Active Team Sports : Tags : women's-world-cup

"Lori Chalupny is a fantastic midfielder," U.S. women's soccer team head coach Greg Ryan said. "First and foremost, her work rate both directions, defending and attacking--she went from 18 yard line to 18 yard line tonight....What she does to our midfield and our front line is she runs through the opponent's defense and gets in behind the other side of them and creates great attacking chances, scoring chances, for us. She really makes our midfield much more dynamic than we've been in the past."

It is that work ethic and dynamic dimension that helped Chalupny score the second-fastest goal in World Cup history, with a deflecting strike that found the back of the net just 55 seconds into the game. That proved to be the only scoring power the United States needed as the 1-0 win over Nigeria sent the team out of the toughest group in the tournament and on to the quarterfinals.

Even knowing the result immediately upon sitting down at my desk to start work yesterday morning, and seeing the highlight of the one and only goal of the match, I still tuned in late last night to watch much of the replay of the game to see how the team looked overall.

The Americans countered the Nigerians' speed by moving the ball the more effectively than they had previously during the opening round--despite soggy conditions caused by the leading edge of a typhoon that forced today's games to be postponed.

I'll be cheering them on as they continue their attacking ways against England in a quarterfinal match-up on Saturday.

(Photo provided by Ronald Martinez/GettyImages)

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US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sports organization in the country, is celebrating the fifth annual Youth Soccer Month this September.

Youth Soccer Month celebrates the various programs available to children interested in participating in soccer, including the inner-city, special needs, recreational and elite soccer programs that have facilitated the growth of the sport at all levels. It also focuses on four main messages:

Fitness: The health and fitness (physical, psychological and social) benefits of playing soccer.

Fun: Whether recreational or competitive in nature, involvement in soccer is easy, affordable and rewarding.

Family: Playing soccer ties families together as schedules, vacations and family time are coordinated.

Friendship: The relationships generated through playing soccer extend beyond the field.
Plans for Youth Soccer Month include working with local leadership to organize grassroots public-affairs campaigns, numerous local events, media-relations initiatives and more.

Interest in the sport of soccer is at its highest level ever in the United States, with more than 19 million children, ages five to 19, participating regularly. Notably, more children are participating in organized soccer than peewee football, youth basketball or Little League baseball.

Also, be sure to check out the Women's World Cup action that starts this Monday. Read national team member on her World Cup experience in China.