This is it! Preparations for the Rio Olympics have been well underway, with the US women’s national team already (hopefully) primed for gold. Before that, they’ll have to dust off the cobwebs for match practice against Costa Rica on July 22 at 9pm EST. Click here to watch the live stream.
After their 2015 World Cup success, the USWNT will be hoping to continue their incredible success and earn gold at the summer games. With the exception of the recently retired Abby Wambach, the core spine of the team is still in place. So, the likes of Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn will all be on hand to provide stability.
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Between the sticks, the US also still boast veteran goalkeeper Hope Solo, who is still regarded as the best around today. It’ll be hard work for the Costa Ricans in getting the ball passed her. She will be desperate to keep a clean sheet in this one.
As it’s a friendly, expect Jill Ellis to ring the changes and use her players sparingly. After all, she doesn’t want any of her squad getting any nasty injuries before the Olympics. It’s not worth the risk! This is all about just getting match-fit, they don’t need to be over-played.
This should be a relatively straight-forward game for the US in their last game before their Olympic send-off. They are unbeaten in 2016, with 13 wins and 1 tie, so it’ll be a tough ask imagining Costa Rica getting anything from this one.
HollywoodLifers, do you think anyone can stop the USWNT? Will they be too strong for Costa Rica in this soccer friendly? More importantly, can the girls deliver a gold medal in Rio? Tell us below!