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SPORTS Saturday 25 May 2019
U.S. faces greater challenges this time around at World Cup

By ANNE M. PETERSON Stalwarts Abby Wambach
AP Sports Writer and Lauren Holiday have
The U.S. women's national retired, and Carli Lloyd —
team is well aware the rest who scored a hat trick in
of the world is catching up. the title game in Canada
Long dominant on the in- — has moved into a "super
ternational stage, the No. sub" role off the bench .
1-ranked Americans are The U.S. women are fo-
heading to France for the cused on winning on the
Women's World Cup with field in France even while
any number of teams po- at home they are look-
tentially in position to top- ing for a different victory.
ple the defending champi- Known for championing
ons. women's rights and equal-
Among the challengers ity, the players collectively
are host France, upstart filed a lawsuit alleging dis-
England, the surprise third- crimination by the U.S. Soc-
place finisher at the 2015 cer Federation and seeking
World Cup in Canada, pay equitable with that of
and even the Canadians players on the men's na-
themselves, who would tional team.
love to get an upper hand Forward Christen Press said
in a longstanding rivalry it's this unity on and off the
with their North American field that makes the United United States women's national soccer team members, from left, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and
neighbors. States a formidable team. Megan Rapinoe speak to reporters during a news conference in New York, Friday, May 24, 2019.
"I do not think that the U.S. "The World Cup is precious Associated Press
is as strong as they have al- to us and we want to have
ways been, the same with all our focus there," she ment's best goalkeeper, in the moment and kind of But that game could pro-
Germany, while not under- said. Alex Morgan will lead allowing just three goals. take it all in, the better posi- vide something of a blue-
estimating teams like Italy the attack, flanked by Me- But she was ultimately dis- tion I'll put myself in." print for how to beat the
and Spain that may be in- gan Rapinoe and Tobin missed from the team fol- Helping Naeher will be a United States. Sweden
ferior," said Sweden mid- Heath. Morgan, who broke lowing the 2016 Olympics. backline that includes vet- was coached at the time
fielder Kosovar Asllani. "We out at the 2012 Olympics Naeher is known for her erans Becky Sauerbrunn by former U.S. coach Pia
will of course do everything and is playing in her third calm demeanor. and Kelley O'Hara, both Sundhage, who knew the
to be at the top. It is open World Cup, scored 18 goals "I've kind of found over the playing in their third World Americans well.
for any national team, re- in 19 games last year and years that it's best to just Cup. Sundhage has since moved
ally." was the team's Player of keep that even mindset, In the Brazil Games, Swe- on, but the U.S. will again
Jill Ellis is leading the U.S. the Year for 2018. not too high and not too den bunkered on defense face Sweden in the final
team into her second A focus will no doubt be low," she said. "There's ob- and went on to advance to game of the group stage.
World Cup as coach. She Alyssa Naeher , who has viously a lot of defensive the semifinals, handing the Ellis joked before the draw
selected a roster that em- the daunting task of re- strategies and changes U.S. its earliest exit in Olym- in December that she fully
phasized experience, but placing Hope Solo in goal. leading into a game, and pic competition. Solo fa- expected to be grouped
the lineup will look vastly dif- Solo won the Golden Glove within a game. The more mously called the Swedes with Sweden — so of course
ferent from four years ago. in Canada as the tourna- that I can kind of just stay "cowards" for the tactic. it happened.q

Zakarin wins 1st mountain-top

finish of Giro; Polanc leads

CERESOLE REALE, Italy (AP) The route featured three well ahead of Polanc, who
— Russian rider Ilnur Zakarin major climbs, including a took the lead on Thursday.
won the 13th stage of the grueling ascent to Ceresole Polanc now leads Roglic by
Giro d'Italia with a solo Reale between banks of 2:25 with Zakarin third, 2:56
attack up to the race's first snow lining the road. behind, Bauke Mollema
big mountain-top finish, Zakarin was part of an fourth and Nibali fifth.
and Jan Polanc held onto early breakaway and then "We knew the last climb
the overall leader's pink accelerated away from will be really hard," Zakarin
jersey Friday. Mikel Nieve in the final said through a translator. "I
Zakarin, who rides for Team kilometers. Nieve crossed didn't have a plan for the Russia's Ilnur Zakarin celebrates on the podium after winning
Katusha Alpecin, required second, 35 seconds climb. I did my best and this the 13th stage of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Pinerolo to
more than 5½ hours to behind, and Mikel Landa is the result. The ambition Ceresole Reale, Italy, Friday, May 24, 2019.
complete the 196-kilometer finished third, 1:20 behind. is to be in the top five and
(122-mile) route from Overall favorites Primoz now it is possible." and trails by 7:48. and another uphill finish
Pinerolo to Ceresole Reale Roglic and Vincenzo Landa, who has gained Team Ineos rider Tao along the 131-kilometer
near Turin. It was the third Nibali finished in a two- time on the other Geoghegan Hart of Britain route from Saint-Vincent
Grand Tour stage win of man group in seventh overall favorites for two crashed out while in an to Courmayeur in the Valle
Zakarin's career, having and eighth, respectively, consecutive days, is eighth. early breakaway. d'Aosta region near the
also won stages in the both nearly three minutes Miguel Angel Lopez had a Stage 14 on Saturday is French border.
2015 Giro and 2016 Tour de behind Zakarin. mechanical problem with another grueling mountain The three-week race ends
France. Roglic and Nibali finished his chain on the final climb leg, featuring five climbs in Verona on June 2.q