U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Costa Rica – International Friendly Sahlen’s Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.

Aug. 31, 2012

U.S. WNT KICKS OFF FAN TRIBUTE TOUR AGAINST COSTA RICA: The U.S. Women’s National Team begins its Fan Tribute Tour on Saturday, Sept. 1, as the gold medal winners host Costa Rica at 2:30 p.m. ET at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., the hometown of star striker Abby Wambach. The match will be broadcast live on NBC. Fans can follow the match via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt. The U.S. WNT defeated 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Japan 2-1 in the gold medal game of the 2012 London Olympics on Aug. 9 in front of more than 80,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium.

Fan Tribute Tour Currently Spans Five Cities: In celebration of the team’s third straight gold medal and fourth overall, the USA embarks on the Fan Tribute Tour that currently consists of five scheduled matches in September and October. Further dates and locations will be announced. Following the Sept. 1 match in Rochester, N.Y., the team hosts Australia for two matches on Sept. 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC) and Sept. 19 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., (10 p.m. ET, ESPN2 and ESPN3). U.S. Soccer also recently announced two matches against Germany, with an Oct. 20 game at Toyota Park in suburban Chicago and Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. Times and ticket information will be announced shortly.

2012 U.S. WNT Schedule

* CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament
^ Algarve Cup
** Kirin Challenge Cup
^^ Volvo Winners Cup
~ 2012 London Olympics

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Hope Solo, 18-Jill Loyden
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Heather Mitts, 3-Christie Rampone, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O’Hara, 6-Amy LePeilbet, 16-Rachel Buehler
MIDFIELDERS (6): 7-Shannon Boxx, 8-Amy Rodriguez, 9-Heather O’Reilly, 10-Carli Lloyd, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 17-Tobin Heath
FORWARDS (4): 11-Sydney Leroux, 12-Lauren Cheney, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Abby Wambach

OLYMPIC GOLDS OVER THE YEARS:
The Fan Tribute Tour embraces a U.S. Women’s National Team that has set a standard in the Olympics. No soccer team – men’s or women’s – has won four Olympic gold medals. Here is a look at all four gold medal-winning performances:

• Aug. 9, 2012: USA 2, Japan 1: U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd, the gold medal hero of the 2008 Olympics, once again led the way for the USA by scoring both goals to upend 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Japan in front of more than 80,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in London – an Olympic record crowd for women’s soccer and the largest crowd the U.S. WNT has played in front of outside the United States. Lloyd made a darting run in the eighth minute, heading home the game’s first goal. Then Lloyd unleashed a right-footed shot from 20 yards out in the 54th minute for what would prove to be the winning tally.
• Aug. 24, 2008: USA 1, Brazil 0 (OT): The U.S. held Brazil scoreless for 120 minutes and Carli Lloyd took the spotlight with a game-winning goal in the sixth minute of overtime in front of 51,612 at Worker’s Stadium in Beijing. Lloyd’s left-footed strike from just outside the box was the finishing touch for the USA’s third gold medal in four Olympic Games. Goalkeeper Hope Solo made six saves for the clean sheet.
• Aug. 26, 2004: USA 2, Brazil 1 (OT): Abby Wambach’s snap header from about 12 yards out in the 112th minute flew past Brazil goalkeeper Andreia for the winner as the young Wambach capitalized on Kristine Lilly’s corner kick. Lindsay Tarpley gave the USA a first-half lead in the 39th minute and Brazil’s Pretinha equalized in the 73rd minute. The Athens Olympics served as the final international championship for retiring players such as Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm.
• Aug. 1, 1996: USA 2, China PR 1: Tiffeny Milbrett scored off of a strong setup from Joy Fawcett in the 68th minute to give the USA its first gold medal in front of 76,481 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. Fawcett attacked down the right side into the penalty area, drew a China defender and slid the ball to a wide open Milbrett. Shannon MacMillan scored the first goal in the 19th minute, rebounding Mia Hamm’s initial shot that was saved by China goalkeeper Hong Gao and deflected off the post. China’s Lihong Zhao tied the score at 1-1 in the 32nd minute.

U.S. ROSTER NOTES:

• Five players on the U.S. roster scored in the 2012 London Olympics and eight total players have scored in an Olympics: Abby Wambach (4 goals in 2004; 5 goals in 2012), Carli Lloyd (2 goals in 2008; 4 goals in 2012), Heather O’Reilly (1 goal in 2004; 2 goals in 2008), Shannon Boxx (1 goal in 2004), Amy Rodriguez (1 goal in 2008), Alex Morgan (3 goals in 2012), Megan Rapinoe (3 goals in 2012) and Sydney Leroux (1 goal in 2012).
• The USA has scored 82 goals this year and has also benefitted from two own goals. That 82-goal total currently is the seventh-highest for a calendar year and the most since the USA scored 84 goals in 2008. This year’s scoring rate (3.73 goals per game) is currently the fifth-best, with the record being 4.38 goals per game in 1994 (57 goals in 13 goals).

USA vs. COSTA RICA SERIES

• The U.S. is a perfect 8-0-0 against Costa Rica, with the series dating back to an 8-0 victory on June 25, 2000. The USA has never conceded a goal in the series, outscoring Costa Rica 37-0.
• The last time the USA played Costa Rica, the team qualified for the 2012 London Olympics with a 3-0 win on Jan. 29 in the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament semifinal at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

• During the 2012 London Olympics, USA goalkeeper Hope Solo broke the consecutive minutes streak by a goalkeeper during the team’s thrilling 4-3 victory against Canada in the semifinals. Solo entered the match with 900 consecutive minutes, with previous record holder Briana Scurry posting 990 minutes from 1994-95. Because the Canada match went into overtime, Solo surpassed Scurry’s mark with 1,020, and she currently sits at 1,110 minutes during a streak that started April 1 in a 1-1 draw against Japan.
• U.S. defender and team captain Christie Rampone begins the Fan Tribute Tour in fourth place all-time with 266 caps, just six behind Julie Foudy (272) and nine behind Mia Hamm (275). Kristine Lilly holds the record with 352 caps.

ON USSOCCER.COM
Back Home Video Series:

• Kelley O’Hara: Kelley Cardinal
• Kelley O’Hara: Kelley by the Bay
• Megan Rapinoe: ‘B’ in P.E.
• Megan Rapinoe: Redding Royalty
• Lauren Cheney: A Lady Giant
• Lauren Cheney: Always Indy
• Hope Solo: Solo on the Sound
• Hope Solo: Emerald City ‘Keeper
• Carli Lloyd: New Jersey State of Mind
• Carli Lloyd: From Delran to the Pros
• Alex Morgan: Daughter of Diamond Bar
• Alex Morgan: Pride of the Brahmas

Video:

• WNT Gold Medalists Celebrate with Friends and Family

IN FOCUS: COSTA RICA

• Costa Rican Football Federation (Federación Costarricense de Fútbol)
• Founded: 1921 (Joined FIFA in 1927)
• Head Coach: Karla Aleman
• FIFA World Ranking: 40
• Best FIFA World Cup Finish: Has never qualified
• Best Olympics Finish: Has never qualified