The U.S Woman’s soccer squad has collected the last four Olympic gold medals and as World Cup Champions, are the heavy favorites to win in the Rio Olympics. The woman’s squad blanked New Zealand on Wednesday by a score of 2-0 and will start at the top of the standings of their group.
Carli Lloyd continued her dominance as the World’s best player by putting the United States into the lead after only the ninth minute. The Jill Ellis squad hacked into the New Zealand offensive and prevented them from ever breaking their backline.
Goalkeeper Hope Solo remained quiet most of the afternoon. Solo was booed by the Brazilian crowd in response to her criticism of the Zika virus on social media. Solo has been outspoken over her concerns of the virus since before the U.S squad made the trip down to Brazil. The entire Zika epidemic has caused many renowned world athletes to withdraw their admission into the 2016 Olympics.
Alex Morgan capped off the scoring from an assist by Tobin Heath early in the second half to give the U.S a secure 2-0 lead. New Zealand struggled to carry any momentum against the World Champions.
“We came out with a lot of energy and a lot of determination,” Heath said after the win. “I think in that regards we put our best foot forward and got that goal and I think that helped propel us throughout the game.”
The U.S woman’s team can make history by becoming the first squad to win the Olympics following a World Cup victory. This follows key retirements from veterans Abby Wambach and Lauren Holiday.
The opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics will commence on Friday, August 5th.
