7.13.16
ASN Morning Read: Ellis Announces Her Rio Crew
The United States women's national team coach releases the 18 women who will travel to the 2016 Summer Olympics. No real surprises, but you should read anyway. The Timbers fans do something weird.
- America in Brazil:
GOALKEEPERS: Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
DEFENDERS: Whitney Engen (Boston Breakers), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City)
MIDFIELDERS: Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), Allie Long (Portland Thorns FC), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC)
FORWARDS: Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Mallory Pugh (Real Colorado) - Fun stat:
Mallory Pugh, at 18, is 2nd youngest women's soccer US Olympian in history.. a month older than Cindy Parlow at '96 Olys. #uswnt
— Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) July 12, 2016 - Megan Rapinoe returns: "Rapinoe just presents too much game-changing potential and boasts too much experience to be left behind, even at less than full strength. If the U.S. is in a pinch late in games and needs an attacking spark, Rapinoe, even in 20 minutes, can provide that punch. Her set piece and crossing proficiency make her an invaluable weapon, and she is no stranger to coming through in the clutch, whether it was her cross to Wambach against Brazil in the 2011 World Cup, her two goals in the opening win over Australia in the 2015 World Cup and the number of moments in between and before."
- A two-percent increase doesn't seem all that good? "Sunday’s UEFA EURO 2016 Final on ESPN and ESPN Deportes – a 1-0 victory in extra time to secure Portugal’s first-ever title in an international competition – ranks as the most-watched UEFA European Football Championship match on the ESPN networks. Based on Nielsen, the 2.5-hour telecast (3-5:30 p.m. ET) averaged 5,899,000 viewers combined for the game window on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The audience was up two percent from the 5,758,000 viewers who watched the UEFA EURO 2012 Final (Spain vs. Italy) on both ESPN English and Spanish-language networks."
- We told you there was a dark side to soccer fandom: "Behold, the first track of an upcoming Timbers-fan ode to Darlington Nagbe, a Hamilton spoof to be called Darlington: An American Timber. It's called, well, 'Nagbe Comma Darlington.'"
