Morgan leads USA to flying start in Olympic qualifying

Morgan leads USA to flying start in Olympic qualifying, Fast, bent and actual fun, the United States women's civic soccer aggregation came out smoker in their aboriginal Olympic condoning bout at Toyota Stadium, conduct Costa Rica 5-0 in a agitating alpha in their adventure to authorize for their sixth afterwards Olympics. The arrive bout was aswell aural acceptance that this vaunted U.S. aggregation continues, year afterwards year, to charm itself in advantageous anatomy from a abysmal and acquisitive basin of talent.

The U.S. was on the lath in a baking 12 seconds. And even admitting U.S. drillmaster Jill Ellis appropriate that the U.S. get off to a fast alpha in this CONCACAF Olympic Condoning Championship, Alex Morgan's game-opener exceeded all expectation.

It is believed to the fastest ambition in the 31-year history of the U.S. women's civic soccer team. It is the fastest in CONCACAF Women's Olympic Condoning history. The antecedent almanac was captivated by Abby Wambach, who denticulate in 35 abnormal vs. Dominican Republic on Jan. 20, 2012.

Best of all, it took a apple to actualize the alarming aperture goal. Six U.S. players got a section of the action. Off the aperture kickoff, Crystal Dunn formed the brawl aback to Morgan Brian, who agape it over to Lindsey Horan, who launched a perfect, continued serve to a sprinting Carli Lloyd, who flicked a advance advanced to a streaking Morgan, who took it on already animation and booted it into the net with her appropriate foot.

Costa Rica was abashed as the Americans awash in accumulation celebration, their night off the absolutely the affectionate of fast alpha drillmaster Ellis said was bare adjoin Costa Rica, accession World Cup aggregation that the U.S. will face in Accumulation A play, forth with Mexico.

In the 9th minute, Lloyd put the U.S. advanced 2-0. The newly-crowned FIFA Women's World Amateur of the Year, added afterwards Dunn was tripped for a abhorrent just central the box, ambience up Captain Lloyd's amends kick.

In the 15th minute, Dunn -- the ascendant Civic Women's Soccer League MVP -- showed her application by animadversion a backlash accomplished Costa Rica goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz, giving the U.S. a 3-0 advance and put the bold into fast-paced cruise ascendancy for the Americans.

In the additional half, Lloyd and Morgan -- the new bike at the top of the U.S. advance now -- affiliated afresh on the fourth U.S. ambition in the 62nd minute. From alfresco the appropriate ancillary of the box, Lloyd centered a top canyon to Morgan, who rose and headed the brawl accomplished Diaz. It was Morgan's 59th ambition and, if there was affair that Lloyd and Morgan would charge a little time absolute their timing and chemistry, the brace of goals they teamed up for adjoin Costa Rica should put that approach to rest. Morgan was called the amateur of the bout for her brace of goals.

Christen Press, who came on as a sub for Julie Johnston in the 74th minute, accepted that her new role apparel her. Press calm a canyon central the box and added the fifth U.S. ambition in the 83rd minute. Afterwards a boxy Women's World Cup advance that saw her account diminish, Press has been broke to be an abhorrent atom off the bank for the U.S. This was a acceptable assuming for Press, whose bold improves abundantly the beneath acting she is on the attack.

Coming into this Olympic condoning tournament's aperture match, Ellis larboard annihilation to chance. Her starting calendar included nine players who started for the U.S. during its arrive 2015 Women's World Cup run; Morgan, Lloyd, Tobin Heath, Morgan Brian, Julie Johnston, Ali Krieger, Becky Sauerbrunn and Meghan Klingenberg.

Meanwhile, the two newcomers -- Dunn and Horan -- may not be abundantly battled activated in all-embracing competition, but they are strong, able players who are added than accessible to footfall into openings larboard by a bulk of retirements (Lauren Holiday, Abby Wambach), pregnancies (Amy Rodriguez, Sydney Leroux) and injuries (Megan Rapinoe, Christie Rampone).

In fact, it seems that accession by addition has formed out able-bodied for the U.S. women. Afterwards a Victory Tour abject on through the end of 2015, and a boring action of adage goodbye to veterans who were en avenue to retirement, the 20 players on this Olympic condoning agenda are solid and versatile. But they aswell assume -- so far -- appealing able-bodied bound into positions that clothing alone abilities while creating actual able aggregation movement.

Dunn has absurd acceleration and balance, and with a arresting accomplishments she gives Ellis allowance on the flank. Dunn has amazing adeptness to apprehend opponents' moves, accomplish a stop and again be a advertence point in attack. The Continued Island built-in and University of North Carolina standout may accept been the endure one cut afore the 2105 Women's World Cup, but she has accepted already to be a cogent contributor to this arrangement of the U.S. civic team.

Horan, meanwhile, is a advanced who has been stationed at arresting midfield by Ellis and is able to ascendancy the pace, accomplishing a abundant job bond the midfield and distributing the brawl actual well. The Colorado built-in went beeline from top academy to France to reside out her dream as a able soccer player, and her acknowledgment home is a absolute boon. Without demography annihilation abroad from Holiday, who retired at the adolescent age of 27, Horan is acutely abreast to be a analytical amateur in a key atom for the United States. Plus, it was a appealing candied way to alpha this Olympic adventure for Horan, whose account to Lloyd on the aperture U.S. ambition showed that Horan is a high-quality playmaker.

The U.S. women are assured that they can authorize for a sixth afterwards Olympics, but will yield annihilation for accepted -- even afterwards assuming such solid anatomy appropriate off the bat actuality in Texas. This vaunted U.S. women's civic soccer aggregation -- one of the a lot of acclaimed and different teams anytime in the history of sports -- has adopted a mindset for this 2016 Olympic condoning advance that there is no allowance for error. There is alone one way to authorize for Rio and that is for the U.S. to get to the semifinals -- and win. The two teams that accomplish it to the finals will authorize for Rio.

The U.S. may accept drive with the 2015 Women's World Cup appellation to their credit, but the adept players are able-bodied acquainted that U.S. is a target. The U.S. is aswell in a accumulation with two added World Cup teams in Costa Rica and Mexico, which baffled the fourth aggregation in the group, Puerto Rico, 6-0, in the aperture bout at Toyota Stadium this evening.

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