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Apparently the only thing that can stop the U.S.
Women’s National Soccer Team is the weather.
After two strikes on the field, the team’s international friendly match against Costa Rica Wednesday night at Finley Stadium was temporarily suspended in the 15th minute due to lightning that appeared during a heavy thunderstorm blowing through Chattanooga. The match was scheduled to resume when weather conditions permit.
But in just 15 minutes of play, the U.S. women had already stormed to a 2-0 lead against the team they defeated 8-0 last week at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field in the USA’s first appearance since winning the 2015 Women’s World Cup championship.
Wednesday’s match in Chattanooga was the second of 10 on the team’s cross-country Victory Tour, during which the USA squad will be celebrating its World Cup title while also preparing for the 2016 CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament next February.
Under clearer skies during pre-game ceremonies, the Chattanooga crowd cheered as midfielder Lori Chalupny was honored for earning her 100th cap, and grew louder as the team’s lineup was introduced. The loudest cheers were reserved for star keeper Hope Solo, all-time leading goal scorer Abby Wambach, and World Cup Golden Ball recipient Carli Lloyd, whose hat trick led the USA to the title on July 5.
Lloyd wasted no time putting her goal-scoring ability on display for the fans who filled Finley. At the 3:39 mark, Wambach narrowly missed a header on a cross from Lloyd; then, a little less than three minutes later, Lloyd’s free kick from 31 yards out banged off the crossbar and bounced down inside the line to give the USA a 1-0 lead.
Rain began falling three minutes into the match, and in the 10th minute, Wambaugh just missed another scoring opportunity when she slipped on the wet turf in front of the goal with a cross from Megan Rapinoe headed straight for her feet. The USA maintained its pressure on the Coast Rica goal, and in the 13th minute, Heather O’Reilly followed a hard strike from Lloyd into the net for a 2-0 lead.
The match was quickly halted once the first lightning strike was spotted less than two minutes after O’Reilly’s goal, and the strikes grew stronger after the players headed for the locker room and fans exited the stadium.
Many remained in their seats during a heavy downpour, but after the rain stopped, continued lightning forced officials to begin clearing the stands around 8 p.m.
(E-mail Jaime Barrett at jaimenbarrett@gmail.com)