Kelley O’Hara accomplished three important things during her trip to Atlanta.
Most importantly, the U.S. women’s soccer team, with O’Hara at left back in her first start since undergoing reconstructive surgery on her right ankle last summer, defeated Russia 8-0 on Thursday at the Georgia Dome.
Because of the winter storm that postponed the game by one day, O’Hara, a Fayetteville native, got to spend some more time with her family on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lastly, she got to eat some Chick-fil-A, one of her favorite meals.
“It was amazing,” said O’Hara, a graduate of Starr’s Mill High School. “I’m so happy just to be able to play my first game in Georgia in front of family and friends.”
Megan Rapinoe led the U.S. team with a goal and two assists. Heather O’Reilly, Abby Wambach and Amy Rodriguez also scored as the U.S. outshot Russia 24-4. More than 16,000 attended the game, which was originally scheduled to be played Wednesday.
The top-ranked U.S. is unbeaten in 42 consecutive games (36-0-6). It hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat to Japan on March 5, 2012 in the Algarve Cup in Portugal. It also stretched its unbeaten streak at home to 80 games.
O’Hara earned her 41st cap and the most applause during the pregame introductions. She played 33 minutes as coach Tom Sermanni cautiously works her back into the lineup.
But O’Hara made an impact during her short time on the field.
Attacking down the side, O’Hara played a quick one-two with Rapinoe that eventually earned a corner kick in the 11th minute and led to the United States’ first goal.
The corner was sent to the near post, where Whitney Engen’s shot bounced off the left post that hit Russia’s Elena Terekhova before slowly rolling into the goal to give the U.S. team a 1-0 lead.
“The ankle felt really good,” O’Hara said. “The game plan was for 30 minutes and I got through that. I felt confident. I felt comfortable. It just felt nice to put on a jersey and play.”
Russia was credited with another own-goal when Valentina Orlova, under pressure from Wambach, turned in Rapinoe’s cross in the 50th minute to increase the U.S. lead to 2-0.
Two minutes later, Rodriguez, flying through the air 6 yards from goal, used her left foot to volley in an O’Reilly cross from the right to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead.
Wambach made the score 4-0 two minutes later when she tapped in a Rapinoe cross from the left. It was Wambach’s 165th goal in her 215th appearance for the national team.
Morgan Brian hit a left-footed shot from 25 yards out that glanced off Rapinoe’s head and into the goal in the 65th minute to give the U.S. a 5-0 lead.
Lauren Holiday converted a penalty kick in the 81st minute to give the U.S. a 6-0 lead.
O’Reilly pushed the lead to 7-0 in the 83rd minute when she beat her defender to the far post and slammed in a cross from Kristie Mewis that was flicked on by Christen Press.
Press finished the scoring with a right-footed blast from 12 yards out in the 86th minute.
The U.S. outscored Russia 15-0 in two warm-up games and will now turn its attention to the annual Algarve Cup, which begins next month. The U.S. will open against Japan on March 5. The U.S. record for remaining unbeaten is 51 games (43-0-8), set from Dec. 8, 2004 through Sept. 22, 2007.
The U.S. women’s team improved to 8-0-0 in Georgia. The team last appeared in metro Atlanta when it defeated China 2-1 at Kennesaw State in 2010. It also has played in Decatur, Clarkston and in Athens.
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