EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Abby Wambach scored for the 23rd time this year, but the U.S. had to settle for a 2-2 tie with Germany on Tuesday, the teams’ second draw in four days. EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Abby Wambach
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Abby Wambach scored for the 23rd time this year, but the U.S. had to settle for a 2-2 tie with Germany on Tuesday, the teams’ second draw in four days.
Dzenifer Marozsan scored twice for the Germans, including the equalizer in the 85th minute.
Tobin Heath gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead in the 67th minute on an assist from Alex Morgan, who had two in the match. Goaltender Hope Solo made six saves for the Americans, who are on a celebration tour after their Olympic victory.
The Germans had ended a 14-match winning streak for the Americans with a 1-1 draw in Chicago on Saturday. The U.S. never trailed on Tuesday night, but never seemed in control either. Germany outshot the U.S. 16-8.
They tied the match when Marozsan took a pass from Linda Bresonik, dribbled into the penalty area and beat Solo to the left for the equalizer.
The teams played in a steady rain Tuesday and remained scoreless into the 44th minute. That’s when Megan Rapinoe made a run down the left sideline and found Morgan who put a beautiful crossing pass into the box. Germany’s Annike Krahn got a foot on the ball, but not enough to redirect the pass and Wambach was waiting to head it into the goal.
Marozsan came into the game in the second half and quickly evened things up. U.S. captain Christie Rampone slipped at midfield, giving Marozsan a clear run down the center of the field, where she ran onto Solo and put it past her in the 48th minute.
Wambach had a chance to break the tie in the 59th minute when German defender Luisa Wensing slipped down, but her attempt to lob the ball over the charging goaltender didn’t get high enough and Nadine Angerer came down with the save.
Solo made two great saves in the 65th and 66th minutes on shots from Anja Mittag and Marozsan. The second led to an American attack that ended when Morgan made a beautiful sliding pass from the goal line back in front where Wambach whiffed on a shot, but Heath was waiting behind her and put the ball into the net.
Solo made another save in the 72nd minute on a shot from Marozsan from nearly point-blank range.
The U.S. dodged an early bullet less than 3 minutes into the match when Kelley O’Hara was called for a foul just outside the 18-yard box, but Alexandra Popp’s free kick from straight on sailed over the goal.
It was the second game the United States has played since former coach Pia Sundhage left the team she led to the gold medal at the London Olympics.
The Americans came into the contest 17-4-5 against the Germans, the only other team to win two World Cups or be ranked No. 1. The Americans, who haven’t lost since a 1-0 setback to Japan on March 5, are 6-0-3 in matches involving the world’s top two teams.
“For us, this isn’t necessarily about the result on the field,” Wambach said. “This is about sharing the gold medal, sharing this team with all the people in the stands.”
Sundhage stepped down in September after five years as coach and is now coaching her native Sweden’s national team.
