Our Salute to UCLA Alum Lauren Cheney & Team USA
by Nestor on Jul 17, 2011 3:34 PM PDT
in Other Sports
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Well guys, we did not get a story book ending for Bruin alum Lauren Cheney and her USWNT team-mates this evening in Frankfurt, Germany. Instead it was a dream ending for Japan in what was yet another heart-stopping and scintillating soccer match. The game started out awesome for Cheney and the US team as Coach Sundage moved her up as a forward to compliment Abby Wambach upfront. Cheney and her team-mates blitzed the Japanese defense from all angles and created chances after chances. It just didn't work out as we headed into half time at 0-0.
Cheney's amazing World Cup run ended after first half as she had to sit out due to an ankle injury. Although Cheney looked to be in tears with her ankle wrapped up ice, she has had a dream run with 2 goals and (I believe) 3 assists. She is only going to get better. Former Cal superstar Alex Morgan was inserted in her place to start the second half. Morgan immediately paid dividend with one of the more spectacular goals in the second half. But the Japanese players - who have been riding their own magic carpet ride into the Finals - gave the US team a taste of their resilience by coming back to tie the game.
The game went into OT when Wambach put up top with yet another spectacular header at the 104th minute. Yet again the Japanese came back with their own version of heart-stopping, spectacular goal when their own superstar, their team-captain and the Golden Boot winner Homare Sawa scored the game tying goal. The end story did not go according to the script for the Americans as it was the Japanese who rose to the occasion and clinched their first World Cup Title in PK. For extended coverage check the SB Nation story stream.
As heart-breaking as this loss was, we feel nothing but pride in the way Cheney and USWNT charged into Finals this past 3 weeks. They left everything in the field today and it was our privilege to see them winning hearts and minds of not just soccer fans, but capturing the imagination of Americans all across the country. I watched the game with my little girl who is little more than 5 weeks old. We are already making plans to head to Canada for the next World Cup to see Cheney, Morgan, and rest of the USWNT win it all next time up.
Congrats to Team USA from Bruin Nation. We couldn't be more proud of the Red, White and Blue.
USA! USA! USA!
Oh and as always GO BRUINS.
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Way to go N. A perfect post to a well deserving group of young ladies that made us very proud. The loss stings in a familiar way, yet I am proud to be an American today and feel like our team must have inspired the next generation of student athlete’s. I am inspired and proud of our girls. Congratulations to Japan on a truly meant to be run in the world cup.
U.S.A!!!
DGB
by westwood12003 on Jul 17, 2011 3:55 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Philosophy
Every now and then, you see a match where one side deserved to win, but doesn’t, and it’s still the right thing.
Our women played a beautiful game. The created great chances. They controlled play. They did everything they needed to do, except convert one more of those chances. And regardless of the final, I am very very proud of the effort and the class that Team USA showed throughout.
But I say it was maybe the right result, because sometimes there are bigger things in the world than sport. And if a team of 11 women on a soccer field can face overwhelming odds, suffer serious setbacks, but keep hanging in, and even when any hope for a final comeback has almost expired, still rise up and triumph in the end, then just imagine what that team’s entire nation of intelligent and sophisticated and proud and devoted people can do against another set of overwhelming odds. And we alI look forward to the day when that nation triumphs in its own match as well. Congratulations, Japan.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
We really missed Lauren in the second half...
I wondered what had happened. After reading your story, I recalled her going down hard on her first rush at the goal within minutes of starting the game. That worried me.
I truly think her presence could have meant a W for the US side. Watching her play in Germany, I was struck by how totally solid she was with the ball, how she rarely gave it away, how she was steady, unflustered and intelligent whenever she had possession of the ball. Cheney also seemed to deliver our most dangerous corner kicks. Lauren Cheney’s UCLA career was Hall of Fame quality. She’s a great Bruin!
I love LC
but it’s kind of hard to say we really missed her when Alex Morgan was all over the field, scoring and creating. She did have an excellent first half.
"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden
Morgan was awesome. I didn't know she was the one replacing Cheney.
But, as much as I like Rapinoe, I think Cheney has a much better corner kick. Now maybe Japan schemed Wambach out of those plays, but iirc we didn’t have much going on those plays with Rapinoe doing the kicking.
Excellent game!
Great game by both sides. Our US Women’s team looked dominant early and played a really top-notch game overall. Japan played their game superbly and proved that they belonged there. What really amazed me was how cleanly the game was played (IMHO, much more enjoyable to watch than Men’s soccer without all the flopping and fouls). It really was a great game and although I felt bad for our team, I am happy that Nadeshiko was able to pull up the nation of Japan after what happened a few months ago. It really is inspiring and a great story of perseverance!
way off topic but
on Lauren Cheney’s wikipedia entry, it states she’s dating Jrue Holiday, though it says citation needed, is this right??
IndyStar.com reports:
Her boyfriend is a basketball player, former UCLA guard Jrue Holiday of the Philadelphia 76ers.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20110717/SPORTS/107170322/Indy-native-Lauren-Cheney-is-taking-on-the-world-with-U-S-team?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE
Yup, it's true
Here’s a recent ESPN article with a funny story from their U.C.L.A. days.
Glad there was something about U.C.L.A. that Jrue liked after all.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Yeps.
laurencheney8 lauren cheney
The best boyfriend in the world @Jrue_Holiday11, thank you for being apart of this. I love you!
Great run Team USA
What a game! Sad that we didn’t get the ending we wanted, but if there was any team I would have been okay losing to, it was Japan, which hasn’t had much to celebrate this year.
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