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What Happened
The USA's dominance and attacking onslaught was rewarded in the quarter final as they secured a 1-0 victory over China.
The United States put a lot of pressure on China very early on in the match and you could see that China were holding on for dear life. Captain Carli Lloyd with an early play to Amy Rodriguez saw her find space and sprint past all of China's defenders only to provide one of the worst finishes at the World Cup as she shot the ball into the galaxy.
Despite not being able to convert, the USA’s attacking onslaught continued for the remainder of the first half with China alive but barely breathing at the break.
It took a painfully long time for the USA to finally convert one of their chances as surprise packet of the tournament Julie Johnston put into a fantastic long ball for Lloyd to head the ball perfectly into the back of the net.
That’s how it finished. 1-0 to the USA. A strong performance but with more wasted chances than you poke a stick at.
Stand out performers
Captain and player of the match Christie Lloyd was superb making some great plays to give her side the opportunity to score goals. It is a real shame she didn't get an assist from this match.
Huge credit must also be given to centre-back Julie Johnston who flew under the radar at this World Cup until this match. China were simply not a threat because of her fantastic effort in defence tonight.
Talking Points
The amount of blood on the players after reckless tackles. Both sides continued to play proving how strong and determined they were in trying to get to the next stage of the World Cup.
Needs Work
The USA needs to begin capitalising on their opportunities. Creating chances is not their problem, it's executing these chances which is. A 1-0 defeat of China should have really been the minimum score between the two sides and not converting will cause major problems in their next match in the semi-final. Considering the quality of the German side they will take on in the semi-final, this aspect needs to be improved or their current wait for the World Cup trophy will extend to 20 years.
What Next
The USA will be taking on Germany in the semi-final of the World Cup.
Goal of the Match
The goal of the match was the only goal from the match. Centre-back Julie Johnson executed the perfect long ball for Christie Lloyd to head it into the back of the net.
Miss of the Match
The miss of the match comes from Amy Rodriguez' shot early on in the match which should have been easily converted but her shot went far and wide. This miss will haunt Rodriguez tonight and will be included in every highlights reel for the worst misses of the tournament.