The USA gets on the board first thanks to a great bit of teamwork. Tobin Heath made a smart run down the right side and found Alex Morgan with a low cross at the near post. Morgan took the touch, calmly turned and sent the ball across the face of goal where a charging Carli Lloyd headed the ball home. Abby Wambach looked to be Morgan's initial target, but I doubt she'll mind one bit having Lloyd basically take the ball off her foot.
USA Vs. Japan, 2012 Olympics: Carli Lloyd Puts USWNT Ahead 1-0
You really couldn't have asked for a better run of play from the US attack. It's a dream start for the USA and not the way Japan wanted to start this gold medal match. The goal came in the 8th minute and is Carli Lloyd's 39th international goal.
Japan hasn’t looked very fluid early in the match and has failed to put any pressure on the USA defense that had their struggles against Canada. No matter the cause, it’s a much better start for the USWNT compared to their semifinal.
Follow along with our live coverage of the final in our USA Vs. Japan, London 2012 Olympics StoryStream.
See More:
