Women Pool B - China v USA 0-5 (0-3)
A hat-trick for Katie O'Donnell and an overall strong team performance left the USA sitting at the top of the table after their third pool B match. China,who had looked so composed in their earlier two matches were unable to deal with the ferocity or versatility of the USA attack and, on her 100th cap, Jackie Kintzer in the USA goal was a spectator for most of the game.
There was a late Chinese revival in the closing stages of the second half, as China won a series of penalty corners, but a composed USA defence saw off the pressure and closed out the game with two further goals.
The scoring was opened in the fourth minute by the excellent Katie O'Donnell, whose poacher instinct meant she was in just the right place to capitalise on a jazzy run from Michelle Vitesse that left the red-shirts of China trailing in her wake. Vitesses' pass found O'Donnell, who made no mistake. Five minutes later it was Vitesse (9') herself who was on the scoreboard; a drive into the circle and a shot that set the net shuddering doubled the USA lead.
Throughout the first half, all across the pitch the USA were dominant in all quarters, belying their ranking positions – USA are ranked 10th in this tournament, China are ranked 7th – but as goal hero O'Donnell said: "We came into this tournament with no medal expectations. We just wanted to take each game as it came and our main goal was to finish higher than 10th."
Tactically, the USA were on song from the opening whistle; their ball pace, basic skills and speed going forwards earned praise from coach Craig Parnham. With Jill Witmer, Vitesse and Kelsey Kolojechick carrying the ball and running at the China defence, goals were almost inevitable. Speaking after the game, O'Donnell said: "When you know the defence and midfield are playing well and you are confident in them, then it can release you to play with freedom.
O'Donnell's (30') second goal came as the forward pounced on a cross from the hard-working Paige Selenski, and minutes later Michelle Kasold was unlucky not to add to the score when the China 'keeper pulled off a fine save.
Had China managed to capitalise on a series of penalty corners that they won in the latter end of the second half, then the story might have been a very different one. Liang Meiyu gave an honest assessment of the unproductive penalty corner routine that saw four chances go missing: "We were nervous. They were more physical and technically better than us and we were just too nervous to play our game."
De Jaoijaoi and Ting Huang were both industrious in the China midfield, but as their efforts yielded no results, so their confidence fell and the USA came back into the game for the final 10 minutes. First O'Donnell scored her hat-trick – again poaching from a Rachel Dawson shot – and Kolojejchick wrapped things up with the USA's fifth goal in the 67th minute of the game.
The result leaves USA at the top of the table, and Katie O'Donnell as the tournament's top scorer. China remain on four points and in fourth position.
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