Rapinoe, Cox, and Schmidth take it to the pitch

By Kyle Cape-Lindelin Staff Writer capelind13@up.edu

Following the International Friendly between Team USA and Team Canada, former UP teammates Megan Rapinoe, Stephanie Cox and Canadian Sophie Schmidt finally got a chance to exchange hugs and a few laughs.

The crowd wouldn't have known it during the actual match, when Schmidt and Rapinoe went at each other like heated rivals in Team USA's 3-0 defeat of Team Canada Sept. 22 at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland.

"I am really proud that we all came from the same school and played together," Cox said. "It is really awesome getting to play with Megan everyday and getting a chance to see and compete against Sophie as well."

Rapinoe, Cox and Schmidt played together as teammates during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Cox and Rapinoe helped lead UP to the school's last national championship in 2005 when the team went 23-0-2. During the USA-Canada match, the crowd of over 18,000 fans, many of them UP fans, made it clear they had not forgotten the hard work and winning ways Rapinoe, Cox and Schmidt gave Pilot fans during their tenure.

"The cheers when my name was announced at the beginning of the game really touched me," Schmidt said. "It reminded me how much people in Portland are rooting for me, even though they may not have been rooting for my team tonight."

Rapinoe echoed Schmidt's words and said she was delighted to play with and against her former teammates.

"This city loves its football and it's truly amazing to be a part of," Rapinoe said. "The crowd infuses us with energy and playing with Stephanie and against Sophie just added to it. This game really brought back some great memories."

Rapinoe led the charge in the first half for Team USA, displaying her world-class ball-handling and passing skills familiar to Pilot fans. Luck was against Rapinoe in her return to Portland, however, as she fired off two shots, both of which ricocheted off the cross bar in the 33rd and 39th minutes.

"That's football," Rapinoe said. "I honestly don't know how you could hit the bar from six yards out, but I did. We got three in the end and that's all that matters."

Team USA was on attack all night as shown by their 21-6 shot advantage. Team USA would have easily dominated the game if it hadn't been for Canada's starting goal-keeper, Karina LeBlanc, considered to be one of the world's best goalies, who made five saves. After LeBlanc was substituted in the second half, Team USA put the Canadians away.

Forward Abby Wambach, Team USA's third all-time leading scorer and leader in their 2011 World Cup run, first put a goal on the board in the 63rd minute off a 17-yard shot in the high, upper corner of the goal.

Wambach continued to wow the crowd in the 70th minute when she scored on one of her trademark headers off a precision pass right to the front of the net from midfielder Kelley O'Hara.

"After we scored those two goals, there was really no turning back for us," head coach Pia Sundhage said. "This was a great stadium and a great crowd. It was like having a 12th man. You can't beat it."

With the crowd on its feet cheering the team to victory, forward Alex Morgan put the final dagger in Canada with a goal in the 92nd minute off an assist from Lauren Cheney.

"We played our best, they simply have some phenomenal players on that team and sometimes they create some magic," Schmidt said.

Schmidt took on the role herself many times in trying to guard her former teammate Rapinoe and would routinely find herself also being guarded by Cox, one of Team USA's youngest defenders.

"Sophie is one of those players that you know what you're going to get every night and it's always good," Canada's head coach John Herdmann said. "This city loves her for that and I'm happy she's a big part of our program. She's just a cool, fun kid to work with."

Thursday's game in Portland was the second matchup in the "Celebration Sereies," a pair of games where USA and Canada played each other in friendly matches. The first, in Kansas City on Sept. 17, resulted in a 1-1 tie. Another former UP player, Christine Sinclair, played for Canada in that match and made the game much more competitive, as she is considered the best female soccer player in the world. She was unable to play in Portland, citing a need for rest.

Team USA plays again Nov. 19 in a friendly against Team Sweden in Phoenix, Ariz. Team Canada will play again in the second week of October in Guadalajara, Mexico in matches against Argentina, Costa Rica and Brazil.