Morgan finally scores to spark U.S.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Now that Alex Morgan has a goal, she doesn’t want to look back on the opportunities she’s missed.

She wants to look forward to the goals to come.

“I don’t remember the last goal I’ve had with this team,” said Morgan, who had been hampered by an injury going into the tournament. “And that’s not a good sign. I don’t want to look back and see when the last one was because now I’ve scored, and it’s a fresh start moving forward.

Morgan scored her first goal of the Women’s World Cup and the United States advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory over Colombia on Monday night.

Abby Wambach’s penalty kick early in the second half went wide after Colombia goalkeeper Catalina Perez — a backup herself — was ejected for a foul on Morgan. Stefany Castano, who replaced Perez in goal, got a hand on Morgan’s shot five minutes later, but couldn’t stop the goal to put the United States up 1-0.

“It didn’t have much power on it as I wanted, but it went in and that’s all that matters,” she said about her right-footed goal.

Usually she’s lefty: “It comes in handy when it needs to,” she smiled.

Carli Lloyd also scored for the second-ranked Americans, who will face No. 16 China on Friday in Ottawa. The United States is seeking its third World Cup title, but first since 1999.

The Americans have not allowed a goal in 333 minutes.

Colombia has never won soccer’s premier tournament, but the No. 28 Las Cafeteras pulled off one of the biggest upsets in any World Cup in the group stage when they defeated third-ranked France 2-0.

Morgan and Wambach started up top for the United States, which used the same starting lineup as it did in the group-stage finale against Nigeria — a first since Jill Ellis became coach.

It was Morgan’s second straight start after working her way back from a bone bruise in her left knee. Morgan came in as a sub in the first two matches of the tournament.

Morgan missed all three of the U.S. team’s send-off matches before the World Cup because of the injury. Her last match with the U.S. team was on April 4, a 4-0 exhibition win over New Zealand in St. Louis. Her last U.S. goal came March 6 in the Algarve Cup.

Perez, a 20-year-old junior at Miami, started because regular goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda was serving a suspension for yellow-card accumulation. Sepulveda had six saves in Colombia’s win over France. Castano had started in Colombia’s opener, a 1-1 draw with Mexico.

The teams played to a scoreless first half, with the United States unable to finish several good chances.

Wambach was ruled offside for her attempt at a rebound goal in the fourth minute. Morgan later had a chance, but her shot bounced in front of Perez, who tipped it up and over the crossbar. Perez made three saves in the first half.

The United States was hurt in the 17th minute when Lauren Holiday got a yellow card, her second of the World Cup. She’ll have to sit out the quarterfinal, and it happened again in the 41st minute when Megan Rapinoe got her second.

“I feel confident in the players we have to come in and contribute,” Ellis said about facing China without the pair.

Perez was sent off at the start of the second half after sliding into Morgan, who was charging toward goal. After Castano took over, Wambach fooled her on the right side but the penalty kick sailed well left of the post.

Wambach took full responsibility for the miss, which she took with her left foot — not her usual right.

“It was a weird moment where they get a red card, and the goalkeeper has to get subbed out. I’m not giving myself excuses. I need to bury that,” she said. “If that’s in a different moment, if that’s in the 89th minute to win us a World Cup and I miss, and it sends us to overtime? That’s on me. That’s all on my shoulders.”

After Morgan’s goal in the 53rd minute, Lloyd scored on a penalty kick in the 66th, Lloyd’s first goal of the tournament.