U.S. Women’s National Team advance to World Cup quarterfinals with 2-0 win over Colombia

CARSON, Calif. – The United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Monday with a 2-0 victory over Colombia at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.  

Second half goals by Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd were all the Americans needed as the U.S. advanced to the quarterfinals for a sixth consecutive World Cup. The Americans will face China on Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT at Ottawa’s Lansdowne Stadium.

The game will be a rematch of the epic 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final at the Rose Bowl, which saw the USWNT win their second trophy in an iconic penalty kick shootout.  

The U.S. controlled the tempo early and had the ball in the back of the net in the fifth minute but Abby Wambach’s effort was called back for offside. Jill Ellis’ side continued their onslaught throughout the first half but timely goalkeeping by Colombian goalkeeper Catalina Perez and poor finishing by the Americans kept the game scoreless.

Perez went from hero to villain in the second half as she was sent off in the 47^th minute for bringing down Morgan at the top of the 18-yard-box. Wambach stepped up to take the penalty but sprayed her effort just wide of the frame, keeping the match scoreless.

Morgan finally broke the deadlock in the 53^rd minute when the American forward blew past a defender and rifled a blistering shot that deflected off the arm of substitute Colombian goalkeeper Stefany Castaño before going into the back of the net. The goal was Morgan’s third World Cup goal of her career, and her first of the tournament.

Lloyd doubled the U.S. lead in the 66^th minute when she calmly converted a penalty that was won when forward Megan Rapinoe was brought down in the penalty area by a Colombian defender.

The U.S. will play their quarterfinal against China on Friday without two vital pieces of their squad as Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday will be suspended for picking up their second yellow card of the tournament against the Colombians.

Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at www.LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.