Despite taking an early two-goal lead, the U.S. Women’s National Team lost 3-2 to Marta and Brazil in the USA’s second match of the 2014 International Tournament of Brasilia. Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe scored early goals for the USA in an action packed game, but Brazilian ace Marta replied with a hat trick for the hosts.
Brazil sits atop the tournament table with six points, followed by China PR – which beat Argentina 6-0 earlier in the day – with four. The USA is third with one point and faces last-place Argentina on Wednesday on the final day of round-robin play. The top two teams at the end of group play will meet for the championship while the third- and fourth-place teams will meet for third place. Both placement games will be on Dec. 21. The USA can still reach the championship match, but it must hope that China loses to Brazil and then make up the gap in goal difference; China is currently at +6 while the USA is at -1.
In sharp contrast to the USA’s opening game against China, the match between the USA and Brazil was a wide open, flowing affair that featured end-to-end attacking throughout the game. Both teams carved out chances that had the crowd at Mané Garrincha Stadium regularly rising to its feet. The Americans had the better of the scoring chances, but Brazil had Marta, who made her three shots on goal count.
The USA was unlucky to twice hit the woodwork on shots by Rapinoe and second-half sub Christen Press in the final minutes of each half, and were also thwarted on multiple occasions during the second stanza by Brazil goalkeeper Luciana, whose performance was outshone only by that of Marta.
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