Guangzhou, China (My Sportsbook) - Goalkeeper Hope Solo returned to the United States women's team on Wednesday and helped the club record a 4-0 win over Canada in the squad's opening match at the Four Nations Tournament in China. Amy Rodriguez made quite a splash in her international debut, scoring two goals, while Lindsay Tarpley also bagged a pair as the United States scored all four goals in the second half. Solo was making her first appearance with the U.S. since the 2007 World Cup, where she heavily criticized the decision of former head coach Greg Ryan to sit her for the team's semifinal contest with Brazil in favor of Briana Scurry. She played the entire 90 minutes in goal and faced only two shots as she went largely untested in recording the clean sheet. The Americans dominated the opening half of play but failed to crack the scoreboard. However, Rodriguez got the scoring started in the 51st minute when she scored from close range. She then converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute and Tarpley padded the lead with goals in the 71st and 78th. China beat Finland 2-0 in the other match on Wednesday in the tournament, which continues on Friday with the United States meeting Finland and Canada taking on China.
|