Over coming massive injuries that cost them the likes of our girl Leslie Osborne, Cat Whitehill and Abby Wambach just weeks and sometimes day before they left for Beijing AND putting their heads down and getting on with it after losing their opening match…

This United States Women’s team deserves more than a Gold Medal today because they stuck together as a team.  A team that was sometimes over matched and sometimes out played.  A team that when facing adversity, they stood as not just the 11 on the field, but as a team with the support of the player’s on the bench, medical staff, coordination staff and most importantly the coaching staff who made great decisions throughout the tournament.

Don’t be surprised if that Post-Olympic Tour adds a few more dates in the next couple of days.

image via CarliLloyd.com

US Men vs Guatemala tomorrow night, 10pm EST ESPN2.

US Women vs Brazil Thursday morning, 9am EST USA Network.

Let’s Make It Happen!!!

The U.S. Women’s National Team has announced a three-match tour following the 2008 Olympic Games, hitting stops on the East Coast and Midwest shortly after their return from the 2008 Olympic Games in China.

The Fall Tour gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Philadelphia at 8 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field, and continues on Wed., Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. before the last of these three games being played on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. CT at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

Image via AF

The US Women’s Olympic Team came through against New Zealand and had the Japan v Norway match go their way as well to not only advance but to win the group. In order for the US team to have won their group, they needed to not only beat New Zealand, have Japan beat undefeated Norway, but also to make up a goal differential that saw them at -1 while Norway was at +3. The ladies did their part by getting past New Zealand 4-0, and Japan surpised everyone by dismantling Norway 5-1. By winning their group, it means that the US doesnt have to play Brasil in the quarter finals or Germany in the semis. Instead they face Canada next and most likely China in the semis. How much fun would playing China in the semi finals be! Tough for sure, but memorable. Congrats ladies. On to the quarters…

UPDATE - First days results are on the books.

Norway 2, United States 0

Japan 2, New Zealand 2

Brazil 0, Germany 0

Canada 2, Argentina 1

North Korea 1, Nigeria 0

China 2, Sweden 1

via WNT Blog

Aug. 6 vs. Norway
Venue: Qinhuangdao

Broadcast Start Time
MSNBC (7:30 a.m. ET)
Universal HD (7:30 a.m. ET) - Replay at 8 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET
NBC Olympic Soccer Channel (7:30 a.m. ET)

Referee: Nicole Petignat (SUI)
Asst. Referee: Cristini Cini (ITA)
Asst. Referee: Karine Vives Solana (FRA)

No Wambach, Osborne or Whitehill and the same ref that ejected Shannon Boxx in the 2007 World Cup Semi-Final when the US were down 2-nil to Brazil in Extra Time and Christiane ran into Boxx’s legs.

Video of the Red Card after the jump….

(more…)

A look back at the girls at the Peace Cup in South Korea, dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, Angela Hucles in a fashion show and game highlights.

Seems like they’re having a pretty damn good time playing under Pia.

The US Women have landed in Beijing (without our girl Leslie Osborne, Cat Whitehill and Abby Wambach who will all miss the Olympics due to injury) to prepare for their 2008 Olympic grouping in Qinhuangdao, the venue for the first two matches.

Now it’s training, passport, paperwork, drug testing and everything else that happens behind the scenes before an Olympic Tournament.

Follow the team’s updates on WNT-USSoccer.BlogSpot.

image via WNT-USSoccer

Abby Wambach will miss the Olympics after suffering a broken leg in last night’s 1-0 US win over Brazil in San Diego.

Image via Southern Ledger

Live right now from Commerce City, CO on ESPN.

Image via Pictopia