Noelia Bermúdez made up to 12 stops for Costa Rica in a historic 0-0 draw with the women’s national team USA early this morning in Washington. It was not the farewell the US team wanted in its last match before the Paris Olympics, even though it had total control of the match, both in possession and in scoring opportunities.
The game gave new coach Emma Hayes another look at the 18-player roster, plus four substitutes, though the competition in the team’s last two games made it difficult to make true assessments. Like Saturday, when the U.S. beat Mexico 1-0 on a goal by Sophia Smith, the game was one-sided and the Americans struggled to finish. Neither Mexico nor Costa Rica qualified for the Paris Olympics.
Noelia Bermúdez clears a ball that Lynn Williams was going to head
The best chance for the United States came in the 37th minute when Lindsey Horan took advantage of a cross from Sam Coffey by stretching to get her right foot on the ball, which hit the base of the right post. Trinity Rodman tried to open the scoring with a shot in the 79th minute and a header from the center of the area in the 81st, but Bermudez did not relent and in the last play of the match, Rodman sent a long-range shot over the crossbar.
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Hayes had won all three of her previous matches since joining the U.S. national team in May after leaving Chelsea. The U.S. opens Olympic group play against Zambia on July 25, followed by matches against Germany (July 28) and Australia (July 31).
