| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
01  |
 United States |
02  |
 France |
03  |
 Germany |
| 4 |  Sweden |
| 5 |  Norway |
| 6 |  Denmark |
| 7 |  Brazil |
| 8 |  Switzerland |
| 9 |  Japan |
| 10 |  Iceland |
| 11 |  Portugal |
| 12 |  China PR |
Posted on 03/12/2015 1:56:05 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
Julie Johnston and Christen Press scored first-half goals, and the USWNT got revenge for their February loss by defeating France 2-0 in the final of the Algarve Cup.
US Manager Jill Ellis had come under some fire this tournament for her erratic lineup selections and tactics that often didn’t suit the strengths of her selected players, but today things within the 4-4-2 seemed to click. The performance was wire-to-wire, and all parts of the formation contributed to the result. The first half was entertaining, but things seemed to slow in the second half as both teams felt the fatigue from a hard-fought tournament
22-year-old defender Johnston scored her first career international goal just seven minutes in on a header off a corner that not only rippled the back of the net but ripped her headband as well (video above). Press then doubled the US lead when she absolutely carved up the middle of the French pitch to put away the game just before halftime.
(Excerpt) Read more at prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com ...
"I was prepared," she told FOX Sports following the game, adding that she is in a good mental place. "I feel comfortable. I feel good. I feel relaxed. I feel confident. Sometimes I get too intense and it makes the defenders nervous so I've tried to take a calmer approach."
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 01 |
United States |
| 02 |
France |
| 03 |
Germany |
| 4 | Sweden |
| 5 | Norway |
| 6 | Denmark |
| 7 | Brazil |
| 8 | Switzerland |
| 9 | Japan |
| 10 | Iceland |
| 11 | Portugal |
| 12 | China PR |
They still seem to be experimenting with lineups. It’s getting a bit late in the day for that. The younger players seem to be stepping to the fore lately, and that’s a good sign. The hardest thing to do in any team sport is to rebuild while staying on top, and the USWNT has a bad case of it.
1st United States
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