As the U.S. WNT has done more than a few times under Pia Sundhage, they left it late and got the job done, scoring twice in the last five minutes of the game to come from behind and defeat a gusty New Zealand side by a 2-1 score. The sell-out crowd of 20,677 was the largest to watch the U.

U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage has named the 18 players that will suit up against New Zealand tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT at FC Dallas Stadium. The game is expected to be a sell-out in the 20,500-seat venue and the U.S. players are looking forward to a fantastic Texas reception.
U.S. Roster vs. New Zealand
Feb.

The U.S. Women celebrate their 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament title on Sunday.

The U.S. Women's National Team put up some staggering results to win the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament to open 2012: five wins, five shutouts, 38 goals and of course a berth into the 2012 London Olympics.

Sydney Leroux (r) and Alex Morgan celebrate one of Leroux's five (!) second half goals. Image: AP Photo/The Canadian Press.

Hearty congrats to the USWNT who are currently storming their way through the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament with so much ease that they're actually attracting criticism.

The US Women's National Team knocked off Mexico 4-0 in their final match of the group stage of Olympic qualifying to win Group B. Carli Lloyd had a hat trick and Heather O'Reilly added a goal as the USWNT rolled to an easy victory. They will face Costa Rica for a chance to qualify on Friday (8pm, concacaf.

Golden girls: UCLA product Sydney Leroux and Diamond Bar's Alex Morgan celebrate one of the numerous goals the U.S. scored Sunday against Guatemala (AP Photo). Having scored an incredible 27 goals in its first two Olympic qualifiers, the U.S. shifts its attention today to sturdier prey: Mexico. The USWNT is

The U.S. team once again practiced indoors at BC Place (with the weather so far in Vancouver, trust us when we say outdoors would not be too much fun), this time in preparation for its final Group B match vs. Mexico. The CONCACAF neighbors will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. PT. Fans can watch the game live on Universal Sports Network, Universalsports.

The U.S. Women's National Team, playing their 2nd match in 3 days rolled over Guatemala on Sunday night by a score of 13-0. With the two wins the U.S. women have now scored 27 goals in it's two CONCACAF 2012 Olympic qualifying games. The U.S. defeated the Dominican Republic 14-0 on Friday evening. Sydney Leroux, [.

As if going 14-0 in a single match during qualifying wasn't enough, you had to go out and drop 13 on Guatemala? Somewhere, MC Hammer is screaming about copyright infringment.LeRoux got a natural hat-trick (3 goals in the same half, all uninterrupted)... actually, she got four before someone else found the net.

The U.S. Women's national team figured to face a tougher task against Guatemala on Sunday than it did after a 14-0 thrashing of the Dominican Republic to open CONCACAF Olympic qualifying on Friday.

The challenge was slightly tougher, but only by a goal.

Abby Wambach scored two goals to move into third place on the all-time international goals scored list, while Sydney LeRoux added five goals in a 13-0 thrashing of Guatemala in Vancouver on Sunday.

It was another easy win for the USWNT tonight as the rolled right on through Guatemala, winning the game 13-0. Unlike the game against the Dominican Republic, the goals didn't come as quickly during this game, as the US tried to feel out their Guatemalan counterparts during the opening five minutes.

Qualifying starts. Maura Gladys has you covered.

Morgan looking to excel--in a new role?--as winter closes...

The last time the U.S. Women's National Team competed in a CONCACAF qualifying tournament, they almost missed the cut for the 2011 Women's World Cup.

*UCLA product Sydney LeRoux and Hermosa Beach resident Abby Wambach were named by U.S. Soccer as the Young Female Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year respectively. Brek Shea and Clint Dempsey won the corresponding awards for male players. All the award winners were picked by fans

Photo by ISIphotos.com

After turning in a dynamic year for the U.S. men's national team, Clint Dempsey being named U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year should come as a surprise to nobody.

Dempsey turned in perhaps his finest year as a professional for both club and country.

On Friday, the United States National Team announced their Athlete of the Year award winners. On the men's side, Clint Dempsey won the Athlete of the Year award with Brek Shea winning the Young Player award. Abby Wambach and Syndey LeRoux won the women's awards. Dempsey also won the Futbol De Primera award, the other player of the year award associated with the United States National Team.

The U.S. team has proved quite popular with the Canadian media so far (and thanks also to the several American journalists in town!). Of course, the U.S. playes obliged with many interviews which of course serve to promote the game, the team and the tournament. Above, Becky Sauerbrunn gives her thoughts on various soccer topics.

While MLS has in the last few years reached a level of stability that will hopefully give us a break from our perennial worrying about "the future of the game", the women's pro game is still struggling for survival in this country. The Women's National Team is currently preparing for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament this month and the roster is officially listed as:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (out of contract), Hope Solo (out of contract)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (Atlanta Beat), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Atlanta Beat), Heather Mitts (out of contract), Kelley O'Hara (Atlanta Beat), Christie Rampone (out of contract), Becky Sauerbrunn (Sky Blue FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx (out of contract), Tobin Heath (out of contract), Lori Lindsey (Western New York Flash), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Heather O'Reilly (Boston Breakers), Megan Rapinoe (out of contract), Amy Rodriguez (out of contract)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (out of contract), Sydney Leroux (Atlanta beat), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Abby Wambach (out of contract)

That's 10 players out of 20 who don't currently have a club team, which is remarkable for a country that has dominated the sport internationally for decades.

photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com

The CONCACAF Olympic Women's qualifying tournament takes place later this month, and we now know who will be representing the U.S. women's national team in it.

Head coach Pia Sundhage has named a 20-player squad for the eight-team tournament in Vancouver, B.

UCLA's Sydney Leroux was the top pick of the Atlanta Beat during the 2012 WPS Draft on Friday.

Forward Sydney Leroux, who currently is training with the U.S. Women's National Team in Los Angeles trying to make the squad for the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, was selected as the top pick by the Atlanta Beat during Friday's 2012 WPS Draft at the NSCAA Convention in Kansas City, Mo.

U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage has named the roster for the January training camp in Los Angeles, after which she will name the 20-player roster for Olympic Qualifying being held in Vancouver, B.C. from Jan, 19-29. Sundhage will bring 20 players to Canada, but will only be able to suit up 18 per game.

Welcome back, Maura Gladys

For a little more than three weeks, the possibilities seemed endless for the U.S. Women's National Team. On Oct. 27, Pia Sundhage named the 30 players headed into a two-week training camp in Arizona, to prepare for their upcoming match against Sweden.

*Add Chris Birchall (left hamstring strain) to the growing Galaxy injury list released today. The midfielder, who has made 21 appearances for the Galaxy this season, is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against Morelia, along with the same players who remain in that category from Friday's update: David Beckham (back spasms), Robbie Keane (right gluteus tightness) and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts (right quad tightness).

CHICAGO (April 11, 2011) – U.S. Women's National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has named a roster of 29 players for a training camp that will take place in West Palm Beach, Fla., from April 18-May 6.
The camp will be a key training period for the U.S. players and Sundhage and she enters the stretch run of her evaluation process to choose a 21-player roster to represent the United States at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany this summer.

Champions, again.The United States Women's Nation Team took full honors at the Four Nations Tournament with a 2-0 defeat of the hosts in Chongquing, China. The USWNT suffered an early set up, losing 2-1 to Sweden, but then successive wins against Canada and China sealed the tournament win. It was their seventh title in eight trips to the tournament.

The 2011 Four Nations Champions
Another exciting night in U.S. WNT history tonight as the USA rebounds from an opening game loss to win two straight games and take the 2011 Four Nations Tournament championship. Two very nice goals from the USA proved to be the difference in a match in which China had the majority of possession, but the USA had the majority of chances.

Lindsay Tarpley has some fun with the Chinese saleswomen
The U.S. team has been quite busy in China with training, a game, meetings, video and/or weights every day since the team arrived. Still, when you're on the U.S. WNT, there's always time for shopping, especially when there are some great deals to be had.

And it's the team's second loss in the last five games:

CHONGQING, China (AP) -- The U.S. women's team began World Cup preparations by losing a match in which it led for the first time in more than eight years.

Carli Lloyd's goal off an 11th-minute corner kick was offset when Stina Segerstrom scored in the 16th and Kosovare Asllani in the 60th to give Sweden a 2-1 victory over the Americans on Friday in the opening game of the Four Nations Tournament.

U.S. WOMEN FALL 2-1 TO SWEDEN IN OPENING GAME OF 2011
AT FOUR NATIONS TOURNAMENT IN CHINA
· Carli Lloyd Scores in 11th Minute, But Sweden Comes From Behind to Score in Both Halves · Young Forward Sydney Leroux Earns First Cap Off the Bench · USA Faces Canada on Sunday, Jan.

Accomplished....already...

This is a guest interview by frequent contributor and USWNT expert Dan Wiersema. The USWNT kicks off the Four Nations tournament Friday in Chongqing, China against Sweden
Check out Dan's site and novel concept here: The Free Beer Movement

Think back to when you were just 20 years old.

U.S. players get a good warm-up in the chilly climes of Chongqing

The U.S. team finished a busy day of training (which also included a post-dinner meeting) at a different field from the one it had been training on. The trip into the foothills was a bit odd (some small fields of vegatables, broken down brick structures, what looked to be an old damn, a road that definitely needed a guard rail where there was none, a few stray chickens, and some amazing art work upon entering the school where college was well), but after the team got there, they found another excellent field on which to train.

Heather O'Reilly goes airborn to volley past Nicole Barnhart

Today was best described as "yuchy" in Chongqing as the U.S. team actually trained under snowflakes. It wasn't sticking on the ground, but for part of the practice, it was in fact snowing on a cold, dark and wet day in central China.

United States Women's National Team coach Pia Sundhage released the roster of 23 players that will travel to China for the Four Nations Tournament at the end of the month.
The U.S. has not participated in this tournament since 2007, but is looking to add to its record six Four Nations titles.

Is that Brittany Taylor or Flo Jo?

The U.S. Women's National Team has traditionally undergone fitness testing during the first training camp of a new year and 2011 is no different. The only difference was that the players who were in Cancun, Mexico for Women's World Cup qualifying were exempt.

*The EPL's Tottenham Hotspur hopes/believes/is trying to convince themselves (take your pick, one is as good as another at this point since the Galaxy never confirm any deal until every "i" is dotted) that David Beckham could be on loan to them by Sunday. Details here. And don't you just love those vague comments from Spurs boss Harry Rednapp.