get in early last year but I wasn’t’ asked in until late April. At that point I don’t know if there is much I can do but I just have to work my butt off. I was extremely proud of what I did. It just wasn’t enough.

The difficult thing for me was hearing that last year. Being that close again and knowing I should definitely be there and can be there and proved that I should be there, but it’s too late.

Timing is everything with this game and you see that with players that come in and out. Look at Amy Rodriguez right now. She had a fantastic College Cup and comes in right away with the National Team with Pia being the head coach, there’s a nice transition there. She’s getting a shot that for a long time she hasn’t been able to have. She was in a while ago and she’s always been a great player with fantastic speed and good finishing ability. Maybe this is her time now.

You’ve been an Olympic alternate, one of the last one’s cut right before the big events …

In 2000, technically I was an alternate and 2004, which 2004 I believe was my best in terms of making an impact. In 2000 I’m not sure I was really that close to even be considered an alternate, but in 2004 I should have been on the team if not an alternate. I remember sitting in the meeting with April and I was like, “So that’s it? I’m not even an alternate?” (Laughs.) And that was sort of it.

Having been through the ups and downs, how do you emotionally get yourself up for it when you get the call to come back in?

To be honest, I don’t even have to get myself up for it. I’ve had all this time to sit and stew over everything. When I talk to my mom, she says, “Don’t get your hopes up again.” She takes that approach with me because she’s been on the other end of the phone, so many times when I’ve been bawling my eyes out because my dream has been crushed. She’s got that perspective and I’m thinking, “I’m not going to (excuse my language) half-ass it.” If I’m going in there then I’m going in there 100%.

As soon as I found out that Pia was the coach, I tried to get in touch with her to let her know that I’ve been there and know what it takes. I know the players and I know what I can bring. If nothing else, I can go in there and make players better. I don’t know if that’s what Greg brought me in for last year, but he didn’t communicate that to me. I don’t think many coaches would. The big thing is, as you get to this age and you’re older and you’ve been in, all you want is the honesty. If I’m going to be that role player, please tell me.

I’ve had this time to look at my career and look at everything and we’ve been waiting for this league to start up again. I just want to play. Right now all I’m thinking in my head is how excited I am to be able to go out to LA for one, maybe two weeks, if I get to stay and just play soccer and just worry about that. In all this time in between I’ve had to figure out how to pay health insurance every month and how I’m going to pay rent.

What have you been doing to pay health insurance and rent?

Before last summer I was in constant communication with Greg trying to figure out the best way to get myself ready to go into camp. I spent the beginning of last year and my own money and took myself out to Athletes Performance, which basically runs out of the Home Depot Center. I went out there for about 3 and half weeks in January and February of last year. Then I went to Penn State and trained there. I needed to get in an atmosphere where I could be playing so I moved down to DC in the very first week of April last year and just started training down here with the Freedom and the players that were around. I got myself ready and then I went into residency and then came back and played the rest of the summer with the Freedom.

I actually got a job with National Geographic. I’ve been working with them since late August.

That sounds cool. I seem to recall that you are into nature photography.

I am and it is like my dream job to be a photographer for National Geographic, but right now I’m working in the television department with a show called Wild Chronicles, which is a show that airs on PBS. It’s fantastic. I love it. One of the producers there has a daughter that plays at UVA right now so she completely understands all my soccer goals and where I want to go and how I’m training for the league. They’ve been great. I work by the hour and then I go train. I coach as well. I have a little U-10 team that I coach.

The US took the match 4-0. Amy Rodriguez made the most of her first cap in two years tallying two. Lindsay Tarpley subbed in for Carli Llolyd about halfway into the second half and got the other two. At least I think they'll give her credit for the fourth goal which looked to be a deflection off an Amy Rodriguez strike. My eyes aren't what they used to be and I was watching on a teeny screen so best check the official U.S. Soccer report when it is posted.

And I'm back to work.

* Photo - Amy Rodriguez rumbles with Martina Franko for the ball. Brad J. Smith ISIPhotos. com

The Miss Congeniality Award

Amy Rodriguez, USC. We know she can play. She was the Offensive MVP, but this kid also has a ton of personality. If Nike/Madison Avenue is still looking for the next “face of women’s soccer”, they should give Rodriguez a call.

Unsung Heroes Award

The entire USC backline. Janessa Currier and Kasey Johnson made the All Tournament Team, but we would like to give a shout out to the entire backline including Stacey Strong and Karter Haug. You guys were awesome!

The Sounds Exactly Like 80’s Actor Judd Nelson Award

USC Head Coach Ali Khosroshahin. If I closed my eyes, I was back in college. It was The Breakfast Club all over again.

The Sore Loser Award

The UCLA players who ditched their post-match press conference. I know it was a tough loss, but the deal is you do the press conference, win or lose.

The Add Immediately to Pia Sundhage’s Speed Dial Award

USC goalkeeper, Kristin Olsen. Olsen was the rock star of the tournament. Her name was buzzing in the press box, throughout the stadium and all of College Station. She also happens to be a nice, humble kid.

The Put the Butts in the Seats Award

Texas A&M hosted a record breaking crowd of 8,255 despite the closest participating school being 800 miles away.

The Gives Best Press Conference Award

Florida State Head Coach, Mark Krikorian. Mark is gracious, candid and funny.

The Crazy Fan Award

Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Florida State. Two track and field athletes drove from Tallahassee to cheer on the ‘Noles in spandex body suits (yikes!) and garnet wigs.

The Best Goal Award

Lauren Cheney’s semi-final strike. Wow!

The Atta Boy Award

The NCCA staff. We will always gripe about the seedings and who has to travel where, but the NCAA knows how to host a National Championship. It was fun, it was festive and it was well organized. Well done.

Photos by Andy Mead/YCJ

UCLA was supposed win the National Championship this year. They have the talent all over the field. Most schools would be happy to build a women's soccer program around a Christina DiMartino, a Lauren Cheney, a Danesha Adams or a Kara Lang. UCLA has them all.

They beat Portland in the quarters in a game that many observers, myself included, thought should have been contested for the championship.

And it’s not like they didn’t come to play. UCLA looked to be the superior team for much of the match. They put on some outrageous displays of skill like Christina DiMartino toying with a handful of USC defenders before drilling a shot on goal from point blank range.

But Kristin Olsen, USC’s sophomore keeper came up with it. And she kept coming up with whatever UCLA threw at her. UCLA out shot USC 19-8 but only managed to get one by Olsen, powered in with a remarkable display of skill and sheer force of will by Lauren Cheney in the 38th minute.

UCLA rode that one goal well into the second half. Olsen kept USC in the match recording eight total saves, of which more than one were downright spectacular.

USC didn’t have much going offensively and I was ready to chalk the match up to a UCLA win and then Amy Rodriguez took over for USC, scoring two goals in a six-minute span to lead the Trojans to the final.

The Bruins were understandably devastated at the loss. A visibly shaken, UCLA coach, Jill Ellis, gave a short press conference while her players suffered through a post-match fireworks display before mourning with their family and friends for a season that wasn’t supposed to end this way.

The Women of Troy were a bit more subdued than you might expect for a team that had just earned the right to play in their first National Championship. Coach Ali Khosroshahin indicated that his team wouldn’t be celebrating until they won the final. “We’ve still got work to do,” he said.

The Trojans will take on the Florida State Seminoles in the final of the 2007 NCAA Women’s College Cup on Sunday at 1pm. The match will be broadcast live of ESPN2.

*Photo by Andy Mead, Yellow Card Journalism