U.S. Beach Women’s National Team Falls in Overtime to Host Russia 2-1 to Open Women’s Intercontinental Cup
Lauren Leslie Tallies First Goal for Beach WNT Since Pandemic Pause
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MOSCOW (Aug.13, 2021) – The U.S. Beach Soccer Women’s National Team fell to host Russia 2-1 in added extra time to open its campaign at the 2021 Women’s Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup in Moscow. Played before a limited crowd at the Luznhiki Beach Soccer Stadium- site of next week’s 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup- the match was the first for the Beach WNT since Oct. 2019 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The hosts jumped out to an early lead when Anna Petrova back-heeled a ball into space for Anna Cherniakova, who shot past on-rushing U.S. goalkeeper Melissa Lowder. The shot hit the right post and Cherniakova was in position to fire it into the empty net for the game’s first goal. Cherniakova nearly doubled the lead minutes later when her shot hit the left post.
After a scoreless second period, the USA began clicking in the third. The reward came at the ten-minute mark, when Jeane Sunseri-Warp skipped a 22-yard free kick in front of goal, forcing goalkeeper Anna Akylbaeva down to short-hop the ball. The rebound bounced forward, settling for U.S. forward Lauren Leslie to level the match from four yards out. The USA pressure continued with Kilee Quigly pinging a shot off the crossbar and Ali Hall’s shot in the final seconds of regulation straying inches wide of the right post.
Russia found the game-winner in overtime when Cherniakova squared a ball inside to Varvara Bychkova. Her first-time shot eluded Lowder to give the hosts an opening victory.
The USA will play Brazil in its second match on Saturday, August 14 at 10 a.m. ET (6 p.m. local; BeachSoccer.com) and close out the tournament on Sunday, August 15 vs. Spain (10 a.m. ET, 6 p.m. local; BeachSoccer.com). Brazil defeated Spain 3-2 in Friday’s first match.
2021 WOMEN’S INTERCONTINENTAL BEACH SOCCER CUP STANDINGS
|
|
W |
W (OT) |
L |
D |
GD |
Pts. |
|
Brazil |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Russia |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Spain |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
-1 |
0 |
|
USA |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
-1 |
0 |
-U.S. BEACH SOCCER WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Beach Soccer Women’s National Team vs. Russia
Date: August 13, 2021
Competition: 2021 Women’s Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup
Venue: Luzhniki Beach Soccer Stadium; Moscow, Russia
Attendance: 800
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local)
Weather: 74 degrees; cloudy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 3 OT F
USA 0 0 1 0 1
RUS 1 0 0 1 2
RUS – Anna Cherniakova 5’20” (1st Period)
USA - Lauren Leslie 10’03” (3rd)
RUS - Varvara Bychkova (Anna Cherniakova) 00’ 18” (OT)
Lineups:
USA: 12-Melissa Lowder, 3-Samantha Witteman, 6-Jeane Sunseri-Warp, 7-Lauren Leslie, 10-Ali Hall
Substitutes: 1-Christi Yount, 2-Danielle Kovacevic, 4-Vanessa Valentine, 5-Rebecca Taylor, 8-Ashley Triplett, 9-Kilee Quigley
Head coach: Morgan Church
RUS: 1-Anna Akylbaeva, 5-Iana Zubilova, 10-Varvara Bychkova, 17-Daria Shkvara, 22-Anastasia Gorshkova
Substitutes: 7-Anna Petrova, 8-Anna Cherniakova, 9-Glafira Bazhanova, 14-Natalia Zaitseva, 16-Viktoriia Silina, 19-Liubov Komarova
Head coach: Ilia Leonov
Misconduct Summary:
RUS - Varvara Bychkova (caution) 6’ (3rd)
USA – Lauren Leslie (caution) 8’ (3rd)
Officials:
Referee: Mikhail Prokharau (BLR)
Second Referee: Oleg Cebotari( MDA)
Third Referee: Denis Smolyaninov (RUS)
Timekeeper: Aleksei Ivanov (RUS)