União de Leiria, the first club to play a 4-3-0

Unbelievable - Leiria is the first club in the Portuguese first division and probably in professional football to start a match with 8 players. It's been an endless turbulent season for the club, who were evicted from their home stadium and are on the verge of relegation.

The U.S. women's national team did not need the late heroics to get by Brazil this time.

Carli Lloyd, Shannon Boxx and Amy Rodriguez all scored off set pieces as the U.S. women blanked Brazil 3-0 in their final game of the Kirin Challenge Cup and a rematch of their riveting World Cup quarterfinal bout that the Americans won in penalty kicks.

The Nadeshiko were the better team in the first 45 minutes getting a number of chances with their quick interchanges. The USA relied a bit too much on Alex Morgan who was quite dangerous but there was no midfield presence to graft out scoring opportunities. In the 32nd minute Yukari Kinga put Japan ahead after Hope Solo was able to stop the first shot but off the rebound Kinga, the right back put the ball into the net.

The U.S. Women's National Team kicks off an exhibition tournament when it faces 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup champion Japan to open the inaugural Women's Kirin Challenge Cup at 5:30 a.m. CT Sunday, April 1, at Yurtec Stadium in Sendai, Japan. The U.S. then faces Brazil in this three-team event at 7 a.

Photo: Michael Long

This time last year, the Philadelphia Independence were entering the end of preseason training. Now, players from the 2011 team—as well as new players who were announced or rumored to be joining the club before the 2012 WPS season was cancelled—are spread all over Europe and the US.

Those of you who followed the Algarve Cup know that U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath broke a small bone in her left wrist against Denmark on Feb. 29 when she took a Dane-initiated tumble out of bounds onto a hard rubber surface outside the field. Heath didn't miss any action during the tournament (remember.

Night falls on Tokyo as the U.S. team boards the bus to the hotel
The U.S. WNT has arrived in Japan, a bit tired after a long travel day, but excited for two monster matches at the beginning of April. Any time the U.S. team travels to the Asian continent, it's one of the longest trips the team takes (unless you want to drop down to Australia, then that's some hours on a plane, mate), but this trip to Japan came off without a hitch.

Veteran U.S. Women's National Team and WPS midfielder Heather O'Reilly will join the Breakers this season in between National Team commitments, the club announced on Monday.

O'Reilly, who's won two gold medals with the National Team (2004 and 2008) and played in two World Cups (2007 and 2011), has been capped 155 times at the senior team level.

Despite finishing in third place at the 2012 Algarve Cup in Portugal, a run that included a 1-0 loss to Japan, but convincing victories over Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the U.S. Women's National Team remains the #1 team in the world in the just-released March 16 edition of the FIFA Women's World Rankings.

In honor of today being International Women's Day (which makes one wonder why 3 and a half billion people get one whole day), let's get some updates on the Sounders Women.

Shut Out By Japan - After coasting through their first two group matches in the Algarve Cup, the US women fell once again to the Japanese women, who have quickly become the US' nemeses after defeating the Yanks in the World Cup Final.

A hat-trick from Alex Morgan propelled the USWNT to a 4–0 win over Sweden to claim third place at the 2012 Algarve Cup on Wednesday.

But the thoughts of many US Soccer fans—and the team—surely lingered on the 1–0 loss to Japan on Monday in the first meeting of the two countries since the US lost to Japan in the 2011 Women's World Cup final.

Alex Morgan scored a hat trick in the U.S. women's 4-0 victory over Sweden in Wednesday's Third-Place match of the Algarve Cup.

Morgan's scored goals in the 4th, 33rd and 71st minutes, while Abbey Wambach tallied in the 37th minute. Reserve keeper Nicole Barnhart kept the Swedes off the board by stopping the four shots she faced on the day at Estadio Municipal in Parchal, Portugal.

Margaret Domka officiated during Wednesday's 2012 Algarve Cup championship between Germany and Japan.

Though the U.S. Women's National Team came up short of playing in the 2012 Algarve Cup championship, there was a U.S. presence on the officiating side of the finale with Wisconsin native Margaret Domka serving as referee.

The U.S. WNT finds itself in an unfamiliar postion -- the third-place game of the Algarve Cup after nine straight finals -- but still with an excellent match to end the tournament.
Sweden has had the USA's number for the past three matches with the Americans out-playing the fifth-ranked Swedes three times last year, and failing to win each time.

Japan just has the U.S. women's national team's number at the moment.

In their first meeting since the dramatic World Cup final that Japan won in penalty kicks, Japan topped the U.S. women 1-0 in the final group game of the Algarve Cup on Monday, preventing the Americans from a place in the championship game for the first time in 10 years and dealing them their first shutout in 58 matches.

Hurra! Players of Germany celebrate after the Women Algarve Cup match between Germany and Sweden which took place in Portimao, Portugal, on Monday. Well done ladies (via Bongarts)

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It seems that Pia Sundhage and the US Women's Team are still trying to figure out a magic winning concoction against formidable Japan! Unfortunately, the Americans lost 1-0 to them in the Algarve Cup yesterday- an annual highlight in the Women's football calendar.

The Nadeshiko proved yet again to be a stumbling block for the US women's team blanking them, 1-0.

Megumi Takase was able to get to Aya Miayama's corner kick before a slow reacting US defense to head home the winner. They now play Germany in the Algarve Cup final. The US eight time winners of the Cup finished second in their group to Japan now contest Sweden in the 3rd place match.

In a rematch of last year's Women's World Cup final, Megumi Takase's 84th minute goal doomed the United States to their first loss since the final with a 1-0 win the final stage of Algarve Cup group play on Monday.

A defensive battle between the first-ranked U.S. and third-ranked Japan kept the score knotted at nil going into half.

The U.S. WNT takes on Japan in its third and final group match at the 2012 Algarve Cup in what will be the first meeting between the teams since the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final.
While there will be some extra emotions for sure in this match for the Americans, the focus is looking forward and that means getting a result against Japan that will send the U.

TweetSeeing as the US Women's National Team are playing out in Portugal today, as part of the Algarve Cup, I thought I'll treat y'all to some pictures of striker Alex Morgan posing for Sports Illustrated in only body paint!... Sports Illustrated is something that we don't have on this side of the pond.

If it seems like we've suddenly transformed into Sounders Women At Heart over the last few weeks, there's a good reason for it. Last season the Sounders Women were a team in the second division with only a loose (at best) affiliation to the namesake MLS team and a roster made up mostly of local college players whose names wouldn't be recognized by anyone but close followers of the women's game in Seattle.

Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux scored second half goals to lead the United States to a 2-1 victory over Norway during the second match day of the Algarve Cup tournament on Friday at Estádio Municipal in Lagos, Portugal.

After the a scoreless first half, the Americans came to life in the second frame when Wambach ripped a shot from 16-yards in the 53rd minute.

Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com

The reward might be a little less fulfilling this time around, but the U.S. women's national team has an important date against Japan on the docket.

Abby Wambach and substitute Sydney Leroux scored, and despite conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, the U.

On Wednesday, the USWNT defeated Denmark 5–0 in their opening group stage match at the Algarve Cup in Portugal on the back of two goals from Alex Morgan. After scoring a first half stoppage time goal of her own, a goal that was assisted by Morgan, Abby Wambach was subbed out. She said after the win, "It's great to get to sit on the bench and watch your teammates evolve and grow up and get the experience.

Megan Rapinoe did not see action against Denmark, but will likely feature against Norway
After the USA's solid 5-0 win over Denmark in its first match of the Algarve Cup on Feb. 29, the team will face Norway on March 2 in a quick turn-around. The players who played 90 minutes against the Danes did not train on the field today, instead doing a regen session on the hotel, but the remainder of the squad went through an extremely sharp session on the pitch.

Photo by Bernd Feil/ISIphotos.com

Three wins, eight goals, none conceded and plenty to build off across three levels of U.S. Soccer.

It's safe to say that Feb. 29, 2012, went about as well as it could have if you're a U.S. Soccer player or fan.

The U.S.

USA! USA! USA!

It started with the USWNT's 5–0 demolition of Denmark in their opening game in the Algarve Cup. It continued with the USMNT's historic 1–0 win over Italy in Italy. It ended with the USMNT U-23s convincing 2–0 win over Mexico's U-23s. Three-for-three with three shutouts in one day—surely that's never happened before in US Soccer.

The U.S. Women's National Team resumed its Olympic Qualifying form by thrashing Denmark 5-0 during the first game of the Algarve Cup tournament on Wednesday.

Alex Morgan scored two goals (21′, 84′), while Abby Wambach (44′), Carli Lloyd (76′) and Sydney Leroux (90+3′) joined her on the scoresheet.

(L to R): The Group B coaches, Japan's Norio Sasaki, Denmark asst. Danny Jung, Norway head coach Eli Landsem and Pia
Representatives from all 12 teams participating in the Algarve Cup attended a press conference today, and as usual, not much of interest was said. (Coaches never seem to say much around other coaches, right?

Alex Morgan will be looking to add to her 16 career WNT goals against Denmark
The USA and Denmark will meet for the 24th time and 10th time in the Algarve Cup on Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. local/Noon ET in Lagos, Portugal.
For all the news and notes on the match, click here.

U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage has named the 21 players who will suit up for the four 2012 Algarve Cup matches. She brought 23 players to Portugal so only goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and defender Meghan Klingenberg (who suffered a slight ankle injury during training this week) will not suit up for the games.

Wednesday is most notable in U.S. Soccer circles because of the men's national team's friendly in Italy, but teams on three of the federation's other levels will be in action as well.

The women's national team kicks off its quest for a third consecutive Algarve Cup championship in Portugal, the U-23 men's team faces Mexico in the final friendly leading into next month's CONCACAF Olympic qualifying and the U-20 men's team faces the Montreal Impact reserve as Tab Ramos continues guiding his current camp down in Florida.

They don't call her Lightning for nothing...

The USA's training in the Algarve is basically done as just one practice remains before the team opens the tournament on Feb. 29 against Denmark. Once the games start -- there will be four in eight days -- the USA does more recovery than training.

It's easy as sports fans to demand certain things from our teams... especially coverage of games. Unfortunately, as women's soccer fans we can't always get what we want. I'll be the first to admit that I enjoy harassing the USWNT (US Women's National Team) media team via Twitter to stream domestic games online when they aren't on television.

The USA's practice on Saturday consisted of a closed-door training match against China on a stunningly beautiful afternoon in the Algarve.
The 90-minute scrimmage featured different U.S. teams in each half with the Americans coming away with a 3-0 triumph on goals from Alex Morgan, Heather O'Reilly and Sydney Leroux.

Abby Wambach will have a new title at the London Games.

Coach Pia Sundhage recently named the 31-year-old Wambach a co-captain of the U.S. women's soccer team- or essentially the vice-captain to team leader Christie Rampone.

It makes sense, given that the dominant striker was already the team's go-to spokeswoman and vocal locker room leader.

Heather O'Reilly, Amy LePeilbet and Becky Sauerbrunn at training in the Algarve

The U.S. WNT and Denmark -- the Americans first Algarve Cup opponent this year -- have a long history at this tournament dating back to 1995.
That was the year Denmark picked up its lone Algarve Cup victory over the USA, a 2-0 decision.

After several years of cloudy weather here in the Algarve during the USA's pre-tournament preparation, the warm sunshine has been more than welcome, especially after two straight freezing events -- the Olympic Qualifying in Vancouver, Canada (thankfully played all indoors) and a frigid week in Dallas (almost colder than Canada.

On the first full day in the Algarve for the U.S. WNT, the team of course had a full day. That means weights, training and a meeting. The squad seems to have, for the most part, shook of the malaise of the travel and had a 90-minute training on a beautiful afternoon.
Here are a few pics from training.