I just saw Hope Solo and Lisa Chalupny, in a tentative moment, make the first big mistake as both were unable to thwart Leni Larsen Kaurin’s header in the opening minutes.
A few minutes later, veteran Kate Markgraf could only look on as her under pressure backpass found a hustling Melissa Wiik latch onto the astray pass and lash the ball past a hapless Solo into the right hand corner of the net. Two down in the first five minutes. Could the US Women’s team mount a stirring comeback against Norway? After all Norway has proven to be the team to beat after their sudden death victory over the US in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The US has claimed a number of victories since then but this is a US team minus its most potent offensive weapon, Abby Wambach.
It was not to be as the Norwegians sturdy as wood shut the US team down. NBC’s crack reporting team was left chastened and questioning on camera. The US hopes to rebound against Japan.