Wambach scores twice as US tops Sweden 3-0

By foxsports
Published

Abby Wambach scored two goals and Megan Rapinoe added another as the U.S. women's soccer team defeated Sweden 3-0 on Saturday night.

The Americans won the second game of a two-game set with the Swedes, after they tied 1-1 on Tuesday in Omaha, Neb. A crowd of nearly 6,000 was on hand at Rentschler Field.

"We scored three and didn't concede any," said U.S. coach Pia Sunhage, who is 8-0-1 this year and 48-1-4 since taking over the national team in January 2008. "Overall, the performance was really good. Sweden is a good team, but we controlled the game from the very beginning."

The game was delayed in the seventh minute for half an hour due to lightning, and Rapinoe gave the U.S. the lead when she scored in the 33rd minute off a rebound of a shot by Shannon Boxx that had been deflected by Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.

Wambach scored her first goal in the 45th minute on a header off a pinpoint corner kick from Lori Lindsey, and Wambach put the game out of reach when she added her second header of the game in the 72nd by redirecting a cross from Rachel Buehler.

Wambach now has 109 goals for the national team, third all-time to Mia Hamm (158) and Kristine Lilly (130). It was her 27th multi-goal game as a member of the national team.

"We played a better game today," Wambach said. "I think we have great leadership with Pia. She is not going to freak out if we tie games right now. In qualifying and maybe World Cup time, we work out those kinks like we did on Tuesday. I am thrilled with total team performance. "

The U.S. outshot Sweden 18-6 while goalkeeper Hope Solo earned her 50th career shutout.

Lilly, the 39-year-old native of Wilton, Conn., made her international-record 347th appearance for the women's senior national team when she entered the game after halftime. Her first national team appearance was in 1987.

"It's nice to come off the bench and have some fresh legs, energize the team a bit and give them a lift," Lilly said. "I will always fight for a starting job, I will never give up that fight, but whatever my role is and (Sundhage) wants it to be, if it fits, that will work."

The game also marked the return of defender Christine Ramapone to the national team. She came on in the 70th minute after a yearlong break to have her second child.

The U.S. team will be idle until October, when it prepares to qualify for the 2011 World Cup in Germany.