Final, 2-2: The referee blows the final whistle. USA-Colombia ends in a draw.
USA concludes the preliminary round with a hiccup, as Solo’s errors gifted Colombia a point in Manaus. Usme’s first-half goal slipped through the hands and between the legs of the U.S. goalkeeper. Usme beat Solo on the second goal with power and placement. Colombia finally earns a result against Team USA.
Scoreline aside, Team USA dominated the proceedings, creating a host of chances but finishing just two. Dunn and Pugh showed why the future is so bright for U.S. women’s soccer, while their teammates offered control and service from all parts of the field.
Nevertheless, errors at the back and wastefulness up front cost Team USA two points. The quest for Olympic gold continues.
That’s all for now, and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion coming up on NESN.com/soccer.
Postgame analysis of USA-Colombia >>
90th minute, 2-2: Usme scores again with a long-range free kick from an impossible angle.
It’s another mistake by Solo. She came off her line to punch Usme’s shot away but missed it entirely.
90th minute, 2-2: There will be three minutes of stoppage time in the second half.
88th minute, 2-1 USA: The referee shows Natalia Gaitan a yellow card for a foul on Dunn.
The U.S. has done well to kill off the game, hoarding possession and enticing Colombia out of its defensive shell. Colombia has been reluctant to attack, even while trailing, so goal-scoring chances have been few and far between.
86th minute, 2-1 USA: The referee shows Krieger a yellow card for time wasting.
80th minute, 2-1 USA: Colombia makes its final substitution. Midfielder Tatiana Ariza exits. Forward Ingrid Vidal enters.
77th minute, 2-1 USA: Usme tests Solo with a direct free kick again. This time, she hits the crossbar from about 40 yards out.
76th minute, 2-1 USA: The game has been largely bogged down in the midfield for the last 15 minutes.
72nd minute, 2-1 USA: The referee shows Liana Salazar a yellow card for a foul on Long, followed by a kick to the U.S. midfielder’s face.
Salazar will miss the quarterfinal due to suspension if Colombia advances. There’s little chance of that happening.
72nd minute, 2-1 USA: Colombia is running out of time, and apparently energy, for a tying goal. All that defending seems to have taken its toll. That and the 90-degree heat in Manaus.
65th minute, 2-1 USA: Allie Long replaces Brian in Team USA’s final substitution.
62nd minute, 2-1 USA: Colombia makes another substitution. Diana Ospina enters. Lady Andrade exits.
61st minute, 2-1 USA: Pugh leads a devastating counter-attack, which would have ended in a goal but she was offside when Press returned her pass.
59th minute, 2-1 USA: Pugh gives the U.S. a lead after nearly an hour of play.
The substitute winger collected a cross inside Colombia’s penalty area, dribbled around a defender and shot past a bunch more for her first Olympic goal.
58th minute, 1-1: USA remains dominant in possession and territory, but its control of the game and numerous scoring chances haven’t translated into goals (plural).
53rd minute, 1-1: Press finds Morgan with a long pass. Morgan controls the ball but shoots over the goal in Team USA’s latest goal-scoring opportunity.
51st minute, 1-1: Sepulveda saves Horan’s curling shot over the bar. It’s a corner kick for the U.S.
46th minute, 1-1: The second half is under way.
The U.S. replaced Lloyd with Alex Morgan during the interval.
Colombia also made a substitution at halftime. Defender Orianica Velasquez exits. Isabella Echeverri enters.
Halftime, 1-1: That’s the end of the first half. The score is tied.
Solo’s error positioned Colombia for a historic upset, but Dunn restored parity after 15 minutes of hand-wringing among USA supporters. The U.S. dominated play and created a host of chances, missing all but one. Colombia converted its one chance amid a generally dismal first half. Soccer’s like that some times.
45th minute +2, 1-1: Press lines up a shot from 15 yards, but a defender deflects it out for a corner kick.
45th minute, 1-1: Dunn rifles a shot on goal from 25 yards, but it flies straight to Sepulveda.
45th minute, 1-1: Horan heads a corner kick over the Colombia goal.
41st minute, 1-1: Dunn levels the score, poking the ball home through a sea of Colombia defenders.
Lloyd forced Sepulveda to make a save at the near post. The rebound ricocheted off the crossbar and fell kindly for Dunn.
Dunn has emerged as a key attacker for Team USA in 2016.
39th minute, 1-0 Colombia: Engen hits a long pass to Press, who takes a heavy touch and tries to shoot. Sepulveda shows great awareness, races off her line and blocks Press’ effort.
37th minute, 1-0 Colombia: Dunn’s header bounces wide of Colombia’s goal, as Team USA presses for a tying goal.
33rd minute, 1-0 Colombia: Mallory Pugh replaces Rapinoe, as Team USA makes its first substitution early on.
NBC Sports announcers describe the change as a “scheduled substitution.”
30th minute, 1-0 Colombia: Sepulveda seems to have suffered an injury while making a save on Rapinoe’s shot.
26th minute, 1-0 Colombia: Catalina Usme’s free kick slips through Solo’s legs. It’s a terrible error by the U.S. goalkeeper. Colombia has a shock lead.
It’s Colombia’s first goal in Olympic history (two tournaments).
Team USA finds itself in unfamiliar terrirotry
25th minute, 0-0: U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo has finally touched the ball, and the fans shower her with boos and cries of “Zika” … as expected.
20th minute, 0-0: Brian dribbles into Colombia’s penalty area and tries to flick a shot over Sepulveda, but the Colombia goalkeeper saves it out for a corner kick.
By our count, that’s six scoring chances Team USA has created in the first 20 minutes.
16th minute, 0-0: Rapinoe narrowly misses Press with a cross into Colombia’s goal mouth. The ball skips to goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda, who initially bobbles it before falling on it. Lloyd was lurking in the area.
13th minute, 0-0: Press shoots high after USA creates another scoring chance from a corner kick.
Ninth minute, 0-0: Rapinoe curls a free kick over the crossbar. She appears to be on set-piece duty in her first game since last October.
Seventh minute, 0-0: The U.S. has dominated both territory and possession in the opening phase of the game. If this keeps up, Team USA is bound to score early and often.
Third minute, 0-0: Team USA threatens again, as Press slides a pass onto Lindsey Horan’s run.
Colombia blocks the entry, but it’s another dangerous moment for Team USA.
Third minute, 0-0: Lloyd hits the crossbar with a header, following a well-worked short corner kick.
Rapinoe delivered her cross into Colombia’s goal-mouth.
Kickoff: USA-Colombia is under way.
The temperature in Manaus is 91 degrees, per NBC Sports.
Pregame: USA head coach Jill Ellis makes a few changes for the Group G rubber match.
Megan Rapinoe returns to the field, having overcome a torn ACL and eight months of recovery. How rusty will the dynamic winger be?
Christen Press joins Rapinoe among new faces in Team USA’s starting lineup. They’ll partner with Chrystal Dunn in a three-pronged attack.
Ali Krieger comes on for Meghan Klingenberg. Krieger will play right back, and Kelly O’Hara moves to left back. Krieger, 32, ends her long wait to start an Olympic game. She missed the 2012 tournament because of a torn ACL. She came off the bench against France in these Olympics.
Whitney Egan retains her place in central defense. The Boston Breakers star made her first Olympic start Saturday in the win over France. Julie Johnston still is nursing a groin injury.
Watch Carli Lloyd. The U.S. midfielder has scored in 27 of her last 28 games and is hot on Abby Wambach’s heels for Team USA’s Olympic record.
5:45 p.m.: Here are the starting lineups:
United States
Colombia
5:30 p.m. ET: The United States women’s national soccer team’s quest for Olympic gold winds through the jungle for a meeting with Colombia.
Team USA and Colombia face off Tuesday at Amazonia Arena in Manaus, Brazil, in the third and final game of the preliminary round. The U.S. already has qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s soccer tournament at the 2016 Olympic games, thanks to wins over New Zealand and France. USA can claim the top spot in Group G with a win or a draw against Colombia.
The teams are familiar with one another, having met at each of the last four major international championships. USA downed Colombia at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011 and 2015 and also topped Las Cafeteras at the 2012 Olympics. Add USA’s 7-0 win on April 6 in an exhibition game to the mix of recent results, and only one team can consider itself the favorite in this contest.
Join us right here for all the action from Manaus, Brazil.
Thumbnail photo via Gary Rohman/MLS/USA TODAY Sports Images
